Project Description

The Navy’s Elevated Causeway System, Modular (ELCAS-M) is a unique pier system used to support large cargo offloads anywhere around the globe. The ELCAS-M has gone through modernization in the last twenty years, specifically in the equipment used to construct the pier system. Our team’s goal was to recreate ELCAS-M components in modern CAD software to allow the Navy to determine the ELCAS-M’s ability to bear these new equipment loads. To recreate these models, our team carefully examined the drawings from the ELCAS-M’s original plans in 1995. After modelling the components in accordance to the blueprints, a case comparison scenario was built against the original design report. Our analyses confirmed that the new models correctly resembled the original models. Our second goal involved the redesign of the ELCAS-M lifting lug. Lifting lugs carry the main roadway parts of the ELCAS-M from ship to shore during deployment. The existing design meets the approved engineering lift; however, it does not sufficiently take into account dynamic loads such as wind and swaying. The redesign will enable the Navy to confidently deploy the ELCAS-M. Upon validation of the accuracy of the original lifting lug model, we proceeded to design a new lifting lug. Loading case scenarios were performed on the new lifting lug against the current design. The results provided an increased Factor of Safety (FoS) of 1.8, compared to the original’s FoS of 1.05. Thus, our redesign will enable the Navy to transport the ELCAS-M both safely and efficiently.