Replacing the ice pier with a steel one

Above, an undated and uncredited photo from this August 2023 Future USAP page which describes the basics
of the new pier...which will be 100 feet wide and 328 feet long, attached to the shore with four stiff leg columns,
as well as two bridges for on-off transport of cargo. To be delivered in 2025-26.

This was put out to bid on the official government procurement site sam.gov in July 2023...this package includes all of the drawings and pertinent details. Below...a basic plan view (opens as a 3 page PDF).

Below, a small sampling of the many drawings in the procurement package. Note that these may be revised during fabrication.

This drawing shows the intended thickness of the bottom, side ("ice belt"), and deck steel plates.

This drawing (opens as 2 page PDF) shows a sampling of some of the interior barge structural bulkheads and reinforcement.

Some other information...while some of the steel is grade 36, it is not A36 which is standard US construction steel, but of ABS grades--stronger and with better low temperature and impact resistance. The pier will be towed to McMurdo station, and once in place will remain permanently in the water. It will be equipped with several ballast bins inside the hull--these are to be filled with a heavy iron-ore based slurry (weighing 300 lbs per cubic foot) once the barge is in place at McMurdo.

The contract was awarded to Gunderson Marine LLC for $43.5 million in November 2023 Bend Bulletin article including company information. The company is located in NW Portland, OR along the Willamette River, and the barge is being built in Portland. The total contract award from NSF was ~$55 million to the Army Corps of Engineers per this awards page, presumably to cover their other contracting costs.