Miller Building Drystack, Automated F3 Marina
Miller Construction is building the high-tech, 240-rack F3 Marina in Fort Lauderdale’s 17th Street Causeway district for owner F3 Marina.
Creating the second fully automated drystack marina of its type in the nation, Miller’s intensive planning and coordination includes working closely with FPL to convert overhead power lines to an underground run before erecting the marina’s massive 1,750-ton structural steel frame.
The 59,000-square-foot F3 Marina, Fort Lauderdale will feature an automated crane to lift boats as long as 46’ and 17’ high from the water and place them in an elevated slip. This sophisticated crane will be shipped to the site at 1335 SE 16th Street in 100-foot sections. In planning, Miller’s team identified and resolved clearance issues to ensure smooth installation of the crane will be achieved as the project’s roof structure nears completion.
“F3 Marina is drawing on advanced technology to lead change in the efficiency and potential growth of drystack marinas,” said Miller President Brian Sudduth. “The automated system is expected to lift and store or retrieve boats in under five minutes, and that’s a breakthrough for the marine industry. We’re building a great looking, efficient structure to help bring that concept to life.”
At completion of the new marina in September 2021, the owner will complement its current automated drystack facility, The Port Marina, nearby on SE 16th Street.
The 130-foot-high, hurricane-hardened structural steel and precast concrete building will include 1,100 precast concrete panels and 26,000 square feet of curtain wall glass. Located on a tight site in a busy tourism and marine area near residential neighborhoods, the project demands precise staging and traffic coordination throughout the 14-month build. Since the project will cover its entire site, logistics and scheduling challenges include coordinating multiple cranes to reach areas before access is cut off.
Project team members include architect RINKA of Milwaukee, and engineers Jezerinac Group of West Palm Beach (structural), and Edgewater Resources of Pompano Beach (civil).
Miller Construction is a prominent design/builder and construction services firm serving South Florida industrial, retail, commercial, automotive, healthcare, hospitality and education markets since 1973. For information: www.millerconstruction.com.