Considerations for Levee Design Using Staged Construction in Southeast Louisiana: A Case Study of the Design and Construction of the West Shore Lake Pontchartrain Levee

Designing and constructing flood risk reduction levees and floodwalls in coastal environments like southeast Louisiana presents many challenges. These include weak and compressible foundation soils and the need to account for anticipated higher future water levels. Traditional levee designs often result in large levee cross sections with wide footprints. However, geotechnical engineers can use staged construction methods to reduce the levee footprint while maintaining the same level of protection. This case study summarizes the design and construction of the West Shore Lake Pontchartrain (WSLP) Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System (HSDRRS) in Louisiana, highlighting key considerations for staged construction, including ground improvement, timing of construction stages, and estimates of subsurface strength gain. Lessons learned and initial construction observations are also discussed.