Trenchless Technology’s 2018 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 2018 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

Healdsburg

Magnolia Force Main Relocation

Vadnais Trenchless Services Inc.

This project consists of a 310-lf microtunnel drive of 48-in. OD Permalok steel casing with three 16-in. Fused PVC carrier pipes. Shafts for the microtunneling will be between 25 and 30 ft deep and will likely be of watertight, sheet pile construction. The microtunnel will be installed in soils consisting primarily of sand and gravel. The tunnel will be approximately 15 to 18 ft below the groundwater table. Crews will use an Iseki TCC1000 Microtunnel (48-in. OD). The work is scheduled to be performed in spring 2019.

This tunnel is being installed beneath Dry Creek, just west of the Russian River and south of the City of Healdsburg. The entire alignment is in granular material (sand and gravel) below the creek bed, yielding a high frac-out risk and there is limited overhead space to work as there are low, overhead powerlines. The microtunneling work is valued at $795,850.

Owner: City of Healdsburg; Prime Contractor: Terracon Constructors Inc.; Engineer: Mott MacDonald.

Huntington Beach

Feeder No 2 @ Westminster Boulevard

Vadnais Trenchless Services Inc.

This $737,000 project for the West Orange County Water Board consisted of a 345-lf microtunnel drive of 42-in. OD Permalok steel casing with 30-in. welded steel carrier piping. Shafts for the microtunneling were between 16 and 18 ft deep and were of watertight, slide rail construction. The microtunnel was installed in soils consisting primarily of weak silt with clay and the potential for peat. The tunnel was approximately 8 ft below the groundwater table.

This tunnel was installed beneath the San Diego Freeway (Interstate 405) in North Orange County. The cover beneath the freeway is relatively shallow and there is limited space to work at each end of the crossing. Work began on May 14, 2018, and was completed on July 23, 2018.

Prime Contractor: CCL Contracting; Engineer: GHD, Inc; Equipment: Iseki TCC900 Microtunnel System (42-in. OD).

La Jolla

Gilman Drive Public Sewer Improvement

Vadnais Trenchless Services Inc.

This $7.6 million project consisted 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 were constructed using conventional trench shields while the other three deeper shafts were built using steel liner plate and ring beams. The microtunnels were installed in silty sands and weathered bedrock above the groundwater table.

The tunnels were installed from deep shafts in difficult locations with limited space and access in a congested college campus in San Diego. Work started in late-December 2017 and was completed on August 30, 2018.

Owner: University of California, San Diego; Engineer: Latitude 33; Equipment: Iseki TCS900 42-in. OD.

San Jose

Fourth Street 84-in. Interceptor, Phase VI-A

Vadnais Trenchless Services Inc.

This $1.295 million project consists of a 354-lf microtunnel drive of 84-in. ID (101.5-in. OD) T-lock lined reinforced concrete jacking pipe. Shafts for the microtunneling will be between 20 and 23 ft deep and will be of watertight, sheet pile construction. The microtunnel will be installed in soils consisting primarily of medium-stiff to stiff clay and some clay with sand. The tunnel will be approximately 10 ft below the groundwater table.

This is a design-build contract, very unusual for microtunneling work. This tunnel will be installed beneath US 101 approximately 0.5 miles east of San Jose International Airport. This is an extremely critical stretch of highway in Northern California. The cover beneath the freeway is extremely shallow and required variances from Caltrans. Vadnais is also utilizing a single-pass installation to keep as much cover as possible, which is unusual for highway crossing.

Work is scheduled to be performed in the first quarter of 2019.

Owner: City of San Jose; Prime Contractor: Steve P. Rados, Inc.; Engineer: Stantec Consulting Services; Equipment: MTS 2430 MTBM (102.5-in. OD).

San Juan Capistrano

Trampas Canyon Dam and Reservoir

Vadnais Trenchless Services Inc.

This $1.75 million project consists of a 688-lf microtunnel drive of 63-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 are of heavy-duty trench shield 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.

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.

Mobilization began on Aug. 1, 2018, and will be complete by the end of the year.

Owner: Santa Margarita Water District; Prime Contractor: Sukut Construction; Engineer: AECOM; Equipment: Iseki TCC1350 MTBM (63-in. OD).

Marina Del Rey

Venice Dual Force Main and Venice Pumping Plant Generator Replacement Project

Vadnais Trenchless Services Inc.

This $88.89 million project 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. It was 41% complete at the end of September.

Owner: City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works; Engineer: City of Los Angeles Engineering; Equipment: MTS 1500 Microtunnel System (70-in. OD), MTS 1650 Microtunnel System (70-in. OD), MTS 1850 Microtunnel System (80-in. OD).

RELATED: Vadnais Rebuilding Microtunneling Fleet

COLORADO

Brighton

Brighton North Outfall – Phase 2 BTrenchless

BTrenchless crews are using an Akkerman SL60 skinned up to 72 in. in diameter to complete a 600-ft drive through poorly graded sand with some clays and fine gravel.

The pipe being used in Permalok steel casing, 70.5-in. ID/72-in. OD in 20-ft lengths. This will be the second drive for the new SL60 MTBM.

Personnel – Shawn August (Project Manager), Don Meyer (Superintendent), Joe Barger (Supervisor), Randy Starck, Brandon Lindberg, London Anderson, Edgardo Iraheta, Daniel Molina, Bryson Dick and Sean Vasquez.

Denver

Globeville Landing Outfall Phase 3

Bradshaw Construction Corp.

This $2.781 million job consisted of twin 96-in. RPMP drives (515 lf) under UPRR and RTD rail lines in dense sand, silt and clay 15 to 20 ft below the surface. This represents Bradshaw’s largest diameter MTBM project in company history. Extra challenges included limited site restrictions, tight schedule and encountered utility conflicts.

The project began in February 2018 and completed in June 2018.

Owner: City & County of Denver; Contractor: Kiewit Infrastructure Co.; Engineer: Merrick & Co.; Equipment: RASA DH-1900 MTBM (skinned up to 100.75-in. OD). Bradshaw Project Manager: Matt Webb.

CONNECTICUT

Wethersfield

Sanitary Sewer Improvements: Goff Brook Overflow Closure

Bradshaw Construction Corp.

Construction is in progress now for a $5.787 million, 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 Herrenknecht AVN-1200 MTBM, with the longest drive totaling 850 lf. Ground conditions for microtunneling operations have varied from predominantly siltstone to dense sand and gravel, with groundwater. An additional 650 ft has been installed behind an Akkerman WM480 TBM in wet clay. An additional 500 ft tunnel of 48-in. RCP has been recently added to the project by change order, and will be installed on an 1,170-ft radius curve. This tunnel will begin in siltstone and progress through silty sand and gravel.

The project began in October 2017 and is approximately 75 percent completed.

Owner: Metropolitan District Commission; Contractor: Baltazar Contractors Inc.; Engineer: CH2M/Jacobs; Equipment: Herrenknecht AVN-1200, Akkerman WM480. Bradshaw Project Manager: Jordan Bradshaw.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Washington

Oregon Avenue NW Sewer Rehabilitation

Bradshaw Construction Corp.

Bradshaw is in the close-out stages of a 4,300-ft long, 24-in. sewer interceptor project for DC Water in a tight corridor of Washington, D.C., between Rock Creek Park, owned by the National Park Service, and the residential neighborhoods of Chevy Chase and Barnaby Woods. The project included 2,600 ft of tunnels installed in three drives at depths of up to 90 ft. The 60-in. tunnels, beneath Oregon Avenue and Bingham Drive, are accessed from six shafts up to 48 ft deep. Subsurface conditions consist of Tonalite rock ranging from slightly weathered to highly decomposed. Of the total tunnel footage installed, 2,150 ft of 60-in. steel casing was installed in two microtunnel drives, the longest being 1,866 ft in a single push. The third microtunnel drive on the project was a 625-ft radius 450-ft S-curve installed using 48-in. RCP.

Access for the tunneling operations was especially challenging on the project. Avoiding existing utilities, maintaining local traffic for residents and emergency services, and confining the installation to the restricted rights-of-way provided led to both Bradshaw’s longest microtunneling drive and its first curved drive. The project also included 1,700 ft of open-cut sewer, three connections to the existing sewer system and the abandonment of the existing 15-in. sewer being replaced.

The $16.82 million project began in December 2016 was 99 percent complete as of November 2018.

Engineer: Johnson, Mirmiran, & Thompson; Equipment: Herrenknecht AVN-1200 MTBM (60-in.). Bradshaw Project Manager: Todd Brown.

FLORIDA

Ruskin

South County RePump Station Water TM to 19th Ave. CIP 31969

Bradshaw Construction Corp.

This $2.117 project consists of 1,055 lf of 48-in. steel casing for 16-in. DIP carrier pipe with 16-ft by 30-ft launch shaft and 12-ft by 16-ft receiving shaft for a new water main to accommodate expanding population. Shaft depths were approximately 25 ft and below the water table. Ground conditions were mostly sand.

Bradshaw double-shifted the mining operations to help cope with a tight schedule. Crews also had to deal with overhead power lines. The project began in June 2018 and is expected to be complete before December.

Owner: Hillsborough County Public Water Utilities Department Water Resource Division; Contractor: Westra Construction Corporation; Engineer: Black & Veatch; Equipment: Herrenknecht AVN-800A. Bradshaw Project Manager: Mike Wanhatalo.

GEORGIA

Panthersville

Dekalb County 30-in. Watermain Replacement at I-285 & Panthersville Rd.

Bradshaw Construction Corp.

Bradshaw recently completed construction on a $1.246 million microtunneling project, installing 245 ft of 60-in. steel casing under I-285 for a 30-in. DIP water transmission main. The tunnel was installed behind a Herrenknecht AVN-1200 microtunnel boring machine.

The job included 32- and 16-ft diameter liner plate launch and recovery shafts, with sample borings showing loose sands and the water table settling near tunnel casing crown. Substantial rock (gneiss) was encountered on the launch shaft, requiring unanticipated blasting to reach final grade. Partnering with John D. Stephens, Bradshaw was able to quickly adjust course to perform the blasting, keeping the project on schedule. Once the shafts were down, the tunnel was successfully installed through the mixed face/mixed reach conditions, with no settlement or grade disruptions despite transitioning from gneiss to sandy clay midway through the drive.

The project took place from August to December 2017.

Owner: Georgia Department of Transportation; Contractor: John D. Stephens Inc. (Prime: Pittman Construction Co.); Engineer: River 2 Tap Inc., GDOT; Equipment: Herrenknecht AVN-1200 MTBM. Bradshaw Project Manager: Jordan Bradshaw.

INDIANA

Fishers

SR 37 Offsite Drainage Outfall Storm Sewers

Super Excavators Inc.

This $10.2 project for the Indiana Department of Transportation is being developed as part of the SR 37 Improvement project to carry roadway drainage via two offsite drainage outfall storm sewers. Super Excavators has been subcontracted by Midwest Mole to perform trenchless construction of the North Segment of the new sewer.

Trenchless construction along the North Segment alignment is 4,285 lf of 54-in. ID reinforced concrete pipe with inverts 17 to 44 ft below grade. Drive lengths range from 451 to 1,092 lf in grounds consisting of glacial till, sandy loam, granular sand, sand and gravel. Groundwater is present in the vicinity of the trenchless construction, and challenges include the potential for intertill water bearing granular layers and large glacial erratics. Crews will use an Akkerman SL60 MTBM.

Six launch and receiving shafts are being construction by SX Foundations Inc., sister company of Super Excavators Inc. Shafts will range from 18 to 24 ft in diameter and 33 to 46 ft deep.

Super Excavators’ portion of the job is expected to start in mid-January 2019 and be complete in November 2019.

NORTH CAROLINA

Charlotte

I-77 Express Lanes Project

Bradshaw Construction Corp.

The Express Lanes Project provides improvements along nearly 26 miles of the I-77 corridor north of Charlotte, including the conversion of existing high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes to express lanes and the construction of new express lanes and two major interchanges. The $4.1 million microtunneling portion consists of 1,500 lf of 60-in. steel casing for an 18- 24-in. DIP gravity sewer approximately 6 to 8 vertical ft deep, above the water table in sandy silt, lean clay and granite rock.

The project was initially contracted for 572 lf to be microtunneled. Two change orders were added for an additional 944 lf. The project began in April 2018 and is expected to finish in January.

Owner: I-77 Mobility Partners; Contractor: Sanders Utility Construction Company Inc.; Engineer: Hinde Engineering; Equipment: Herrenknecht AVN-1200TC MTBM. Bradshaw Project Manager: Mike Wanhatalo.

Charlotte

Doby Creek Sanitary Sewer Improvements

Bradshaw Construction Corp.

This $1.969 project includes two drives – 510 lf under Harris Blvd. and 310 lf under University City Blvd. –of 60-in. steel casing to be microtunneled for a 30-in. DIP sanitary sewer. The launch shaft consists of 32 ft liner plate and is 24 ft deep. The new sewer will run into the water table at various depths ranging from 7 to 25 vf. Solid rock is expected for ground conditions.

The project was expected to begin in mid November with completion in January.

Owner: Charlotte Water; Contractor: Garney Companies Inc. (CMAR); Engineer: Hazen & Sawyer; Equipment: Herrenknecht AVN-1200 MTBM. Bradshaw Project Manager: Matt Webb.

Durham

Eno River Outfall Phase 1 – East & Lift Station Upgrades

Bradshaw Construction Corp.

This $1.093 million project includes one dual-pass 250-ft drive of 72-in. steel casing for 48-in. FRP under US-501 (Roxboro Street) expected in mostly rock with some silty sand 20 to 30 ft deep connecting to the Eno Pumping Station.

The project is expected to start in February 2019 and end in April.

Owner: City of Durham; JF Wilkerson Contracting Co. Inc.; Engineer: McKim & Creed; Equipment: Herrenknecht AVN-1500 MTBM. Bradshaw Project Manager: Mike Wanhatalo.

Raleigh

Lower Walnut Creek Sanitary Sewer Improvements

Bradshaw Construction Corp.

The entire project includes approximately 16,400 lf of 72- and 66-in. diameter fiberglass-reinforced polymer and reinforced concrete fiberglass lined or PCCP PVC-lined gravity sanitary sewer installed by open-cut with approximately 60 precast manholes. For an interceptor, crossing under I-440 within weathered granite rock, sand with quartz fragments and some clay, crews will complete one 455-lf microtunnel drive of 75.5-in. OD fiberglass-reinforced polymer jacking pipe. A 34-ft OD launch shaft and 17-ft OD water-tight receiving shaft are required. Shaft depths range from 25 to 30 ft within and below the water table. The microtunneling portion of the project is valued at about $3.15 million.

The project began in November and is expected to be complete in February.

Owner: City of Raleigh; Contractor: Park Construction of NC Inc.; Engineer: McKim & Creed Inc.; Equipment: Herrenknecht AVN-1500 MTBM (75-in.). Bradshaw Project Manager: Mike Wanhatalo.

RELATED: Long-Distance Jacking: Bradshaw Construction Completes 1,866-ft Drive for DC Water

OHIO

Cleveland

Doan Valley Consolidation & Relief Sewer (DVRCS)

Super Excavators Inc.

Super Excavators was subcontracted by Triad Engineering & Contracting Co. to install Reach 3 (S-1 Structure to DVRCS-2) of the DVRCS. This drive is approximately 1,132 lf of 72-in. ID reinforced concrete pipe with contact grouting of the pipe annulus. The contract also includes construction of a 24-ft diameter ribs with sheet pile lagging launch shaft at approximately 43 vf (Triad is providing receiving shaft). This shaft will serve for construction of New Structure S-1. The GBR indicates potential for encountering flowing ground along this portion of the alignment. The majority of the alignment is expected to be constructed in Glaciolacustrine Deposits which consist of silt and silty clays.

This project requires the microtunnel run to be installed on a unique double curved alignment. A 199-lf curve on an 800-ft radius will be installed coming out of the launch shaft, followed by 570-lf of straight tunnel, then another 297-lf curve on an 800-ft radius.

S-1 shaft construction has begun. The microtunnel run from S-1 to DVRCS 2 is anticipated to be complete by the end of 2018.

The project owner is the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORDS). AECOM is the engineer. Super Excavators will use an Akkerman SL74 MTBM to complete the microtunneling portion of the project, which is valued at approximately $2.38 million.

OREGON

Tualatin

Tualatin Interceptor and Siphon Improvements – King City Siphon

Michels Tunneling

The Tualatin Interceptor and Siphon Improvements – The King City Siphon will replace the original wastewater interceptor, which was constructed in 1974 and has reached its useful life. The new siphon will be fitted with seismically resilient pipe that is better suited for the corrosive environment within the pipeline. When the entire interceptor project is completed, this $30 million upgrade will provide a pipeline that will handle capacity for the municipality through 2040. The microtunneling portion of the project is valued at about $3 million.

Michels engaged in the design-build portion of this project with Mortenson Construction in 2017. Over a period of eight months, numerous design proposals were vetted and the final design resulted in a siphon structure for the trenchless crossing under the Tualatin River. Michels will be installing this siphon structure which consists of a 470-ft long, 82.7-in. diameter tunnel via microtunneling approximately 30 ft under the Tualatin River. The microtunnel has a 650-ft vertical, curved radius that requires the installation of specialized RCP, engineered specifically to withstand the large jacking loads required to obtain the vertical curve. In addition, the joints will be fitted with hydraulic joint controls from Jackcontrol to allow for the curvature of the pipe. The carrier pipes will be three HDPE lines, 14-, 16- and 30-in. in diameter, which will be bundled together to follow the curved alignment. When completed, these carrier pipes will replace the original wastewater siphon and provide service for the municipality.

The Herrenknecht AVN1800 MTBM is equipped with double steering articulation to accommodate the radius of the curve and a telescopic section for advancement of the machine.

As of the end of October, the job was in initial site mobilization, with mining estimated to start Nov. 6, 2018, with completion of the tunnel project in full by Dec. 30, 2018.

Owner: Clean Water Services; Engineer: Kennedy Jenks, Aldea Services; Prime Contractor: Mortensen Construction.

PENNSYLVANIA

Ellwood City

Ellwood Water Treatment Plant

Bradshaw Construction Corp.

Construction for this $7.3 million project is in progress and includes 1,531 ft of two-pass microtunneling in three tunnels. Casing size is 60-in. and 75.4-in. with several lines of carrier pipes to be installed. Subsurface conditions include unweathered hard rock and mixed face.

The job began in September 2017 and is approximately 85 percent complete.

Owner: Pennsylvania American Water Company (PAW); Contractor: Layne Heavy Civil Inc.; Engineer: Buchart Horn/Garnett Fleming; Equipment: Herrenknecht AVN-1500T. Bradshaw Project Manager: Mike Wanhatalo.

TEXAS

Houston

108-in. Waterline Smith to Lee Rd.

Vadnais Trenchless Services Inc.

This $4 million project for the City of Houston consists of a single microtunnel drive of 885 lf of 126-in. Permalok steel casing with 108-in. welded steel waterline carrier. Shafts for the microtunneling will be built by the general contractor, Harper Brothers Construction, and likely will be constructed using sheet piles. The microtunnel will be installed in clayey soils, granular formations and contaminated strata (PPCA).

This tunnel is being installed beneath US Highway 59. There is limited space to work at each end of the crossing, as this is one of the busiest parts of town. The geotechnical report and plans suggest grouting approximately 360 lf of granular formations zone, but Vadnais plans to use its closed face slurry microtunneling technology to tunnel through this faulty zone without any grouting/ground stabilization.

 

Mobilization is scheduled to begin in early-2019 and is scheduled to be complete in approximately 3 months.

Engineer: Lockwood, Andrews and Newnam; MTBM: MTS 2430 MTBM (128-in. OD).

Liberty

Sanitary Sewer System Improvements Phase 1

Vadnais Trenchless Services Inc.

This $1.3 million project consists of 1,177 lf of 30-in. FRP microtunneled pipe installed over three separate drives and 792 lf of 24-in. FRP microtunneled pipe installed over two drives. Shafts for the microtunneling will be built by the GC and likely will be constructed using conventional trench shoring boxes and slide rails. The microtunnel will be installed in primarily sandy silts and clayey soils with lenses of sand. The tunnel will be approximately 12 ft below the groundwater table.

One of the tunnel drives will be installed perpendicular to US Highway 90 towards the existing lift station and four other tunnel drives will be installed along Highway 90. Since all of the jacking shafts are on south side corner of Highway 90 and in between active/busiest local businesses, there is limited space to work at each end of the tunnels.

Mobilization began on Oct. 1, 2018, and will be complete on March 18, 2019.

Owner: City of Liberty; Prime Contractor: Allco, LLC; Engineer: HR Green; Equipment: Iseki TCC500 MTBM (26-in. OD), Iseki TCC600 MTBM (33-in. OD).

Rosser

Mainstem Pump Station Package 5

Bradshaw Construction Corp.

This $1.198 million project includes twin tunnel drives (255 and 258 ft) of 48-in. locking jacked steel casing from the pump station to a cofferdam located in the Trinity River by MTBM in clay ground conditions.

Bradshaw had completed tunneling on the first tunnel, but the joints of the casing pipe were severely damaged in the jacking process. Bradshaw was required to push the damaged pipe out using casing pipe with welded joints. In the process, Bradshaw had to remove a high spot in the tunnel grade (about 60 ft into the 240-ft tunnel length) by cutting a hole in the bottom of the casing and excavating the high spot as crews replaced the damaged casing. To protect from potential flooding of the cofferdam by Garney, for structural safety reasons, or from the river overall, Bradshaw installed a steel bulkhead in the casing between the old and replacement casing.

While Bradshaw was replacing Tunnel A casing, microtunneling was underway on the parallel Tunnel B. About 130 lf into the tunnel, a forecast of heavy rain was received. The water level of Trinity River rose, completely covering the cofferdam and causing major flooding at the site, including the receiving shaft in the river cofferdam and the pump station launch shaft.

The project began in January 2018 and is 90 percent complete, with final completion expected by the end of the year.

Owner: North Texas Municipal; Contractor: Garney Companies Inc.; Engineer: Freese & Nicols; Equipment: Herrenknecht AVN-800A. Bradshaw Project Manager: Mike Wanhatalo.

Waco

18-315 Transfer Lift Station Package 1

Vadnais Trenchless Services Inc.

This $1.245 million project consists of a single microtunnel drive of 518 lf of 84-in. welded steel casing with 66-in. FRP carrier. Shafts for the microtunneling will be built by the GC and likely will be constructed watertight using sheet piles. The geologic map and results of the borings indicate that the tunnel alignment and associated shafts will encounter fill and alluvial soils overlying the much older, Cretaceous-age bedrock of the Ozan formation. The tunnel will be approximately 14 ft below the groundwater table.

This tunnel will be crossing Business Highway 77, along the shores/deposits of Brazos River. The GDR refers to the river deposits as Brazos River alluvium or Terrace deposits.

Mobilization is scheduled to begin in early 2019 and is scheduled to be complete in approximately two months.

Owner: City of Waco; Prime Contractor: Thalle Construction Co.; Engineer: Lockwood, Andrews and Newnam; Equipment: Iseki TCC1350 MTBM (85-in. OD).

RELATED: Reflections on 25 Years of Microtunneling: A Q&A with GHD’s Craig Camp

WASHINGON

Covington

SCWSD – Covington Way/SR516/SR18 Trenchless Crossings

Frank Coluccio Construction Co.

This was a $5.65 million negotiated change order that involved thee drives, each about 300 ft, to install 60-in. Permalok steel casing. The ground conditions included sand, gravel and cobbles with high ground water. Initial attempts to complete the project by pipe ramming were unsuccessful due to grade control issues, leading to the negotiated change order.

Owner: Soos Creek Water & Sewer District; Engineer: Stantec; Equipment: 60-in. Lovat MTS.

Tacoma

Puget Sound Energy LNG Plant

Frank Coluccio Construction Co.

This $8 million project consisted of the installation of 800 ft of 48-in. OD welded and specially coated steel casing. There was a single microtunnel drive with extensive shaft engineering and shaft development prior to commencement of the microtunnel. All shaft work and tunneling was done by Coluccio.

This work took place in a highly secure and sensitive area of the Port of Tacoma. Due to the fact that it was a high traffic area, extensive coordination as to work hours and access to the affected areas were required. The tunnel crossed multiple high traffic areas as well as multiple active rail lines.

Work started in September 2017 and work ended in August 2018.

Owner: Puget Sound Energy; Contractor: Chicago Bridge and Iron; Engineer: Civil Tech Engineers; Equipment: Iseki Uncle Mole 48-in.

WISCONSIN

Waukesha

Greenmeadow Sanitary Interceptor Sewer

Super Excavators Inc.

This $18.46 million project for the City of Waukesha Department of Public Works includes: 2,500 lf of 60-in. RCP (76-in. bore) with a 36-in. Hobas carrier pipe and annular space grouted; installation of two secant pile shafts in bedrock to 35 vf, with drill-and-blast excavation for an additional 30 vf for approximately 65 vf total; and one liner plate shaft in bedrock with drill-and-blast for deep excavation. The tunnel will be installed in bedrock in two drives – 860 and 1,529 lf. The project also includes 6,700 lf of sanitary sewer interceptor by deep open-cut construction; 800 lf of 16- and 18-in. diameter double barrel siphon by horizontal directional drilling; 29 sanitary sewer manholes; 24 sanitary lateral replacements; 2 siphon structures; 5,000 lf storm sewers; 7 storm sewer manholes; 5 storm sewer catch basins; 16,000 sq yd asphalt roadway rehabilitation.

Secant pile shaft work, deep open-cut work, and dewatering activities are now in progress. Total completion is scheduled for September 2019.

Donohue/Brierley Associates is the engineer. Crews will use an Akkerman SL74 MTBM.

UTAH

Salt Lake City

MP12A-700 South Sanitary Sewer Capacity Upgrades

BTrenchless

Microtunneling for this project for Salt Lake City Public Utilities began on Aug. 13, 2018, and was completed on Oct. 31. Crews used as Akkerman SL60 MTBM with a lube-and-jack can, skinned up to 72-in. Ground conditions consisted of very soft, sticky clays with fines, and a few small pockets of sandy material. The ground water table was at spring line of pipe on average. BTrenchless used Permalok steel casing, 70-in. ID, 72-in. OD in 20-ft lengths to complete the 700-ft long tunnel.

Project personnel: John Beckos (Project Manager), Don Meyer (Superintendent), Joe Barger (Supervisor), Randy Starck, Brandon Lindberg, London Anderson, Edgardo Iraheta, Daniel Molina, Bryson Dick, and Sean Vasquez.

RELATED: NAMA: Shaping the Microtunneling Market

VIRGINIA

Fredericksburg

Claiborne Run Sewer

Bradshaw Construction Corp.

This $565,751.50 project consists of 170 lf of 60-in. steel casing to be microtunneled for a 42-in. gravity sewer on abandoned State Road 218 along Clairborne Run and under a CSX Railroad. Ground conditions are expected to be dense and clayey fine sand under the water table at depths ranging from 18 to 60 vf.

Mobilization began in October with completion expected before the end of the year.

Owner: Stafford County Department Utilities; Contractor: W.C. Spratt Inc.; Engineer: Timmons Group; Equipment: Herrenknecht AVN-1200 MTBM. Bradshaw Project Manager: Jordan Bradshaw.

Richmond

Western Area Trunk Sewer

Bradshaw Construction Corp.

The work for this $868,400 project consists of providing approximately 532 ft of 30-in. ductile iron gravity sewer line with a 60-in. casing microtunneled under the eastbound and westbound lanes of I-64. Ground conditions are sandstone and gravel under the water table.

The project began in June 2018 and was completed Oct. 12.

Owner: Henrico County Department of Public Utilities; Contractor: Gaston Brothers Utilities LLC; Engineer: AECOM; Equipment: Herrenknecht AVN-1200 MTBM. Bradshaw Project Manager: Doug Piper.

CANADA

BRITISH COLUMBIA

North Vancouver

North Shore Conveyance Project

NSCP – a Joint Venture of Michels Canada and Kenaidan Contracting

This project for the Greater Vancouver Sewerage & Drainage District consists of seven total drives: three drives with an Akkerman SL60, 1,300 ft total (60-in. diameter); three drives with a Herrenknecht AVN1800, 3,100 ft total (96-in. diameter); and one curved drive with a Herrenknecht ANVD2500, 1,394 ft (128-in.). The depth of cover varies from 18 to 35 ft. Ground conditions are sand, gravel and cobbles with boulder potential, with the water table near the surface. The project is in close proximity to CN rail lines. The 100 percent design is due Dec. 15. Shaft construction was to begin Nov. 12, with microtunneling beginning January 2019 and completion in September 2020. WSP (Opus) is the engineer.

Victoria

McLoughlin Point Waste Water Treatment Plant – Outfall

Michels

This project for the Capital Regional District involves a single drive of 113 m (370 ft) through granitic type rock. Crews will install Permalok Pipe with T7 connectors of 3,048 mm (120 in.) x 2,120 mm (83.5 in.) steel casing with interior and exterior lining. There is limited access to the shaft area with a shaft depth of approximately 13 m (42.6 ft). The project includes an underwater rock excavation to construct a retrieval trench under 12 m (39 ft) of water depth.

The ocean outfall is in an environmentally sensitive ocean area, with underwater activities and durations limited by environmental constraints such as fish migration, sediment disturbance, etc. The estimated start date is late 2018, with estimated completion in mid-first quarter 2019.

Graham/AECOM is the contractor with AECOM serving as the engineer. Crews will use a Herrenknecht AVN 1800.

RELATED: Ward and Burke Completes Longest Curve Microtunnel in North America

ONTARIO

Brampton

Twinning of the East Brampton Trunk Sewer

Ward and Burke

The Region of Peel Water and Wastewater Master Plan recognized the need to twin an existing trunk sewer due to capacity deficiency servicing existing and future needs of Caledon and Brampton. The Region retained Associated Engineering to provide engineering services for the preliminary and detailed design of the trunk sewer twinning.

The resulting project to build a new parallel sewer included approximately 5.2 km of 1,500-, 1,650- and 1,800 mm ID sewer from near the intersection of Queen Street and Goreway Drive to south of the intersection of Highway 407 East and Steeles Avenue East.

Construction of the twin sewer comprised approximately 2.0 km of 1,800 mm ID pipe, 2.87 km of 1,500 mm ID pipe and 260 m of 1,650 ID pipe, installed in 14 drives ranging from 95 m (312 ft) to 820 m (2,680 ft) in length. Of the fourteen drives, five included some curved components, some with multiple curves.

Ward and Burke Microtunnelling Ltd., of Mississauga, Ontario, was selected as the microtunneling contractor for the $40 million project. Construction started in May 2017 with all tunneling completed in April 2018. All internal pressure testing of the new sewers has been completed.

The team used a combination of two Herrenknecht AVN 1800s, one Herrenknecht AVN 1600 and one Herrenknecht AVN 1500. For long drives and curved drives, Ward & Burke used a VMT SLS LT guidance system. Decast supplied the jacking pipe.

To submit your project to the Microtunneling Job Log, email Jim Rush, editor Trenchless Technology, at jrush@benjaminmedia.com.