Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Tyler Fraser | 200821-N-HH215-1010 YOKOSUKA, Japan (Aug. 21, 2020) Capt. Rich Jarrett, Commander,...... read more read more
YOKOSUKA, Japan—Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Far East officials along with Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka officials broke ground on a new pier between Berths 2 and 3 at Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka Aug. 21.
The $128 million project was awarded April 14 and is scheduled to be complete in September 2022.
“Normally in this area of the world, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would oversee this type of new construction,” said NAVFAC Far East Commanding Officer Capt. Tim DeWitt. “However, in this particular case when our Chief of Civil Engineers, Rear Adm. John Korka was serving as NAVFAC Pacific commanding officer, he successfully negotiated for NAVFAC to oversee the construction of this pier due to the significant Fleet interest in the project. It's an extraordinary opportunity for NAVFAC Far East.”
Forward Deployed Naval Force (FDNF) ships of 7th Fleet are assigned to protect and defend the maritime interests of the United States in the Indo-Asia Pacific region.
“When I talk to my command about connectedness and the mission NAVFAC provides to the Navy and Marine Corps, there's no closer tie than constructing a pier that enables 7th Fleet to have forward deployed ships in Japan,” said DeWitt. “This state of the art pier will provide modernized berthing capability for multiple classes of ships, full utilities that allow ships to go cold iron while in Yokosuka, enable maintenance availabilities, and provide 4160V shore power to support our most advanced visiting platforms.”
The fixed, single-deck pier replaces the existing Pier 5, which could no longer support crane operations or ship repair functions. It will expand the installation’s access and capabilities to berth and moor larger and additional ship classes while still providing all the necessary power utilities such as potable water, industrial and shore power, compressed air, and telephone and data lines.
The new pier will include a concrete deck, utility trenches, pile foundations, fender system, mooring hardware, access ramp, utility support crossing, cathodic protection system, and grounding system. It will allow U.S. Naval Ship Repair Facility and Japan Regional Maintenance Center (SRF) to perform ship repair pier-side as it had been able to do previously.
The project is incredibly important to not just the installation, but the Navy, according to Edwin Leonin, construction manager and the contracting officer’s representative for the project.
“Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka (CFAY) requires all piers to be available in support of FDNF assigned ships,” Leonin said. “This project will provide reliable long-term berthing for the mooring and repair of 7th Fleet vessels. Failure to replace the existing floating steel pier will result in decreased ship maintenance capability for assigned FDNF ships.”
The major milestones of the project are removal and towing of existing floating pier which was complete Aug. 24, pile probing, construction of substructures (pile driving), and construction of main structure. The Pier 5 team is comprised of Maria Callo, contract specialist; Hiroshi Kojima, engineering technician; Edwin Leonin, construction manager; and Alberto Serrano, construction manager supervisor.
“NAVFAC’s expertise in design, construction, and facility maintenance will ensure on-time delivery and the facility is built in accordance with the intended design, to support 7th Fleet and allied nations berthing operations,” said Leonin.
For nearly 70 years, Pier 5 served hundreds of ships and tens of thousands of 7th Fleet Sailors since it was first brought to Yokosuka from Sasebo, Japan in 1950, according to CFAY Commanding Officer Capt. Rich Jarrett.
“As the old floating pier between Berths 2 and 3 was pulled away from the harbor on Aug. 24, I couldn't help thinking back to 1994 aboard my FFG (class of multi-mission guided-missile frigates) that frequently tied up to this pier and all the years since 1950 that this floating pier dutifully served the U.S./Japan alliance,” DeWitt said.
| Date Taken: | 08.31.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 08.31.2020 20:54 |
| Story ID: | 377182 |
| Location: | JP |
| Web Views: | 473 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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