United States Department of Transportation
i
Water level determination for transportation projects : mean high water manual, final report, November 2009.
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2009-11-01
[PDF-2.29 MB]
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Alternative Title:Mean high water manual : final report, November 2009
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Edition:Final report; Feb. 2000-July 2002.
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Abstract:To ensure proficient network management and safe usage of navigable waterways especially in waters that are
subject to tides, it is essential that the height of the water at various tidal phases be known. This knowledge is also
essential for property ownership determination and for construction projects in areas that are subjected to tidal waters.
Construction applications that require the knowledge of various tidal water levels include determination and
implementation of bridge clearances, design of caissons, cofferdams, fenders, and weep holes. Bridge clearances are
calculated from tide observations, tide predictions and an assessment of the size of vessels expected to travel beneath
them. Additional considerations that are to be addressed during bridge construction are minimum underclearances
necessary to operate construction equipment, the season of construction and its effect on the water level, regulatory
requirements of agencies such as the US Coast Guard, etc.
Water levels and clearances are expressed in terms of elevations in a particular height system. To avoid
implementation errors, it is essential that proper research, analysis, methods and procedures be exercised prior to
construction to ensure that a consistent height system is being used. Insufficient determination of the current water
levels and misunderstanding of height systems could become a public safety problem and/or result in property damage
or damage to the integrity of the transportation network.
The objective of this manual is to establish a uniform NJDOT procedure for determining water level as applied
to safety, construction projects, and bridge clearances determination in tidal areas. It includes an introduction to the
phenomena of tides, discussions on tidal and vertical datum, legal issues of tides, and methods for establishing the
mean high water (MHW) at a construction site. The manual includes a detailed outline of a MHW study that consists of
planning, observation sessions, data reductions, computations, quality assessment of the established MHW and
documentation of the established MHW. NJDOT co
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