Divers repair a piling and inspect pier understructure
Erin Discipulo, 15, of Redondo Beach and Steven Ingraham, 15, of Torrance sit on the open section of the Hermosa Beach Pier. Photo
The city pier is closed this week as divers repair a piling and shoot underwater video to inspect the condition of the pier’s understructure.
The pier’s gates near the waterline have been closed 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. beginning Monday. That schedule was expected to continue through Friday, with the pier fully reopening Friday evening in time for the weekend.
Inspections late last year revealed that a chunk of concrete perhaps four feet long and two inches thick had fallen from one of the pilings, said Associate Public Works Engineer Ken Reamey. A structural assessment determined that the pier was safe for public use, but left questions that could be answered only with further inspection.
The divers, from the contract firm Ballard Diving and Salvage near Seattle, have been working this week to place a fiberglass “jacket” around the damaged piling using grout to seal it tight, and shooting underwater video of the pilings.
Three divers have been going underwater in shifts, shooting video with a helmet-mounted camera. While one dives, another remains on the pier surface, keeping track of the diver’s air hose, and lowering down equipment as needed. The third person remains inside a trailer, monitoring the video that is being shot. The diver in the water remains in constant voice contact as well. ER