Celebrating the First Barge of 2008
It had been over a year since the last barge loading, so the arrival of this first barge of the 2008 shipping season was cause for celebration. The long interval between dockings was due to extensive soil remediation and construction work on American Iron's upgraded barge loading facility.
Designed to the highest environmental standards, the new single wall dock is smaller than than the old docks, with a reduced footprint into the river.
Angled wings allow a smoother current flow around the structure, minimizing turbulence and silt build-up.
The paved work surface is sloped away from the river and all rainwater is diverted into a network of catch basins. The collected water is held in underground tanks before treatment and eventual use by ongoing operations. There is no storm water run-off into the Mississippi.
Paving also greatly reduces the amount of incedental dust generated by scrap handling and allows the use of rubber-tired equipment for cleaner, quieter operations.
The railroad spur alongside the new docking facility was laid using recycled materials including rails and plates. No longer suitable for main line usage, the worn rails still have plenty of service life for low speed yard duty. Reduce, reuse, recycle!