Duluth Lakewalk Rebuilds After Powerful Storms

After several recent severe storms, the Lakewalk on Canal Park in Duluth, MN has taken a beating from the powerful waves of Lake Superior. The shoreline sustained heavy damage with large portions of the boardwalk completely washed out near the iconic Aerial Lift Bridge. In an attempt to prevent further damage, the city of Duluth along with other government agencies quickly devised a plan to protect the shoreline. The final plan includes an 11-foot-high concrete retaining wall that runs along the entire Eastern shore of Canal Park. This new wall will stretch from I-35 all the way to the North Pier Lighthouse adjacent to the Lift Bridge, totaling over 2,500 feet long. Most of the new wall will never be seen as only about 2 feet will be left exposed on the Lakewalk side with heavy rip rap placed on the lakeside to help breakup the powerful waves.

HMI of Duluth was contracted to construct the new cast-in-place concrete wall and contacted Advance Shoring for help with the project. Because of tight jobsite conditions, the use of a crane was quickly ruled out, making the project a perfect fit for the new MevaLite formwork system. The lightweight aluminum panels weigh only 5.2 pounds per sq. ft., making it the ideal system to move small panels by hand or large gangs with minimal equipment.

The contractor was pleased with how quick and easy the panels went together. Utilizing a lot of the same hardware as the larger Meva Imperial system, the contractor was able to make quick work of the gang assembly with only a handful of components. The Alkus plastic face offers exceptional finish while still having the ability to nail and screw into without splintering the face sheet.

The MevaLite formwork system is rated at 1,350 psf which easily accommodates most formwork applications. Available in 9’, 6’, 4’ & 3’ panel heights and widths from 6” in to 36”, the contractor is able to accommodate virtually formwork application.

The project started in mid-June and is scheduled to be completed by October 2020.