New Westwego Pump Station to Orleans Village - Phase II Levee Trenching

Quality assurance is an essential component of the Corps' work

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has a comprehensive Quality Assurance/Quality Control process for all phases of construction to ensure that contract specifications and quality standards are met. If unsuitable material (concrete, rock, brick, steel, tires, etc.) is reported to the Corps or our partners, we increase the level of quality assurance to include more inspections prior to compaction of the levee, additional levee lifts and final grading and seeding.

Of the 54 contracts that comprise West Bank & Vicinity (WBV) portion of the Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System, unsuitable material has been reported in three. Although it is possible that unsuitable materials may cause a levee to settle minimally, it does not have an effect on the structural integrity of that levee.

On two of the three west bank contracts, the unsuitable material found did not exceed the allowable amount. On the third contract, WBV 14c.2, a Quality Assurance (QA) Tiger Team was formed that includes members from the Corps (outside of the New Orleans District) and the Non-Federal Sponsors (CPRA and SLFPA-W) to assess quality control and assurance procedures and conduct an investigation to include trenching, coring and geophysical testing (ground penetrating radar and electromagnetic mapping) to review the extent of any unsuitable or objectionable material and determine whether the levee as constructed meets contract specification requirements.  In March 2012, the non Federal Sponsors (CPRA and SLFPA-W) will be provided with the report of findings.

Throughout the process, the Corps will continue to work with the Louisiana Office of Coastal Protection and Restoration and the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-West to address any and all concerns related to unsuitable materials. The combined Corps and Non-Federal sponsor team efforts will focus on delivering a quality storm damage risk reduction system for the citizens of the greater New Orleans Area.