Dr. Andrew Rella is the global director of engineering for ECOncrete Inc., a subsidiary of ECOncrete Tech, a company based in Israel offering ecologically friendly concrete for marine infrastructure. Andrew’s work focuses on coastal, riverine and environmental engineering. Andrew also founded InterTidal Habitat Consulting, and is working with the New York City Economic Develop Corporation to develop oyster encasement technologies for enhancing marine piles. He has a Ph.D. in ocean engineering from the Center of Maritime Systems at Stevens Institute of Technology, in Hoboken, New Jersey. We called Andrew to talk about resilient waterfronts after ECOncrete became one of the first companies to take the WEDG Pledge, committing to resilient, accessible, and environmentally healthy waterfronts.
Tell us about yourself! Did you grow up near the water? How did you get into this line of work?
I was born and raised in Staten Island New York. When I was young, despite living on an island, access to the water at the time was very limited. The water quality and condition of the beaches were too poor to enjoy for recreational use; however I was able to foster a relationship with the water from many trips on the Staten Island Ferry to Manhattan with my family, or taking my dog for walks near Alice Austen House with the incredible view of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. Fast forward 20 years and thanks mostly to the success of the Clean Water Act and the overall increased awareness of the importance of our waterfronts, the beaches on Staten Island can now be enjoyed by all during a trip to the South Beach Boardwalk.
How does your firm promote resilience, ecology, and access at the water’s edge?
Our technologies promote natural processes that benefit the environment while increasing adaptivity to climate change impacts, such as sea level rise and increased storminess. ECOncrete brings coastal and marine concrete infrastructure to life with a unique combination of bio-enhancing concrete admixtures, complex surface textures, and innovative science based designs. Our products and technologies encourage the growth of flora and fauna on the surface of the concrete structure and provide bio-protection. Be it oysters or corals that physically protect the concrete from scour and chloride attacks, or plant canopy capable of buffering temperature changes and humidity level on the concrete surface, bio-protection provides economic advantages associated with increased stability, longevity, as well as a reduction in maintenance costs.
Which of your projects best exemplifies the principles of the Waterfront Alliance’s Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines (WEDG)?
Our first two project sites in New York City are part of Brooklyn Bridge Park, which was one of the first WEDG-certified waterfront projects. Our role included the design and implementation of concrete bio-enhanced pile encapsulations for protecting and reinforcing the piles under Pier 6, as well as the placement of bio-active tide pools that have been used to replace portions of the stone armoring protecting the adjacent beach area. Each of these structural solutions has been designed to increase the resilience of the park’s infrastructure, while increasing biodiversity and promoting biological productivity. Beyond this, the tide pools have also served as venues for community outreach and public education on urban marine nature and its role in the Hudson River Estuary.
What is the state of the current market for WEDG-worthy design?
The current market has an extremely strong demand for viable and cost-effective solutions that can meet the needs of WEDG-worthy design. As the best practices of the fields of engineering, landscape architecture, ecology, and social science continue to evolve and prioritize the goals of each other in their work, we will continue to see the principles of WEDG exemplified in waterfront construction projects around New York City. We are seeing a clear increase in awareness for the integration of nature-based features in waterfronts and urbanized waterways. In addition, aging infrastructure throughout the city is in need of retrofitting solutions, which creates countless opportunities for the development of WEDG designs.
What are challenges that building materials experts face in promoting these principles?
As with any worthwhile effort, there are many challenges for professionals looking to implement the principles of WEDG in their work. Unfortunately, with most projects, cost is king, and despite the best efforts of the involved professionals to apply the principles being promoted by WEDG, environmental and social aspects of the project can be eliminated from the final design if they are not a requirement. This will continue to be a challenge until local legislation requires these principles be applied to all waterfront projects. Other challenges would include the development of robust and scalable designs that can be applied throughout urban environments, as well as those that can be sustainable when faced with long term changes. Finally, as we are dealing with a highly traditional industry of construction and concrete, bringing in innovation is always a challenge; this is where WEDG can actually facilitate change by highlighting projects that have successfully integrated environmentally sensitive technologies.
Where’s your favorite waterfront?
Although it is a very difficult question to answer given the many amazing waterfronts in the area, I would need to crown the Hoboken waterfront to be my favorite. Having lived in Hoboken for 10 years while attending Stevens Institute for my graduate and undergraduate studies, I have many fond memories, all with the backdrop of the world’s top skyline. There is no better way to spend a summer night than watching a movie under the stars with the World Trade and Empire State buildings bordering the movie screen. Having since moved just north of Hoboken to Weehawken, the same waterfront has also served as my means of transportation for my frequent bike rides down to Hoboken and Jersey City.
Thank you for all your good work in resilience, Andrew!
