Florida Power & Light Manatee Expansion
Project Details
Location
Parrish, Florida
Owner
Florida Power & Light Company
General Contractor
Engineer
Lightweight Aggregate Supplier
Stalite Lightweight Aggregate
Description
The Florida Power & Light Manatee Expansion required construction of a cast-in-place concrete intake structure within a 60-foot-long, 40-foot-wide, and 50-foot-deep sheet pile cofferdam. The marine scope included reservoir dredging and installation of subaqueous pipeline infrastructure to support plant operations.
To provide erosion protection and reduce loads in a submerged environment, approximately 3,400 tons of Stalite rotary kiln expanded slate lightweight aggregate were placed over filter fabric, along with 900 tons of riprap. An additional 9,000 cubic yards of material were dredged to create a deeper intake channel and maintain adequate pump flow.
The project also included construction of an 18-foot by 25-foot by 12-foot cast-in-place box culvert and installation of 600 linear feet of 108-inch-diameter subaqueous pipeline supported by seventy-five 24-inch steel pipe pilings.
Stalite Lightweight Aggregate was produced in Gold Hill, North Carolina, transported by rail to Palmetto, Florida, and delivered to the project site.
The lightweight fill provided low unit weight, high internal friction, controlled absorption, and sufficient specific gravity to prevent flotation in marine conditions. These performance characteristics made Stalite Lightweight Aggregate an effective solution for long-term stability in this submerged geotechnical application.
