New Orleans International Airport Drainage Pump Station

MSMM recently completed full investigation, analysis and design for a new 600 cfs stormwater drainage pump station (four 150 cfs pumps, each 44″ w/ 800 HP Driver) and for all landside drainage as part of constructing a new terminal at the New Orleans International Airport.  MSMM is the sole entity to envision, assess and design this important addition to the region’s flood protection abilities.  The $45 million of drainage mitigation designed by MSMM included civil, structural, electrical, mechanical and environmental design, hydraulic modeling (HEC-HMS and HEC-RAS), architectural design, cost estimating, environmental permitting, CAD drafting, and extensive FAA coordination.

The project involved discharging stormwater over a hurricane protection flood wall, through the construction of 4,000 ft. of 60” steel discharge pipes; requiring detailed structural design of sheet pile cutoff walls, steel sheet pile temporary retaining structure (TRS), buttress, pipe bents, cofferdam and walers, intake channel and reinforced concrete box culvert, pipe supports, pipe sleeves in floodwall, and a discharge basin. The MSMM design required excavation of a new airport canal and connecting the canal to the existing Butler Canal. The new canal serves as the pumping basin and required extensive stability analyses and erosion control measures (rock) the design of reinforced embankments and coordination with the FAA due to the proximity to an active runway.  MSMM performed 100% of the design services for the project. MSMM performed all of the civil/structural site work design inclusive of earthwork and site layout, performed engineering design support during construction inclusive of coordination with the construction contractor, performed the hydrologic and hydraulic modeling (UNET, SWMM), and developed all plans and specs. The project was successfully constructed in 2018. MSMM performed 100% of the design services for this project.