Estimating Costs of Ice Damage to Private Shoreline Structures on Great Lakes Connecting Channels

Abstract

The possible extension of the navigation season through the entire winter or a portion thereof has been under consideration for the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway for a number of years. To balance the benefits and costs of such an extension it is necessary to determine the damage costs to shore structures that might result from ice loosened by ship passage. This paper is concerned with the interconnecting channels of the Lakes where there is estimated to be $18,000,000 (1976 dollars) worth of small, private, vulnerable shore structures. Based on information from Corps of Engineers Permits, aerial photos and site visits, probability estimates are given for winter damage on identifiable river reaches for differing season lengths. These are related to replacement costs and tables are given showing estimated annual damage costs. Possible solutions are given which vary with ice damage susceptibility. Keywords; Cost analysis; Damage; Great Lakes; Ice; Navigation; Winter.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 1980
Accession Number
ADA213840

Entities

People

  • Kevin L. Carey

Organizations

  • Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Construction
  • Cost Analysis
  • Cost Estimates
  • Costs
  • Distribution Functions
  • Economic Impact
  • Engineering
  • Engineers
  • Environment
  • Great Lakes
  • Lake Huron
  • Lakes
  • Nanofibers
  • Plastic Explosives
  • Probability
  • Probability Distributions
  • Regions

Readers

  • Coastal and Marine Engineering/Sediment Transport/Hydraulic Engineering
  • Life Cycle Cost Analysis
  • Polar and Arctic Studies