As part of ongoing efforts to serve an ever-growing under-sea force, the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Division replaced its entire outdated berthing pier at Naval Station Pearl Harbor. The new Sierra Pier 8 and 9 features a state-of-the-art utility package, including advanced electrical power distribution and lighting, readily available compressed air and potable water and a new wastewater collection system.
“The old piers were obsolete,” said Fred Pang, the regional officer who directed the $24 million project. “This new pier will service the next generation of large, nuclear submarines.”
For the design of the new pier, Pang and his team called on Moffat and Nichols Engineers. The firm specified top-quality equipment to ensure hassle-free operation and to keep maintenance costs to an absolute minimum.
To control the flow from the sewage offloading operation, 16 manual pinch valves from Red Valve Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., were installed. The Red Valve Manual Pinch Valve is a popular choice for handling raw sewage due to its full-port opening and unrestricted flow characteristics. The elastomer pinch sleeve is resistant to corrosive materials, and the valve closes drop-tight on entrapped debris.
The pier was dedicated in a summer ribbon-untying ceremony in 1999, complete with a Navy color guard, to the late Torpedoman Henry Breault, the first enlisted submariner to be awarded the Medal of Honor in 1924.
“America is a maritime nation dependent on the sea for commerce and defense,” said Rear Adm. Al Konetzi, the ceremony’s guest speaker. “America must preserve its undersea superiority to maintain and preserve our national interests.”
