NWS Earle Pier Complex/Leonardo Piers

 pier, military, seaport, United States Navy

NWS Earle's Pier complex is one of the longest "finger piers" in the world. The trident-shaped pier complex extends 2.2 miles into Sandy Hook Bay and comprises 2.9 miles of pier/trestle area. Two Fast Combat Support ships, USS Supply (AOE 6), and USS Arctic (AOE 8), are homeported at the pier complex. One mile from the shore the trestle branches off to Pier 1. At the junction of Piers 2, 3, and 4, a concrete platform exits which supports a forklift/battery recharging shop and the port operations building. This area is known as the "wye". All of the existing structures, with the exception of Pier 4 and the "wye", were constructed in the early 1940s. The "wye" was constructed in 1981 and Pier 4 was completed in 1990.

The original pier and trestle were constructed of reinforced concrete slabs approximately two inches to 24 inches thick, and overlaid with an asphalt wearing surface. The docks are supported by more than 41,000 timber piles. Elevated loading platforms line both sides of each pier. Pier and Trestle 4 are constructed of pre-stressed concrete box girders topped by a cast-in-place reinforced concrete deck, supported on precast concrete pile caps and steel pipe piles. A unique feature on Pier 4 is the double deck utility galley/loading platform.

Currently Pier 1 serves as a temporary holding yard for trailers; Pier 2 is vacant; Pier 3 is the ordnance handling pier, and Pier 4 is a homeport pier for the assigned vessels, with water depths at the pier complex was dredged to 47 feet.

Since World War II the pier complex has provided ammunition services to almost every class of vessel operated by the Navy and Coast Guard as well as commercially owned vessels from a multitude of nations.

www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/earle.htm