Boat Ramp Design Standards.pdf

September 31st, 2019

CBP Office of Administration PMOD Engineering US Border Patrol Tactical Infrastructure Border Patrol Boat Ramp Design Standard Draft

Background PMOD

Boat Ramp design standards were developed to:

Provide A/E firms and contractors with standards to serve as basis for designs and repairs & upgrades Reduce TI life cycle costs Incorporate sustainability initiatives Take advantage of “lessons-learned”

Primary guiding principals for developing standards include:

Meet Border Patrol’s operational requirements Be cost effective to construct, operate and maintain Safe for employees Maintain long-term sustainability Comply with federal regulations and DHS/CBP guidelines (e.g. design requirements for sustainability)

Boat Ramp Siting PMOD

• Confirm boat types & sizes to use ramp as well as ancillary requirements such as parking, lighting, boat storage and security Parking should be in proximity to the ramp The ramp and associated structures cannot adversely impact the floodplain characteristics

• River bottom topography as well as the ordinary low water (OLW), and ordinary high water (OHW) levels information must be known at the proposed ramp location

• Ramps should be located in areas that closely match the topography of the riverbank and designed so that the greatest amount of excavation occurs above the mean water level, with the underwater portion closely matching the river bottom topography whenever possible

• The effects of waves, wakes, current, wind exposure and potential for sedimentation should be considered

Boat Ramp Siting-continued PMOD

• Ramp orientation:

Preferred: 10 to 30 degrees rotation downstream from perpendicular to river bank Minimum: 0 degrees from perpendicular to the river bank Maximum: 45 degrees from perpendicular to the river bank

• Environmental and real estate subject matter experts should be consulted early in the siting process to ensure environmental impacts are minimized, required permits are acquired in a timely fashion and we have legal real estate access and use of the facility

Boat Ramp Slope PMOD

• 12%-15% percent with preferred slope of 14% Goal is allow boat trailer to be in deep enough water to launch and retrieve from the trailer without the rear tires of the tow vehicle being in water

Design Water Elevations PMOD

• OLW (aka Design Low Water (DLW) level) elevation shall be used as the basis of the ramp toe (bottom) design The ramp toe should ideally be located 4 ft below the OLW (3 ft min.)

• OHW (aka Design High Water (DHW) level) elevation shall be used for the top of the ramp design The top of ramp shall be a minimum of 1 ft above the OHW

Vertical Curve PMOD

• A vertical curve must be installed at the top of the ramp to provide a smooth transition between the maneuver area grade and the ramp slope

• Ideally the vertical curve shall be 20 ft long (assuming ramp is 12%-15% slope)

Boat Ramp Width PMOD

• Ramp width shall typically be 20 ft

Boat Ramp Surface PMOD

• Preferred boat ramp surface is pre-cast concrete with v-groove finis; optional ramp surface is articulated matting

• Cast-in-place concrete cut-off walls should be constructed down both sides and across the lower end (anchor wall) of the ramp to provide erosion protection

• A cast-in-place concrete ramp shall:

Be reinforced with #4 epoxy coated rebar, both directions, in a 12-inch by 12-inch grid Concrete shall be 6-inches thick (min) and 4,000 psi (min) compressive strength and placed over a thoroughly compacted subgrade, geotextile fabric, minimum 6-inch layer of compacted aggregate subbase and 6-inch layer of compacted aggregate base course o Subbase material should be 2.5-inch or 3-inch stone minus crushed aggregate o Base course material should be 0.75-inch or 1-inch stone minus crushed aggregate

Boat Ramp Surface-continued PMOD

Boat Ramp Surface-continued PMOD

Riprap and Bank Protection PMOD

• Riprap shall be placed along both sides and across the lower end of ramp for erosion protection

• Rip rap shall meet the following specifications: D50 = 1.32 ft; W50 = 200 lbs;

D100 = 2.01 ft; W50 = 200 lbs (need to determine TX DOT reference)

• Care should be taken when placing riprap so that the top of the riprap does not extend above the surface of the adjacent ramp

• Riprap along the sides of the ramp should be a minimum of 2 feet wide by 2 feet deep and level with the ramp surface

• Riprap at the toe of the ramp should be a minimum of 4 feet wide by 2 feet deep and continue at the slope of the ramp

• Riprap should also be placed on adjacent slopes no steeper than 1.5 horizontal to 1 vertical (2 horizontal to 1 vertical is preferred)

Miscellaneous PMOD

• These design standards represent the preferred characteristics of a BPFTI owned and maintained boat ramp; however, deviations may be required on a case by case basis

• The issuance of these design standards should not be the sole basis for constructing improvements/upgrades to existing facilities

• Any proposed deviations from these design standards should be reviewed and approved by the applicable sector PM/COR, the PMOD Chief Engineer and the Corridor Tactical Infrastructure Director.