The Castle Group
The Castle Group is a marine engineering and construction company located in Hainesport, New Jersey. The Castle Group consists of three separate entities; W.J. Castle & Associates, Hydro-Marine Construction, and Simplified Bridge Systems.
 | |
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Marine Engineering; Marine Construction ; Prefabricated Bridges |
| Founded | 1983 |
| Headquarters | Hainesport, New Jersey, U.S. |
Key people | William J. Castle, Chairman & CEO |
| Website | www.WJCastleGroup.com |
W.J. Castle & Associates
W.J. Castle & Associates, founded by William J. Castle in 1983, specializes in structural/civil engineering. They provide structural designs, inspection services, and testing to both government agencies and private contractors and companies. The W.J Castle & Associates team includes Structural and Civil Engineers who offer complete structural designs for building, replacing, or repairing bridges, piers, docks, and underwater cables. They employ Engineer-Divers with capabilities in underwater diagnostics and reporting, with the ability to develop repair designs as needed. Some of W.J. Castle & Associate's services include structural marine engineering, construction inspection and management, underwater inspection services, specialty designs, design/build, hydrographic/fathometric surveys, and side scan sonar.
Hydro-Marine Construction
Hydro-Marine Construction, founded in 1997, is the construction division of The Castle Group and is staffed with certified commercial divers (Association of Diving Contractors International).[1] Hydro-Marine Construction is also a certified Woman Business Enterprise (WBE) in multiple states. The Philadelphia Business Journal ranked Hydro-Marine Construction #7 in South Jersey's 25 Fastest Growing Companies list.[2] Hydro-Marine Construction specializes in bulkhead and pier construction, pile jacking and repairs, submarine power cable recovery and replacement, CHANCE anchor installation, underwater debris removal, repairs to marine structures, and design/build services.
Simplified Bridge Systems
Simplified Bridge Systems, founded in 2001, designs and builds customized bridges, then delivers and installs them on-site. Their bridges range from simple and functional to highly aesthetic. Simplified Bridge Systems services include design of customized bridges, demolition of existing structures, site preparation, design and fabrication, delivery and installation, new foundations, and finishing roadway approaches. Their clients range from individuals looking for private bridges on their estates to state and local governments needing "fast-track" bridges for their roads.
Notable projects
Nimitz Foundation Repair Design/Build
In 2015 The Castle Group completed work as a sub-consultant of G.W. Management on a design/build job at the Nimitz Library on the Annapolis Naval base. The work consisted primarily of the assessment, repair development, and rehabilitation of 27 concrete pile caps that support the library, which exhibited signification deterioration due to exposure to the brackish tidal waters of College Creek and the Severn River. W.J. Castle has completed the design of the repairs and Hydro-Marine completed the construction of the repairs. The Castle Group were awarded the Delaware Valley Association of Structural Engineers (DVASE) “Outstanding Project Award for their work on this project
Quay Pier: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
On March 16, 2006, the Quay Pier along the Delaware River located in Penn’s Landing was struck by a tanker causing extensive damage to the pier. Since W.J. Castle, P.E. & Associates, P.C. had previously performed the inspection and repair of several piers for DRWC, CASTLE was requested to perform an emergency underwater inspection of the pier to determine the extent of the damage. Hydro-Marine Construction Co., Inc. performed the emergency underwater repairs required to stabilize the pier. These repairs were completed by July 2006.[3][4][5]
Submarine Cable Repairs: Ocean City, New Jersey
In January 2010, Hydro-Marine Construction divers assisted Atlantic City Electric in locating and repairing a damaged submarine power cable. There were approximately 500 to 600 feet of damaged 25K submarine cable lying under the ground. To locate the break in the cable, Atlantic City Electric had to send a high-frequency sound through the cable, while HYDRO divers used a Cable Finder to locate the exact point of the break. For each break that was found, workers repaired it by cutting out the faulty section and then splicing in a new section of cable. Once the cable was fully repaired, it was then placed back on the channel bottom and reburied by jetting. The entire project was completed by late February 2010.[6][7]
Roebling Bridge: Roebling, New Jersey
W.J. Castle P.E. & Associates P.C. was retained by WRS Infrastructure & Environment, Inc. in October 2008 to perform an in-depth inspection of Roebling Bridge, in Roebling, New Jersey. Once the analysis was complete, Castle designed a new bridge utilizing the existing main steel beams and the concrete substructure with modifications and repairs. Hydro-Marine Construction Co., Inc. performed the actual construction of the bridge. Removal of the existing structure began in November 2008, the deck was poured the first week in January 2009, and the bridge was open to traffic by January 23, 2009.[8]
Awards and recognition
COPRI 2009 Project Excellence Award
In 2009, Castle's Quay Pier project received the “Project Excellence Award” in the Small Project Category by Coasts, Oceans, Ports, and Rivers Institute (COPRI).[3][4][5]
ACEC 2010 Distinguished Award
W.J. Castle, P.E. & Associates, P.C. was honored with the ACEC 2010 Distinguished Award for their work on the Roebling Bridge Replacement at the 39th Annual Engineering Excellence Awards held at Rutgers University on March 18, 2010.[8]
PSPE Honorable Mention Award
The Castle Group received the Honorable Mention Award from Pennsylvania Society of Professional Engineers (PSPE) Philly Chapter for the Roebling Steel Plant Bridge Project at the 2010 Delaware Valley Engineer’s Week Luncheon.[8][9]
Outstanding Alumni Award
William Castle was honored by Penn State Altoona with the “Outstanding Alumni Award” at the Ivyside Society Induction Ceremony on September 17, 2009. This award recognizes alumni of the college who have attained a significant level of accomplishment in their careers or contributed significantly to the betterment of society. Candidates for the award are individuals who possess a record of achievement that distinguishes them as leaders in their profession and/or community.[10]
References
- ADCI.
- Philadelphia Business Journal.
- COPRI Award / Inland Port Magazine.
- COPRI Award / Sea Technology Magazine.
- COPRI Award / CDiver.net.
- Submarine Cable Repairs / Ocean News & Technology Archived 2010-08-21 at the Wayback Machine.
- Submarine Cable Repairs / Underwater Magazine.
- Roebling Bridge / Constructioneer.
- PSPE Honorable Mention Award Archived 2010-11-05 at the Wayback Machine.
- Penn State Altoona Outstanding Alumni Award.