In Southern Los Angeles, just north of LAX is the historic beach neighborhood of Playa del Rey. This coastal neighborhood is a popular spot amongst locals for fun in the sun, surf and sand. This past summer, a renovation project for the McGurk Beach jetty launched to replace the corroding mild steel and concrete with materials that could withstand the brackish environment.
Profiles: Beams, Channels, Angles, HSS
Material: 316/L Stainless Steel
Execution: Laser Welded
Industry: Marine Fabrication
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Fabricator: Pendarvis Manufacturing; Anaheim, CA
McGurk Beach Jetty Project
Playa del Ray is a seaside community in southwest L.A. that is right along the northern side of LAX airport and just south of Marina del Rey. At the very northern end of Playa del Rey is what the locals call “Toes Beach”, a name derived from the “toes over” or more commonly known “hang ten” surfing maneuver. One of the points of interest at this part of the beach is the McGurk Beach Ocean Outlet in which this jetty can be seen by airline passengers when taking off from LAX.
This jetty was built over 40 years ago to protect swimmers from high tides and to slow erosion. Unlike many natural jetties from stone and sand, this jetty was constructed out of concrete and carbon steel with wave protection barriers on the end. After years of being submerged in the ocean water and exposed to the salty atmosphere, the steel components suffered from heavy rust and deterioration to the point where the entry gate was rusted shut and the wave barriers became dysfunctional. The city decided to replace the jetty gates and wave barriers with corrosion resistance materials such as stainless steel and fiberglass.
316/L Stainless Steel in Marine Environments
Due to the highly corrosive atmosphere and marine environment of the pacific coast, 316/L stainless steel was designated to replace the carbon steel structural components. Type 316 stainless has a higher nickel content and added molybdenum to enhance the corrosion-fighting attributes. In this type of coastal project, engineers or architects will specify either type 316 or Duplex stainless steel for an extra layer of defense. Both alloys have improved mechanical properties, increased corrosive protection over type 304 stainless, and far exceeds that of galvanized steel and aluminum alternatives.
Pendarvis Manufacturing in Anaheim, California was tasked with the design, modeling and fabrication of the new gate, railings and wave protection barriers for the contractor. The steel components for this project consisted of several different 316/L stainless steel profiles including wide flange beams, angles, channels and square & rectangle tubing. The W-beams used were standard 8” and the angles were a standard 3x3x3/8. The tubing used was a custom 8×2” rectangle that can be domestically produced at our facility in Conroe, Texas.
More than Structural Profiles
The structural shapes used in these wave barriers are part of our standard A6 product platform. Along with our standard structural sizes, we also offer an endless lineup of custom profiles in both stainless and carbon steel that can be used in a variety of architectural or industrial applications. Our laser welding technology produces a crisp, square-edged configuration that is great for facades, entryways and other AESS designs. Contact our team today to assist with your next industrial or architectural project using steel profiles.
