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Field Stations and Marine Laboratory for a Flowing Seawater System at the Cal Poly Pier
2002 - 2006
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Aerial view of the Center for Coastal Marine Sciences |
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Project Summary:
A seawater system is a basic need of any marine facility. We intend on using the seawater systems for two primary functions; to provide life support for the fauna and flora that exist in immediate area for both undergraduate education and collaborative research efforts and to provide the flow required for in-line monitoring instrumentation. Cal Poly has hired a design firm, Padre Associates, Inc., to develop the initial plans and cost estimate for this seawater system. We are proposing fabrication and installation of a 500-gpm capacity seawater system. The intake pipes (dual system with backup for continual maintenance) will be positioned alongside the water access point for facilitated maintenance. Because of the height of the platform off the surface of the water, there will be a two-tiered system, similar to that installed by UCSD Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) at La Jolla, CA. The first tier will require a vacuum system to create a head to the pumps that will be located approximately 3-4 meters off the surface of the water where the pumps will be installed. 6-inch lines will then pump water to a high-capacity sand filtration system. Water will then be aerated to avoid O2 super-saturation, mixed, and then distributed to the network of outdoor research tanks. The tank network will consist of two 500-gallon green stone tanks, approximately seven 2,000-gallon fiberglass circular tanks, two 1,500-gallon fiberglass raceway tanks, a series of smaller tanks to provide space for contained experiments with marine invertebrates or algae, a re-circulating pump, automatic pressure regulating, flow control, and shutoff valve on all tanks. The tank network will be situated on the concrete portion of the platform. Previous engineering assessment of the pier rated the concrete section of the platform as being able to support weights of 50-60 tons, which is well above the estimated weight of the water capacity in the proposed system. There will also be on demand seawater outlets at various locations around the platform for flexibility in project designs. The structure supports the lines for this system being placed under the grating system, which will allow for efficient space utilization. Seawater access will also be provided in the classroom and laboratory in the main building.
People Involved:
Related Information:
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