The Problem with Conventional Dolphin Design Tri-tie mooring dolphins, a plumb pile with two batter piles, are found at industrial river terminals across the United States. They are simple, proven structures. But the way most of them are designed reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of how mooring structures actually work. The conventional approach treats a mooring dolphin like a building or a bridge structures where deflection must be tightly controlled to protect finishe

Bradley A. Syler, PE, SE Vice President June 16, 2026 Marine port and terminal owners have spent decades hiring engineering firms to inspect an asset, write a report, and leave. They then hire a different engineering firm to design the repairs. They then bid and award the repair work to a separate construction company. Each engagement starts from scratch. Knowledge walks out the door with every completed contract. There is a better model - a long-term partnership where a sing

Anchored steel sheet pile bulkheads represent a significant portion of the aging waterfront infrastructure at U.S. ports and marine terminals. Many of these structures were constructed in the latter half of the 20th century using 150 ksi tie-rods - a material choice that offered cost and weight efficiency at the time but carries long-term risks in aggressive buried marine environments. The risks are hydrogen embrittlement (HE) and stress corrosion cracking (SCC), and the inab

In-water structural piles are commonly repaired and preserved via structural encasements. A deteriorated zone on a steel, timber, or concrete pile gets encased with cast-in-place reinforced concrete or a grouted FRP jacket and the structure returns to service. When properly designed and installed, these systems restore section capacity and extend service life. That part of the story is reasonably well understood. What gets less attention is what happens afterward - specifical

Our What’s Poppin’ with ESOP event brought teams together across all offices and even in the field to celebrate what it means to be employee-owners. Team members enjoyed a build-your-own popcorn bar with a variety of toppings, explored ESOP facts displayed throughout each location, and connected with ESOP Committee members who were available to answer questions and share insights. Most importantly, the event highlighted the power of ownership that unites us all, no matter whe

Marine infrastructure - including navigation structures, bulkheads, wharves, piers, and guide walls - is essential to economic activity and national logistics networks. Many of these assets are aging and require rehabilitation or replacement under increasingly constrained budgets and demanding operational conditions. Marine construction projects are commonly performed in environments with limited accessibility and continuous exposure to hydraulic, environmental, and operation

There’s something powerful about getting your hands in the dirt and knowing it makes a difference. On Saturday, April 18, a group from Marine Solutions, including Sean Chapman, PE, John Fangmeyer, EIT, Ashley Sanders, and Megan Kauffman, joined hundreds of volunteers at the 27th Annual Reforest the Bluegrass event. The initiative focuses on expanding tree canopy in local parks, strengthening ecosystems for wildlife, and improving air and water quality across the region. What

Building on a strong history of successful project delivery for River Bend Ag, LLC, Marine Solutions was selected to provide design-build services for upgrades at their New Madrid dock facility. This work supported the recent replacement of the facility’s material handling equipment. Marine Solutions led the design and construction for the installation of two new 72-inch monopile dolphins and associated pile guide systems connected to the existing dock barge. Dive teams also

22nd Annual Best Places to Work in Kentucky Award Winners Announced FRANKFORT, Ky. – The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, the Kentucky Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM Kentucky) and Saint Joseph Health announce the 100 companies (in alphabetical order) that made the 22nd Annual Best Places to Work in Kentucky list. The winner rankings will be announced at the awards dinner Thursday, June 18, 2026, at the Central Bank Center in Lexington. Winners from across the state

Marine Solutions recently evaluated a 42-foot diameter, 33-foot tall steel storage tank. Our team was tasked with developing a 3D finite element model to determine how the tank would perform under high wind conditions after two new 3’x7’ wall openings were cut into the tank wall. Because of the tank’s size and geometry, finite element analysis (FEA) was the ideal method for accurately predicting stress levels throughout the tank wall. The tank’s wall thickness varied from 3/