Thanks to storms, Daytona Beach Pier set for yet another round of repairs, cost unknown
DAYTONA BEACH — Most every time a tropical storm or hurricane comes barreling toward the Daytona Beach Pier, it doesn't end well for the wooden span jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean.
The ferocious wind and pounding waves of storms have caused millions of dollars in damage to the nearly 100-year-old pier, and the city is about to tackle another round of repairs.
The latest trouble spot, a section of the city-owned pier just east of the seawall, started showing signs of weakening after Hurricane Matthew in October 2016.
The problems escalated after tropical storms Ian and Nicole hit Volusia County in the fall of 2022, so city officials decided it was time to rebuild the compromised area of the pier.
"It got exponentially worse with Nicole," said David Waller, the city's public works director.
Both the area people walk on and the support network underneath it will be repaired and reinforced.
Construction probably won't begin until late this year, so for now the area that's going to be worked on has been blocked off to keep people on the pier safe. The city intends to keep the pier open even when work gets underway so people can get to the Joe's Crab Shack restaurant on the span and anglers can access the easternmost end of the pier to fish.
How much will the pier repairs cost?
At their Feb. 21 meeting, city commissioners approved a $64,700 agreement with Maitland firm Graef-USA Inc., to handle the design, bid assistance and construction administration services needed to replace part of the pier.
There's no cost estimate yet for construction, but the city will apply for financial assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Waller said.
Graef recently provided structural engineering analysis of the deteriorating concrete foundations on the western end of the pier.
The concrete foundations were part of the loading platform used for the now-demolished Sky Lift and Space Needle rides that for many years had been attractions on the pier. The foundations have also provided support for sections of the pier between the Boardwalk and the historic building that houses Joe's Crab Shack.
That part of the pier has a concrete slab that people walk over. It's the only section of the pier that doesn't have wooden decking. The compromised slab has been barricaded now to keep pier visitors safe.
Graef's analysis indicates those sections of the pier need immediate attention. Exposed metal rebar has been severely weathered due to extended saltwater exposure, causing the concrete foundations to spall and weaken, Graef concluded.
Some pieces of the foundation broke off during Hurricane Matthew, so the city started keeping an eye on that area of the pier. More and more of the concrete has fallen away since.
"It's accelerated a fair amount recently," Waller said.
Rusting rebar weakening pier support
The city had hoped to avoid a problem, but once the rebar became exposed to water and the salt air, it rusted. When steel rebar rusts, it expands and cracks the concrete. Then more rebar gets exposed, and the cycle of deterioration repeats.
"The exposed rebar has rusted so much that it's basically gone," Waller said. "We're concerned about the integrity of it."
The problem is both with the concrete slab people walk on, and the concrete girders underneath the pier people on the beach can see.
It's something that has to be addressed.
"The old concrete base holds up a good portion of the pier," Waller said.
Waller expects the concrete girders under the pier and the concrete on top of the pier to be removed and replaced with traditional timber framing to match the rest of the decking. He also expects new piles will be added under that area of the pier to support it.
The repairs will take a few months to complete once they get started.
More about the Daytona Beach Pier: Daytona Beach Pier repair bill climbs past $1.5 million
It will be just the latest round of repairs to the storm-battered Daytona Beach Pier. The city has already poured $1.56 million into remedying damage caused by Tropical Storms Ian and Nicole.
The pier has been repaired repeatedly over the past 15 years, including one major, multimillion-dollar overhaul that was completed more than 10 years ago. Over the past few decades, city leaders have also occasionally discussed building a new pier, but nothing has ever materialized.
You can reach Eileen at Eileen.Zaffiro@news-jrnl.com
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Daytona Beach Pier undergoing repairs to weakened concrete supports
