2017 North American Microtunneling Industry Review – Microtunneling Job Log

The need for improved infrastructure across North America is strong, and getting stronger as existing utility systems age. Public demand for minimally invasive construction techniques is high, while more and more public discussion revolves around the topic of infrastructure investment. At some point, funding needs to be committed to rebuilding our infrastructure, and microtunneling is well-positioned to complete the work, particularly in tight urban areas.

 

Below is a look at some of the recently completed and ongoing microtunneling projects across North America from the 2017 North American Microtunneling Industry Review. To submit your project to the Microtunneling Job Log, email Jim Rush, editor Trenchless Technology, at jrush@benjaminmedia.com.

CALIFORNIA

La Jolla

Gilman Drive Public Sewer Improvement

Vadnais Trenchless Services Inc.

This $7.622 million project for University of California, San Diego consists of four separate microtunnel drives of 42-in. Permalok steel casing totaling 3,100 lf. The casings will carry either 21- or 24-in. PVC Sewer pipe for the final liner.

Two of the shallower shafts at either end of the project will be constructed using conventional trench shields while the other three deeper shafts will be built using steel liner plate and ring beams. The microtunnels will be installed in silty sands and weathered bedrock above the groundwater table.

The tunnels will be installed using an Iseki TCS900 (42-in. OD) from deep shafts in difficult locations with limited space and access in a congested college campus in San Diego.

Notice to Proceed was given on Sept. 14, 2017 and work began on the project in late-September 2017. The project is scheduled to be completed on June 11, 2018. The engineer is Latitude 33.

La Miranda

I-5 Widening Segment 2 – Pipeline Relocation Project

Vadnais Trenchless Services Inc.

This $1.147 million project for Chevron included two parallel 300 lf tunnel drives (600 lf total) of 36-in. ID welded steel casing. Shafts were approximately 25 ft deep. The tunnels were installed in primarily silty sand and clay approximately 5 ft below the groundwater table using an Iseki TCC800 (38-in. OD).

Tunnels were installed underneath a heavily travelled section of Interstate 5 in Southern California. Work was performed between January and April 2017. ARB Inc. was the prime contractor and EDM Services Inc. was the engineer.

Manteca

Family Entertainment Zone Infrastructure Improvements Phase 1 – Underground Utilities

Vadnais Trenchless Services Inc.

This $1.504 million project for the City of Manteca consisted of a single tunnel drive of 315 lf of 78-in. Permalok casing with 48-in. RCP carrier; and a single drive of 300 lf of 42-in. Permalok casing with 18-in. DIP carrier. Shafts for the microtunneling were a combination of trench shields and sheet piles approximately 20 to 25 ft deep. The microtunnels were installed in soils consisting of silts, sand, and clay below the groundwater table using an Iseki TCC800 (42-in. OD) and MTS 1650 (78-in. OD).

The project, completed between February 2017 and May 2017, included two critical crossings of Highway 120. Knife River Construction was the prime contractor and NV5 Inc. was the engineer.

Marina Del Rey

Venice Dual Force Main and Venice Pumping Plant Generator Replacement Project

Vadnais Trenchless Services Inc.

This $88.893 million project for the City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works involves the construction of a new 54-in. diameter force main sewer extending approximately 10,392 lf, which originates from a newly constructed manifold adjacent to an existing pumping plant. From the manifold the alignment will proceed east, then southeasterly and cross beneath the Marina Del Rey and Ballona Creek channels, continue traveling south within Pacific Avenue and ends at the Coastal Interceptor/North Outfall Sewer (CIS/NOS) Junction structure.

The majority (~9,450 lf) of the new 54-in. line will be constructed using microtunneling. Most of the microtunneling will be direct-jacked RCCP and approximately 2,800 lf of 80-in. Permalok casing with RCCP Carrier will also be installed. The cut-and-cover construction method will be used for the remaining 900 lf.

The project also consists of the demolition of the existing equipment and procurement and installation of new generators, along with ancillary controller, transfer switches, plus exhaust and cooling systems at the Venice Pumping Plant. Two new 750 kW (480 V) generators, and one new 1,500 kW (480 V) generator with complete emissions control systems and fluid storage will be furnished and installed.

The entire alignment and large scope of work along with several different shaft construction techniques make this an extremely challenging project.

Award on the project was made in February 2017 and physical work began in May 2017. The project is scheduled to be complete by February 2020. The job was 10% complete at the end of September. Several shafts are currently under construction. Microtunneling is scheduled to begin in October 2017 using three MTS microtunneling systems (MTS 1500 70-in. OD; MTS 1650 70-in. OD; and MTS 1850 80-in. OD).

Newark

PG&E L-153 Interstate 880 Crossing

Vadnais Trenchless Services Inc.

This $861,000 project for Pacific Gas & Electric included a 370 lf microtunnel drive of 30-in. ID steel casing. Shafts for the microtunneling were approximately 36 ft deep and were constructed using watertight methods. Cutter soil mix/jet grout shafts were used to build the 40-ft diameter jacking shaft and 35-ft diameter reception shaft. The microtunnel was installed in clay approximately 5 ft below the groundwater table using an Iseki TCC600 (32-in. OD).

The tunnel was installed underneath a heavily travelled section of Interstate 880 in Northern California. This project utilized a sacrificial steel casing that was displaced with the permanent gas pipeline. The work was performed between January 2017 and April 2017. ARB Inc. was the prime contractor.

Palo Alto

PG&E R-349 L-101 San Francisquito Creek

Vadnais Trenchless Services Inc.

This $890,000 project for Pacific Gas & Electric includes a 475 lf microtunnel drive of 24-in. ID sacrificial steel casing (Thru-Pipe). Shafts for the microtunneling will be approximately 20 to 27 ft deep and will be constructed using steel sheet piling. The microtunnel will be installed in sticky silty clays and poorly graded sand with gravel approximately 10 ft below the groundwater table.

The tunnel will be installed using an Iseki TCC500 (26-in. OD) underneath the San Francisquito Creek. This project will utilize a sacrificial steel casing (rubber-gasketed, designed & manufactured by VTS) that will be displaced with the permanent gas pipeline.

Work began on Sept. 18, 2017, and was expected to be completed on Oct. 16, 2017. ARB Inc. is the prime contractor.

San Juan Capistrano

Trampas Canyon Dam and Reservoir

Vadnais Trenchless Services Inc.

This $1.725 million project consists of a 688-lf microtunnel drive of 60-in. OD Permalok steel casing with 30-in. welded steel carrier piping. Shafts for the microtunneling will be between 22 and 26 ft deep and will likely be of beam and plate construction. The microtunnel will be installed within the Santiago Formation consisting primarily of weak sandstone with interbeds of moderately hard sandy siltstone and claystone. The tunnel will be approximately 12 ft below the groundwater table and driven using an MTS 1500 microtunnel system (61in. OD).

This tunnel is being installed through the West Saddle Dam of the Trampas Canyon Reservoir. The tunnel will serve as the inlet/outlet pipeline for filling and draining the reservoir to satisfy the water district’s needs.

Work is scheduled to be performed in the first or second quarter of 2018. The owner is the Santa Margarita Water District with Sukut Construction as the prime contractor and URS as the engineer.

COLORADO

Westminster

Little Dry Creek Interceptor Improvements Bid Package 1A

Vadnais Trenchless Services Inc.

This $479,668 project for the City of Westminster consisted of two separate tunnel drives beneath active BNSF railroad tracks totaling 200 lf of 30-in. Permalok casing with either 16- or 18- PVC carrier pipes. One of the reaches was 60 lf carrying a new 16-in. waterline and the other reach was 140 lf carrying a new 18-in. gravity sewer. Shafts for the microtunneling were a combination of trench shields and sheet piles approximately 16 ft deep. The microtunnels were installed in soils consisting of silt and sand below the groundwater table using an Iseki TCC600 microtunnel system (30-in. OD).

Work began on May 24, 2017, and was completed on July 5, 2017. Reynolds Construction was the prime contractor and HDR was the engineer.

CONNECTICUT

Wethersfield

Goff Brook Overflow Closure

Bradshaw Construction Corporation

Bradshaw will soon begin construction for a 60-in. microtunneling/conventional TBM project for 30- and 48-in. FRP sanitary sewer installations. 1,850 lf of 60-in. steel casing will be installed over four drives with a Herrenknect AVN 1200 MTBM, with the longest drive totaling 850 lf. Ground conditions for microtunneling operations will vary between dense sand, silty gravel and siltstone, with groundwater anticipated. An additional 650 ft will be installed behind an Akkerman WM480 TBM in dry lean clay and silty sand with gravel. The project members include the Metropolitan District Commission (Owner), CH2M (Engineer) and Baltazar Contractors Inc. (General Contractor), with Bradshaw Construction performing as tunneling subcontractor. Construction is scheduled to begin in fall 2017. Project Information: Jordan Bradshaw – Project Manager; Jordan.bradshaw@bradshawcc.com.

DICTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Washington

Oregon Avenue NW Sewer Rehabilitation Project – DC Water Contract 150130

Bradshaw Construction Corp.

Bradshaw is constructing a $16.8 million sewer project the DC Water. The project consists of approximately 4,300 ft of 24-in. sewer interceptor, including 2,600 ft to be installed by microtunneling in four drives, with the longest being 1,860 f along Oregon Avenue at depths of up to 90 ft. A 60-in. casing will be tunneled using a Herrenknecht AVN-1200 MTBM, in which the 24-in. PVC carrier pipe will be installed. Subsurface conditions will consist of Tonalite rock ranging from slightly weathered to highly decomposed.

The project also includes the installation of nine access shafts, 1,500 ft of open-cut sewer installation, three live connections to the existing sewer system and the abandonment of the existing 15-in. sewer the new 24-in. one will be replacing. All work will be installed within Oregon Avenue, bordering a congested, residential area, and Rock Creek Park, owned by the National Park Service.

To date, Bradshaw has completed five shafts, including a 33-ft long by 22-ft wide, elliptical steel rib and liner plate shaft, which is 42 ft deep and served as the project’s main mining shaft. The longest tunnel drive on the project, 1,860-ft long, has also been successfully completed, after four long months of mining. Shaft and tunnel excavation will continue through the project completion in fall 2018.

Information: Todd Brown, Project Manager; tbrown@bradshawcc.com.

GEORGIA

Decatur

I-285 30-in. DIP Crossing

Bradshaw Construction Corporation

Bradshaw will soon begin construction on a microtunneling project, installing 245 ft of 60-in. steel casing under I-285 for a 30-in. DIP water transmission main. Georgia Department of Transportation has contracted Pittman Construction Co. and John D. Stephens Inc. to build the project, with Bradshaw being selected as a tunneling subcontractor to install the highway crossing. The tunnel will be installed behind a Herrenknecht AVN-1200 microtunnel boring machine. 32-ft and 16-ft diameter liner plate launch and recovery shafts will be installed through loose sands with the water table settling near tunnel casing crown. The tunnel itself will begin and end in these sands, but will pass through a pinnacle of gneiss in the middle of the drive. Construction is scheduled to begin in early September 2017. Project Information: Jordan Bradshaw – Project Manager; Jordan.bradshaw@bradshawcc.com.

INDIANA

New Castle

New Castle CSO Mitigation Project 9A

Super Excavators

This $1.6 million project for the City of New Castle involves a single drive of 770 lf of 74-in. OD steel casing, loaded and grouted with a 48-in. Hobas carrier pipe. Ground conditions consist of primarily clays and sands. The drive crosses beneath SR 3, the main thoroughfare through New Castle. The project started in October 2017 projected completion end of November 2017. Crews are using an Akkerman SL74. Eagle Valley Inc. is the prime contractor and United Consulting is the engineer.

MARYLAND

Columbia

US 29 Water Transmission Main – Route 108 Crossing

Bradshaw Construction Corporation

Bradshaw recently completed construction for a portion of the US 29 Water Transmission Main project, installing 760 ft of 60-in. steel casing under MD Route 108 for a 36-in. water transmission main. Bradshaw recently completed a similar 470-ft drive as part of the previous phase to this project. The project was performed for the Howard County Department of Public Works, designed by O’Brien & Gere, with W.F. Wilson & Sons serving as the general contractor. The 60-in. MTBM utilized was an AVN-1200 model developed by Herrenknecht. Tunnel depths for the single drive ranged from 6 to 30 ft below the surface, with the alignment passing through dense silty sands, partially weathered rock and cohesive clays.

Bradshaw constructed a 32-ft diameter, 38-ft deep steel rib-and-board launch shaft to facilitate tunneling activities, as well as a 16-ft diameter, 20-ft deep rib-and-board shaft to recover the MTBM. The alignment passed beneath an existing 24-in. RCP sewer with very low clearance, requiring precise control of tunnel grade. The nominal 36-in. PCCP ran at an OD of 49 in. with an approximate weight of 820 lb/lf, requiring critical care in handling and installation within the casing. Project Information: Jordan Bradshaw – Project Manager; Jordan.bradshaw@bradshawcc.com.

Hyattsville

Coakley Terrace II

Bradshaw Construction Corporation

Bradshaw recently completed construction of 830 ft of 43-in. steel casing under the Baltimore Washington Parkway for a 16-in. DIP water transmission main. The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (Owner) contracted Sagres Construction (General Contractor) to construct the project, with Bradshaw being selected as a subcontractor. The 43-in. MTBM is an AVN-800 model developed by Herrenknecht. Tunnel depths ranged from 8 to 35 ft below the surface, with the alignment passing beneath the water table through loose and dense silty sands. A 30-ft x 16-ft x 16-ft deep steel sheeted launch shaft was driven to facilitate tunneling activities, and the MTBM was recovered out of a trench box at the end of the alignment. The alignment passed under existing 48-in. storm drains and an existing 12-in. gas line with minimal clearance. Project Information: Jordan Bradshaw – Project Manager; Jordan.bradshaw@bradshawcc.com.

MICHIGAN

Palmer

Water Intake Tunnel

Michels Corporation

Michels used microtunneling methods to install a 163-ft tunnel into a reservoir to provide a local mine with fresh water. An Akkerman SL74 Microtunnel Boring Machine (MTBM) was launched from a 40-ft deep shaft to mine the tunnel, which consisted of 1-in. thick Permalok steel pipe that measured 74 in. in diameter. Retrieval of the MTMB was done in the reservoir via wet retrieval using divers and an overhead crane from shore.

Geology included multiple boulders, running sands, gravels and cobbles. The nine-person crew worked diligently to complete the tunneling portion of the project in 21 days to allow construction of the adjoining pump house to begin upon completion of the tunnel.

NEW YORK

Gilboa

Schoharie Reservoir Low Level Outlet

Southland/Renda JV

This $142.6 million project for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection issued NTP on June 29, 2015, and has an estimated completion date of July 27, 2020.

The Gate Shaft excavation through the hard sandstone has been excavated and supported to depth and the grout plug installed at the bottom. Currently the headwall, thrust wall and invert are being installed in order to set up the bottom of the shaft for the jacking frame and MTBM. The 113-in. MTBM was expected to be underway by June on the 1,225-ft land leg drive. All of the 108-in ID Permalok pipe for the land leg drive has been manufactured and 120-ft has been delivered to the site. Deliveries will continue on an as needed basis due to the limited storage available at the shaft site.

The dredging at the Intake area is complete and preparations are underway for the setting and positioning of the cofferdam at the bottom of the lake. The steel cofferdam was built with a fiberglass soft-eye to allow the MTBM to bore through it. The tolerance for setting and orienting the cofferdam under 160-ft of water is very tight and must be complete prior to launching the MTBM on the water leg drive; this will be done with a combination of traditional and underwater surveying techniques.

The O-pile wing walls have been driven to grade at the valve chamber; the walers and tie-back installation is planned for this summer followed by the concrete encasement. Work has begun on the deep foundation work in the valve chamber. This work consists of installing 110 caissons and tiedowns ranging in size from 9-5/8-in. to 16-in. drilled to depths of over 100 ft; some on a batter. This work will be followed by installing the pipe supports from the portal to the building and the building construction.

Upcoming work includes the installation of overhead power lines for the valve chamber permanent power as well as relocation of the temporary power for the batch plant and staging area. This will allow the removal of the existing overhead power and modifications to other permanent utilities within the footprint of the RCC berm. Concrete demolition and replacement on the lower portion of the RCC berm will follow. Tunneling will start shortly and continue for several months. Once both drives are complete, lining of the shaft will begin. Stream restoration work is also planned for this summer after the NYSDEC-USFWS Bald eagle restriction is lifted – earliest Aug. 1.

Other Major Parties Affiliated with the Project: DEP AM, Emory Chase; Project Designer (Gannett Fleming/Hazen Sawyer), Everette Knight; Tunnel Designer (COWI/Jenny Engineering), Leszek Glodkowski; Resident Engineer (HAKS/D&B/WGI), Kevin McCullough; MTBM Manufacturer, Herrenknecht

Key Project Personnel: SRJV Project Manager, John Arciszewski; Field Operations Manager, Chris Davis; Chief Engineer, Jim Delmonte; Project Engineers, Tim Bray and Joe Janke; General Superintendent, Dennis Proper; Tunnel & Shaft Superintendents, Juergen Brunswick and Rick Leever; Safety Manager, Jose Perdomo. Information, John Arciszewski, 607-588-4080.

NORTH CAROLINA

Raleigh

Crabtree & Upper Pigeon House Interceptor Tunnels Project

Bradshaw Construction Corp.

Bradshaw recently completed construction on a $21 million sewer project consisting of approximately 3,000 ft of 1-pass and 2-pass microtunneling at 11 locations. The City decided to let a separate trenchless general contract in advance of 30,000 ft of future open-cut pipeline contracts. Casing size was 60- and 72-in. and the FRP pipe was 42- to 57-in. Subsurface conditions ranged from alluvium and residual soil to partially and unweathered hard granitic rock and mixed face. Information: Mike Wanhatalo, Project Manager; mwanhatalo@bradshawcc.com.

OHIO

Cleveland

Kingsbury Run Culvert Repair

Ward & Burke Tunneling Inc.

This $9.9 million project for the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District includes the installation of 3,461 ft of 60-in. reinforced concrete microtunnel pipe, sealed shafts, reinforced in-situ concrete manholes, and tie-ins to connections on upstream and downstream sides of project. Value engineering resulted in a microtunnel drive length of 2,421 ft with multiple horizontal curve components, including one curve radius of 787 ft, making it the longest curved microtunnel to date in the United States. Construction is progressing well with 30% of the project complete. Crews are using a Herrenknecht AVN 1500 for micrtotunneling. AECOM is the engineer.

Superior Stones Canal CSO Improvements Project

Super Excavators

The total scope of this $2.1 million project for the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District includes rehabilitation and replacement of pump stations, construction of CSO storage tank and pumping facility, trenchless and open cut construction of forcemains and gravity sewers, and other associated work. The purpose of this project is to increase the capacity of the sewer system, and reduce the amount of sewage discharging into the Cuyahoga River. The microtunneling includes a single run of 760 lf of 48-in. RCP using an Akkerman SL60 (62.5-in. OD) through stiff silty clay soils. The run includes a contractor-designed curved alignment and is at a 5.5% slope. The project began in October 2017 to be completed by the end of October 2018. Independence Excavating in the prime contractor and MWH is the engineer.

Westerly Low Level Relief Sewer

Ward & Burke

To comply with their Consent Decree with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mandate of reducing sewage overflow into Lake Erie, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) retained NTH Consultants, Ltd. (NTH) as Prime Engineer for design of a relief sewer/storage tunnel along River Road and Elm Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio.

The Westerly Low Level Relief Sewer (WLLRS) Project includes regulator modifications, upsizing of dry weather outlet (DWO) sewers, and approximately 2,600 lf of new 72- in. diameter relief/storage sewer with relatively shallow depths of 8 to 25 ft. The project also includes new regulators connecting to the existing interceptor that ties into the pump station, pump station modification design, force main design, and local sewer stormwater offloading design. The project is also planned to increase the WLLI system resiliency during larger rain events.

The NTH completed the design of this project in 2016. The contractor (Ward & Burke) holed out on Sept. 8, 2017, The 2,650-ft long tunnel was completed using a slurry microtunnel. High-strength RCP was used as the final liner in the tunnel and was strong enough to take the expected jacking forces even on an 1,850-ft long drive. Ward & Burke is forming and pouring the permanent structures.

The 1,850-ft drive has been the longest microtunnel drive ever for NEORSD. NTH has been involved regularly throughout construction for construction support services, including submittal, RFI, change order, and pay application reviews, regular attendance at progress meetings, design change reviews, etc.

Lockbourne

Lockbourne Intermodal Subtrunk Project

Michels Corporation

Michels Corporation is using microtunneling to install 10,218 lf of 78-in. sanitary sewer tunnel and a combination of bore and jack and pipe-in-trench (open cut) construction to install 7,016 lf of 60-in. sanitary sewer pipe and associated manholes. 78-in. ID Hobas jacking pipe is being used for microtunneling; 60-in. ID direct-bury Hobas pipe is being used for open-cut installation on the Lockbourne Intermodal Subtrunk Project.

Michels is set to use an Akkerman SL82 microtunnel boring machine (MTBM) with an airlock attachment for hyperbaric intervention, if required. The work will be completed in nine tunnel drives with lengths between 550 to 1,880 lf.

A wide mixture of ground conditions and high groundwater exists in the tunnel and direct-bury sections. Microtunnel launch sites have very limited space to conduct tunneling operations.

Michels is also constructing eight liner plate and ring beam access shafts that range in diameter from 19 to 32 ft and one rectangular secant pile shaft that measured 40 ft by 20 ft.

The project started in May 2017 and is scheduled for completion in 2019.

Powell

Raw Water Pump Station Intake

Michels Corporation

Michels Corporation installed a raw water pump station intake for the Delco Raw Water Pump Station by microtunneling 220 lf of 74-in. Permalok casing in a single drive through competent dolomitic limestone rock. The tunnel drive initiated at the bank of the O’Shaughnessy Reservoir and completed in the reservoir bottom. Due to shallow water in the reservoir, Michels developed an alternate method for recovering the mictrotunnel boring machine. Michels’ scope of work was completed in two months, between February and April 2017.

PENNSYLVANIA

Wampum

Pennsylvania American Water Ellwood Raw Water Facilities

Bradshaw Construction Corp.

Bradshaw will soon begin construction on a project that consists of 1,531 ft of two-pass microtunneling in three tunnels. Casing size is 60 and 75.4 in. with several lines of carrier pipe installed within. Subsurface conditions are expected to range from alluvium and residual soil to partially and unweathered hard rock and mixed face. Information: Mike Wanhatalo, Project Manager; mwanhatalo@bradshawcc.com.

TEXAS

San Antonio

E19: Seguin Road to Nacogdoches Road – Segment 1

Southland/Renda Joint Venture

Southland/Renda JV has been contracted by San Antonio Water System (SAWS) for Segment 1 of the replacement of sanitary sewer main within the city of San Antonio. The project was given notice to proceed on March 7, 2017, and has an estimated completion date of March 20, 2019. The project consists of nine individual drives. Three of the drives are over 1,000 ft with the longest being 1,325 ft. Each tunnel consists of jacking 96-in. steel casing with a Herrenknecht MTBM, and followed by the installation of 78-in. Hobas fiberglass reinforced sewer pipe.

The bore depths for each drive are in the 25-30 ft range, and the majority earth materials are Fluviatile Terrace Deposits underlain by clays of the Navarro formation. Excavation of the first bore pit got underway in mid-September followed by the installation of the jacking frame, support equipment and tunnel seal. The AVN1800TB has been delivered to the job and, in partnership with a representative of Herrenknecht mining, was to commence in late October.

Construction of the receiving side is also underway and will be a circular liner plate shaft. This first drive will go beneath and perpendicular to Binz-Engleman Road for a 147-ft run and exit inside of Fort Sam Houston. From there operations will be moved to the northern side of Fort Sam Houston to set up a southerly drive back to connect the first tunnel.

Once each of these portions are complete, mining will change course and set up for the first of three 1,000-ft-plus drives that run under the northern side of Fort Sam Houston and into the right of way parallel to the Union Pacific railroad. Upon completion of these segments, mining will make a northerly heading under the railroad for 846 ft to connect this portion with the open-cut work along Holbrook Road. Spaced out along the north/south axis of the project SRJV will make three additional drives with the longest being 626 ft. This drive will be the deepest, around 35 ft. Simultaneous work is underway on the open-cut portions of the project and timing of both sides are imperative to keep disruption within both Fort Sam Houston and several residential areas of San Antonio to a minimum.

The project is unique in that a portion of the tunneling will be below Fort Sam Houston military installation, as well as within the Union Pacific ROW. SRJV is working closely with military officials to achieve construction goals while helping to maintain security and traffic circulation for the base. In addition, this project falls under the EPA Consent Decree, which makes this challenging project critical to SAWS overall Sewer Improvement Plans and results in this being a high profile project in San Antonio.

Kimley-Horn is the engineer for this $35 million project.

Key Project Personnel: SRJV Operations Manager, Kent Vest; SRJV Area Manager, Nathan Dusek; SRJV Project Manager, Nick Jencopale; SRJV Project Engineers, Matt Jackson and Andrew Stobart; SRJV General Superintendent, Clay Griffith; SRJV Tunnel & Shaft Superintendent, Rick Leever; Safety Manager, Luis Villanueva.

Dallas

Southwell Road

Super Excavators

Super Excavators, working as a subcontractor to Atkins Bros. Construction, completed this $900,000 project for Dallas Water Utilities in June 2017 using an Akkerman SL36. The job included one drive, 500 lf, of 39.5-in. OD Permakok pipe. Ground conditions consisted of a mixed face of weathered shale and sands with clay and gravel, primarily below ground water table. The alignment crossed Interstate 35 in Dallas. Black & Veatch was the engineer.

VIRGINIA

Stafford

Route 1 North Sewer Improvements

Bradshaw Construction Corporation

Bradshaw recently completed construction of 790 ft of 43-in. steel casing under Route 1 for a 30-in. DIP gravity sewer. The project was divided into two tunnels (460 lf and 330 lf) sharing a common 32-ft diameter liner plate launch shaft. The Stafford County DPU (Owner) has contracted Whitman, Requardt & Associates (Engineer) and W.C. Spratt, Inc. (General Contractor) to construct the project, with Bradshaw being selected as a subcontractor. The 43-in. MTBM is an AVN-800 model developed by Herrenknecht. Tunnel depths range from 15 to 20 ft below the surface, with the alignment passing beneath the water table through silty sand, clay, cobbles and boulders. The tunnels were recently completed and are currently being prepared for pipe installation. Information: Jordan Bradshaw – Project Manager; Jordan.bradshaw@bradshawcc.com.

WASHINGTON

Pasco

Columbia Water Supply Project

Michels Corporation

Michels Corporation used microtunneling to install 227-lf of 46-in. diameter steel coated Parmalok pipe for a new raw water intake into the Columbia River for Apollo Inc. The tunnel was completed in one drive through sands, gravel, cobbles, boulders and rock. The Columbia Water Supply Project was completed in July and August 2017, and involved a wet retrieval of the MTBM from the Columbia River.

CANADA

ALBERTA

Calgary

West Pine Creek Sanitary Trunk Part 2 & West Mcleod Feedermain

Whissell Contracting Ltd./Ward & Burke Microtunnelling Ltd.

This is a $35 million project for the City of Calgary, Mattamy Homes and United Communities, and involves the installation of 3,000 m of 1,800 and 1,650 mm ID HDPE-lined reinforced concrete microtunnel pipe. Crews are using a Herrenknecht AVN 1800 and a Herrknecht AVN 1600. There are numerous microtunnel drives over 500 m long and at depths greater than 20 m. Crews were commissioning the project as of late October.

Edmonton

Eastgate Lake Stormwater Project

Michels Corporation

Michels Corporation placed a new outlet in Eastgate Lake 1 m below the typical water level to allow the storm water pond to be controlled without exposing the outlet structure. An Akkerman SL60 Microtunnel Boring Machine is being used to install 702 ft of 48-in. ID precast concrete jacking pipe in a single drive. An additional 750 ft of open-cut trenching is required to complete the new 48-in. addition to Sherwood Park’s storm water system. The work is being done in clay with the potential for nested cobbles. Grout will be injected through 2-in. ports located in each piece of microtunnel pipe. Bad weather and unidentified utilities delayed open-cut operations in the early days of the project, which is located in an urban setting with cover as little as 8 ft at the exit point of the tunnel and as deep as 18 ft in the open-cut section. A 27-ft circular launch shaft and 16-ft by 14-ft deep slide rail receiving shaft were included in the project.

Fort McMurray

Confederation Way Sanitary Trunk Sewer

OCL Group /Ward & Burke Microtunnelling Ltd.

This $4 million project for the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo involved the installation of 516 m of 900- and 1200-mm ID microtunnel using a Herrenknecht AVN 1200 and a Herrenknecht AVN 900. The project was completed in July. Associated Engineering was the engineer.

MANITOBA

Winnipeg

Cockburn & Calrossie Storm Sewer Trunk

Ward & Burke Microtunnelling Ltd.

This $7 million project for the City of Winnipeg involved the installation of 2,700 mm ID (106-in. ID) reinforced concrete microtunnel pipe over two microtunnel drives of 108 and 402 m in length. It is one of the largest ever RCP install using microtunneling in North America. Microtunneling was completed in September using a Herrenknecht AVN 2500.

KGS Group was the engineer.

ONTARIO

Barrie

Hwy 400 & Tiffin Street Overpass & Barrie Collingwood Railway Overhead

Dufferin Construction/CRS Tunnelling Inc.

This $2.325 million project for the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) includes construction of two tunnel drives by TBM jack pipe methods, 60 m of 1,800 mm RCP and a 2,260-mm steel casing in silt and sand soils. The tunneling portion of this project will also include 72-m of sliplining of the existing 1,800-mm culvert and 2,100-mm culvert in the steel casing.

The project is 30% complete. The microtunneling being performed is under an active highway (Hwy 400) east of Barrie.

Other Parties Affiliated with the Project: Morrison Hershfield, Dufferin Construction, Akkerman SL74 MTBM with 5200/WM720 Jack Pipe TBM, and Lovat 101 TBM Jack Pipe Mode

Key Project Personnel: Joe Mulville (Senior Project Manager); Rav Nanadkumar (Tunneling Foreman); Walter Trisi (General Manager).

Brampton

East Brampton Trunk Sewer

Ward & Burke Microtunnelling Ltd.

Ward & Burke 60% complete on this $30 million project for the Region of Peel. The project includes over 5 km (3 miles) of 1,800, 1,650, and 1,500 mm ID trunk sewer (reinforced concrete microtunnel pipe). It is one of the largest microtunnel projects undertaken to date in the Greater Toronto Area and includes the first crossing of Hwy 407 using slurry shield microtunneling. The engineer is Associated Engineering. Crews are using Herrenknecht AVN 1800, AVN 1600 and AVN 1500 microtunneling systems.

Milton

Watermain and Wastewater Main on Thompson Road South

Drainstar Contracting Ltd./Ward & Burke Microtunnelling Ltd.

Ward & Burke used a Herrenknecht AVN 600 and an AVN 900 to complete this $7 million project for Halton Region. The project included the installation of 1,065 m of 900, 600 and 450 mm ID microtunnel through Queenston shale and glacial till deposits and was completed in May 2017. Ainley Group was the engineer.

Mississauga

Airport Road Storm Sewer from International Centre to Derry Road

CRS Tunnelling Inc.

This $2.89 million project for Peel Region involves the construction of a 323-m tunnel including a curve 175 m long and 1,150 m of curvature radius, 1,574 mm diameter tunnel for the installation of 1200 mm nominal diameter concrete pipe, storm sewer by microtunnelling methods and two shafts with various ground conditions including gravel, sand, clay and silty clay.

The project is 85% complete (all tunnel and shaft works), pending to connect the tunnel pipe to the existing storm drainage network of the Peel Region. This project is in the middle of Airport Road with heavy live traffic 24 hours a day, with small clearances within a 500 mm watermain and one long curve with a very small interior diameter pipe. The tunnel line and grade must be very accurate and for this job CRS implemented the usage of the Akkerman AZ100 real-time TBM positioning/guidance system, to monitor the TBM progress at all times.

Other Parties Affiliated with the Project: The Regional Municipality of Peel, AMEC Foster Wheeler, DSI, Almon, Super Excavators, Akkerman SL60 MTBM, Greater Toronto Region Authority (GTAA).

Key Project Personnel: Luis Tracanelli – Project Manager, Nate Wiedmeyer – Superintendent, Mike Moss – Foreman, Arnel Capistrano – Health & Safety Manager, Walter Trisi – General Manager, and Valerie Lessard – Project Coordinator.

Sanitary Sewer Replacement on Jarvis Street and Dundas Street West

Ward & Burke Microtunnelling Ltd.

This $4 million project for the Region of Peel involved the installation of 675 m of 900 mm ID microtunnel through Georgian Bay shale and glacial till deposits. The first drive on the project, 128 m in length, was constructed with a 250-m radius horizontal curve making the drive the smallest diameter curved microtunnel in North America. Microtunneling was completed in May 2017 using a Herrenknecht AVN 900. The engineer was Associated Engineering.