Tunnel Update – June 2018

Three times per year, TBM: Tunnel Business Magazine recaps the status of major tunneling projects underway in the United States and Canada. Below is the Tunnel Update that appeared in the June 2018 issue of the print edition.

CALIFORNIA

Los Angeles

Crenshaw/LAX
Walsh/Shea Corridor Constructors
This $1.278 billion project for the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), being built by a joint venture of Walsh and Shea, is an 8.5-mile light-rail line that will run between the Expo Line on Exposition Boulevard and the Metro Green Line. NTP was issued in September 2013 with revenue service expected by October 2019.

The project consists of twin bore tunnels, about 1-mile long each, connecting three underground stations. The tunnel is 21-ft OD (19-ft ID) and is approximately 70 ft below ground. Ground conditions are soft ground/alluvial, leading to the choice of an EPB TBM.

Construction of the concrete inverts and emergency walkways in both tunnels are complete, as is final concrete lining of all five cross passages. The primary activities remaining to be completed in the tunnels are the construction of the trackwork and concrete plinths throughout, and final outfitting/installation of mechanical and electrical systems.

Parties affiliated with the project: TBM Manufacturer – Herrenknecht (Germany); Consultants: HNTB; Construction Support Services: Stantec; Tunnel Engineering: Arup; Systems: L.K. Comstock; Structural Engineering: SC Solutions; Community Outreach: Los Angeles Urban League; Civil Engineering: Jenkins/Gales & Martinez; Electrical: Neal Electric; Quality Control: QEI; Survey: Psomas.

Key Project Personnel: Deputy Executive Officer, Project Director (Metro): Charles H. Beauvoir; Interim DEO, Deputy Project Director (Metro): Kimberly Ong; RE (Metro): Dana Rogers; Project Manager (WSCC): Jim Gardner; Deputy Project Manager (WSCC): Dave Preston; Construction Manager (WSCC): Carl Christensen.

Los Angeles

Purple Line Extension – Phase 1
Skanska/Traylor Bros./J.F. Shea JV (STS)
The Westside Purple Line Extension Project is a 9-mile long project that consists of three sections that are being planned to be built and opened for revenue service before the end of the next decade. Section 1 is a 3.92-mile long subway alignment with three stations that is being constructed under Wilshire Boulevard in gassy ground and tar sands with prehistoric fossil deposits utilizing the design-build delivery method.
NTP for the $1.636 million design-build contract was issued on Jan. 12, 2015. Tunneling operations are planned to begin in mid-2018. The tunneling operations will be staged through the shoring box of the Wilshire/La Brea Station excavation. The Revenue Service Date per the Full Funding Grant Agreement is Oct. 31, 2024.

The scope of work includes 17,900 ft of twin-bore tunnel: Reach 1 is 9,600 lf between Wilshire/La Brea Station and Wilshire/Western TBM retrieval shaft; Reach 2 is 4,400 lf between Wilshire/La Brea and Wilshire/Fairfax Stations; and Reach 3 is 3,300 lf between Wilshire/ Fairfax and Wilshire/La Cienega Stations. There is also 600 lf of tail track to the west of Wilshire/ La Cienega Station where the TBMs will be buried. The tunnel is 18-ft, 10-in. inside diameter with 12-in. thick precast concrete lining. Depth varies from 40 ft and 100 ft. The alignment includes three stations and the western retrieval shaft and 23 cross passages.

Tunnels are planned to be mined by two Herrenknecht EPBMs. Cross-passages are planned to be mined by the sequential excavation method using variety of localized ground support systems. Anticipated ground conditions include: Soft ground consisting of Pleistocene-age (San-Pedro) and Pliocene-age (Fernando) formations; Some alluvium deposits and artificial fill areas above the tunnel; Tar sands comprise almost 25% of tunnel alignment; Expected water table up to 90 lf above tunnel crown; Presence of methane (CH4) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gases (tunnels are deemed “gassy” by OSHA). The project is 34% complete.

Production of tunnel precast concrete Liners began in November 2016. TBM manufacturer Herrenknecht has completed manufacture of the two TBMs, and the functionality tests were successfully conducted at the Herrenknecht factory in July. Delivery to STS yard was completed in December. The launch of the TBMs is scheduled for August. Jet grouting of cross-passages began in November 2016. Wilshire/ La Brea Station excavation (tunnel launch point) began in July 2016 and invert concrete is nearly complete.

Tunnel Designer: PTG/CH2M (for STS JV); Construction Manager: WEST JV (Stantec/Jacobs).

Engineering: AECOM; Major Subcontractors – TBM Manufacturer: Herrenknecht; Precast: Traylor precast; Support of Excavation/piles: Condon Johnson; Jet Grouting: Malcolm Drilling; Geotechnical instrumentation: Group Delta; Dewatering: Moretrench; Standpipe: Link Nielsen.

Key Project Personnel: James Cohen, Executive Officer, Program Management LACMTA; Ashok Kothari, Project Director, WSP/Parsons Brinckerhoff; (Skanska) Mike Aparicio, Mike Smithson; (Traylor) John McDonald, Matt Burdick, Richard McLane; (Shea) Jim Marquart, Jim Honeycutt.

Los Angeles

Regional Connector Transit Project
Regional Connector Constructors (Skanska-Traylor JV)
The downtown Los Angeles urban location of the Regional Connector provides challenges in the coordination with multiple third parties. The Regional Connector project will be the first tunnel subway project to connect three operating rails systems, the Metro Blue and Expo Lines on the West and the Gold Line on the East. When complete, transit riders will no longer need multiple transfers and can travel north-south and east-west on the same system.

The tunneling portion of the $1.75 billion Regional Connector Transit Project for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority involves 5,795 ft of twin tunnels with an excavated diameter of 21 ft. NTP was issued July 7, 2014, with a forecast completion date of December 2021. The ground conditions range from alluvium soils to siltstone of the Fernando formation, with the potential for methane, hydrogen sulfide gas and boulders. The groundwater table is generally above the tunnel alignment. Pressure balance tunneling utilizing an EPB TBM was required, along with precast concrete segments with double gaskets as the tunnel lining system. The tunnel depth (cover) ranges from 25 ft to approximately 120 ft and crosses below the existing Metro Red Line heavy rail tunnels with less than 7 ft of clearance. The Regional Connector includes approximately 2,100 ft of cut-and-cover and retained cut guideway, a 300 ft crossover cavern excavated by SEM techniques, and three cut-and-cover subway stations. The bored tunnels will be excavated concurrently with the three station construction, requiring coordination of cut-and-cover and tunnel excavation.

The Little Tokyo/Arts District Station, located at 1st St. & Alameda St., excavation and invert concrete was completed in December 2016 and TBM tunneling commenced from that location in February 2017. The first tunnel was completed on July 19, 2017. The TBM was moved and relaunched for the second drive on September 26, 2017. On November 7, 2017, the tunneling crews set a project tunnel production record of 190 ft in one 24-hour day. The second drive was completed on Jan. 17, 2018, to the Flower Street cut-and-cover section where the TBM was demobilized. Excavation of the three cross passages between the two tunnels was completed in March 2018 and cross passage lining and tunnel invert placement is underway. The excavation of the 90 ft deep Historic Broadway Station, located at 2nd St. and Broadway, is approximately 90% complete as preparations are being made for excavation and support of a 300-ft long cross over cavern at the east of the station using SEM excavation techniques in the Fernando formation. The SEM cavern is expected to be complete by December 2019. Structural concrete placement is on-going at the Grand Ave. Arts/Bunker Hill Station, located at 2nd Pl & Hope St. Pile installation, utility relocation and decking are 85% complete on the 1,350 ft cut-and-cover section along Flower Street where hanging of utilities and excavation below the deck is approximately 40% complete.

Other parties affiliated with the project – Tunnel Designer for the Contractor: Mott McDonald; Metro’s Construction Management Consultant: Arcadis; TBM Manufacturer: Herrenkecht. Preliminary design was completed by CPJV (AECOM/ WSP), which is also performing design services during construction.
Key Project Personnel – Metro Project Executives: Gary Baker, Project Manager; Michael Harrington, Engineering Manager; Mat Antonelli, Construction Manager; Metro Design Consultants: (AECOM/WSP), Bill Hansmire, Tunnel Design Manger; Metro Construction Manger Consultants: (Arcadis), Ron Drake, Technical Advisor/Tunnel Resident Engineer; Contractor Project Executives (Regional Connector Contractors RCC): (Skanska) Mike Aparicio, Mike Smithson; (Traylor) John McDonald, Richard McLane, Christophe Bragard.

Redwood City

Gravity Pipeline Project
Barnard Bessac JV (BBJV)
Silicon Valley Clean Water’s (SVCW’s) existing force main sewer system was constructed more than 45 years ago and was designed to last between 25-50 years. Additionally, due to significant population growth in the San Francisco Bay service area, the system experiences roughly three times more pressure than it was designed for. Over the past four years, failures in the system have led to the leaking of raw sewage.

Barnard, joint venture partner, Bessac, and design engineer, Arup, are working with SVCW on a nearly $8 million progressive design-build preconstruction contract to advance the design of the Gravity Pipeline Project. This new pipeline will provide temporary stormwater storage, and stormwater and sewer conveyance to SVCW’s existing Wastewater Treatment Plant.

SVCW has split the contract into two stages. Stage 1 requires investigation, surveying, cost and schedule estimating for multiple options, and coordination with a separate design-build contractor who is working concurrently on the site. Beginning with a partnering workshop, BBJV quickly co-located with SVCW last fall to advance the project design from the 10 percent stage to 60 percent. The design scope includes support of excavation (SOE) for the tunnel boring machine (TBM) launch shaft; SOE for two TBM retrieval shafts; 3 miles of gravity sewer pipeline tunnel; and all inlets, drop structures, and connections to the tunnel, including full hydraulics design. The pipeline, to be constructed by earth pressure balance (EPB) TBM methods, will improve the wastewater conveyance system that eventually discharges into the San Francisco Bay.

Once design for this stage is complete, BBJV will prepare to negotiate pricing for Stage 2, which will consist of the remaining design services to bring the design from 60 percent to 100 percent, along with all required gravity pipeline shaft and tunnel construction.

The BBJV Team and designer Arup continue to make design progress on the SVCW Gravity Pipeline Project. Daily collaboration and coordination with SVCW, owner advisors, front of plant contractor, and community stakeholders have paved the way to the start of good relationships between all involved.

With the recent completion of ground investigation work and lab testing, Arup has completed the geotechnical data report (GDR). Preparation of the geotechnical baseline report (GBR) will be the next focus. Arup also completed the basis of design report for the airport access shaft, which will be the TBM launching location for both tunnel drives.

BBJV identified early the need to increase the shaft diameter from 35 ft (SVCW’s plan) to a larger 58-ft. diameter shaft to eliminate site congestion and support improved TBM excavation production rates. Additionally, Arup completed the retrieval shaft 60 percent design, which is now configured with a “dog-bone” geometry that consists of a 36-ft diametershaft, slurry wall support of excavation (SOE), with a connecting adit to the front of plant contractor’s receiving lift station shaft.

Arup and BBJV continue to work toward preferred inlet options at both of the gravity pipeline tie-in points, Bair Island, and San Carlos, which will capture flows from four adjacent pumping stations to a design capacity equal to 103 million gallons per day (mgd) during the winter months.

Parties Affiliated with the Project: ARUP – BBJV Design Engineer, ESA – BBJV Environmental Consultant, Kennedy Jenks – Owner’s Engineer, Tanner Pacific – Construction Manager for SVCW, JCK Underground – SVCW Consultant.

Key Project Personnel: Jack Sucilsky – Project Manager, Mike Hanley – Project Superintendent, Bernard Catalano – Construction Manager, Matt Paulisich – Tunnel Superintendent, Liam McGrail – Project Engineer, Glen Strid – Project Engineer, Jon Hurt – Engineer of Record, Martin Walker – Geotechnical Engineer of Record, Kevin Clinch – Lead Structural Designer, Luis Piek – Lead Tunnel Designer, Eric Sekulski – Lead Geotechnical Engineer, Nik Sokol – Design Manager, David Halsing – Environmental Consultant, Teresa Herrera– SVCW Assistant Manager / Chief Engineer, Bruce Burnworth– SVCW Project Manager.

CONNECTICUT

Hartford

South Hartford Conveyance and Storage Tunnel
Kenny/Obayashi IV, JV
Job Specifications include 21,258 lf of 21-ft, 1-in. diameter TBM bored tunnel precast lined to 18-ft ID. The depth of tunnel is approximately 200 ft. There are three large shafts all with SOE secant piles and rock excavated via drill and shoot. Finished shaft diameters: Launch Shaft 39 ft/35 ft – completed except closure pour; Pump Station Shaft 74 ft/70 ft – OB excavated, OB concrete complete and drill and shoot – 50% complete; Retrieval Shaft 32 ft/28 ft – secant piles installed, shaft excavation starting summer 2018. Also included are 15 drop/vent shafts with finished diameter of 30 to 72 in. with OB excavated with a Bauer drill rig and rock excavated with a Wirth drill rig. Al drilling is expected to be complete by end of June 2018 and nine shafts completed with spiral weld pipe installed, 8 adit/deaeration chambers that will be excavated drill and shoot as the main line passes with deearation chambers cast-in-place concrete and adits lined with spiral weld pipe. Ground conditions are red siltstone with basalt encountered at fault zones during TBM excavation. The project is currently 38% complete. Final completion is scheduled for March 22, 2022.

Owner: the MDC, Design Engineer(s): AECOM and Black & Veatch, Construction Manager: Jacobs Project Management Company, Major Subcontractors – Case Foundation Company, R.E.D. Technologies and Gelly Trucking, Freeman Companies, Zuvic, Carr & Associates, and CSI – Precast Concrete Tunnel Segments, TBM Manufacturer – Herrenknecht.

Key Project Personnel: PM Mike Surman, PE Vinny Prestia, General Superintendent Jeff Nelson, Superintendents Ronnie Beesley, Jay Jankowski, Samora Grant, and Hector (Skinny) Jimenez, Engineers: Brett Mann, Satoshi Akai, Dan Guerette, Yuichi Kammoto, Allison Donahue, Adam Elkins, and Sanaz Dezfolin, QC Laura Wagner, Safety Managers Charles Santamaria, Tyler Sheehan, and Javiel Robles.

Wethersfield

Goff Brook Overflow Closure
Bradshaw Construction Corporation
Bradshaw is currently constructing a 60-in. microtunneling/conventional TBM project for 30- and 48-in. FRP sanitary sewer installations. The second tunnel, a 420-ft drive through siltstone, was recently completed behind an a Herrenknecht AVN-1200. The remaining 1,430 lf of 60-in. steel casing will be installed over three drives, with the longest drive totaling 850 lf. Ground conditions for microtunneling operations will vary between dense sand, silty gravel and siltstone, with groundwater anticipated. The project members include the Metropolitan District Commission (owner), CH2M (engineer) and Baltazar Contractors Inc. (GC), with Bradshaw Construction performing as tunneling subcontractor. Project Information: Jordan Bradshaw – Project Manager; Jordan.bradshaw@bradshawcc.com.

DISTRICT 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 for DC Water that consists of approximately 4,300 fe of 24-in. sewer interceptor, including 2,600 ft to be installed by microtunneling in four drives, with the longest being 1,860 lf along Oregon Avenue at depths of up to 90 ft. Both 60-in. steel casing and 48-in. RCP casing were tunneled using a Herrenknecht AVN-1200 MTBM, in which the 24-in. PVC carrier pipe will be installed. Subsurface conditions consisted of Tonalite rock ranging from slightly weathered to highly decomposed.

The project also includes the installation of nine access shafts, 1,500 lf of open-cut sewer installation, three live connections to the existing sewer system and the abandonment of the existing 15-in. sewer that 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 all tunneling, including a 432-lf S-curved tunnel.This tunnel consisted of two 625-ft radius curves in opposite directions to maintain the tunnel alignment within the Bingham Drive footprint with the National Park Service right-of-way. It also allowed the elimination of two shafts that would have severely hampered access to the project site, in addition to providing a credit to the owner. Manhole installation and sewer activation has begun and will continue through the project completion this fall. Information: Todd Brown, Project Manager; tbrown@bradshawcc.com.

FLORIDA

Ruskin

South County Repump Station
Bradshaw Construction Corp.
Bradshaw has begun work on a project that consists of a 1,055-lf two-pass microtunnel of steel casing and ductile iron water main. The casing is 48 in. and the carrier pipe is 16 in. Subsurface conditions are expected to be sand. Information: Mike Wanhatalo, Project Manager; mwanhatalo@bradshawcc.com.

ILLINOIS

Chicago

Albany Park Stormwater Diversion Tunnel
Kenny Construction Company
This $62 million project for the City of Chicago’s Department of Transportation is for surface flooding remediation. The tunnel is 5,800 lf of 18-ft finished diameter concrete lined rock tunnel approximately 150 ft below grade. The inlet shaft is 18 ft finished diameter approximately 150 ft deep. The outlet shaft is 30 ft finished diameter approximately 150 ft deep. Tunnel excavation was completed using a refurbished main beam TBM in dolomite bedrock. The TBM holed through Aug. 30, 2017. Tunnel concrete operation is complete. Inlet and outlet surface structures are nearing completion. Site restoration has begun. The tunnel Designer is MWH and construction manager is WSP. Completion is expected by June 15, 2018.

Key Project Personnel: Bob Rautenberg – Project Executive, Clay Spellman – Project Manager, Darrell Vliegenthart – General Superintendent, Marc Potter – Project Engineer, Zach Heinrich – Field Engineer, Paul Lauricella – Safety Manager, Matt Tumpane – Safety Coordinator, Sarah Baker – Office Manager.

McCook

McCook Reservoir Des Plaines Inflow Tunnel
Walsh Construction
This $107.7 million project for the Metropolitan Water Resources District (MWRD) includes approximately 5,800 ft of 20-ft ID tunnel with two shafts (one permanent and one for construction to be abandoned at completion of work). Entire tunnel is in dolomite limestone and is being constructed via drill-and-blast methods. Tunneling is nearing completion and lining has begun.

The tunnel has two live connections, one on each end. On one end it will connect to the terminus of MWRD’s existing Des Plaines Tunnel system and on the other it will connect to the live McCook Reservoir, which was scheduled to go online in December. MWRD cannot shut down either the tunnel or the reservoir to accommodate the connections so all work will be heavily weather dependent.

NTP was issued on July 9, 2016. Completion is scheduled by Jan. 23, 2020.

The designer is Black & Veatch.

Key Project Personnel – MWRD: Kevin Fitzpatrick, Carmen Scalise, Patrick Jensen. Walsh: Brian Fidoruk, Nick Simmons. B&V: Mark White, Cary Hirner.

INDIANA

Indianapolis

White River Tunnel, Lower Pogues Run Tunnel
Shea-Kiewit JV
The White River Tunnel is a 30,600-lf, 20-ft, 2-in. diameter bored tunnel with an 18-ft finished concrete lining (approximately 250 ft deep). There are two bifurcations in the final alignment and seven CSO connecting structures/deaeration chambers and adits. The Lower Pogues Run Tunnel is a 10,200-lf, 20-ft, 2-in. bored tunnel with an 18-ft finished concrete lining, which bifurcates from the White River Tunnel alignment, and includes two CSO connecting structures/deaeration chambers and adits. The work is for Citizens Energy Group’s DigIndy project, which is a CSO reduction program including six deep rock tunnels totaling over 28 miles.

Mining commenced in September 2016 from a 35-ft diameter shaft that was previously constructed as the retrieval shaft for the Deep Rock Tunnel Connector alignment. After successfully mining the Lower Pogues Run tunnel, the TBM was backed up and successfully relaunched within the White River Tunnel. As of May 2017, mining of the White River Tunnel alignment has extended a total of approximately 12,000 ft. Based on the terms of a federal consent decree, the White River and Lower Pogues Run tunnels must be operational by the end of 2021.

Key Project Personnel – Construction PM: Christian Heinz, P.E.; Assistant Project Manager/ Project Engineer: Percy Townsend; Safety Manager: Kyle Shickles; Equipment Superintendent: Keith Walter; Field Engineers: Eric Haacke, Zack Heinrich, Kendall Gadd, Chris Monahan, Max Engen. Inspection PM: Sam Cain, P.E. (AECOM). Owner: Citizens Energy Group – Manager of Construction: Mike Miller, P.E.; Supervisor Special Projects: Tim Shutters; Construction Supervisor: John Morgan.

MARYLAND

Baltimore

CSX Transportation Howard Street Tunnel, Camden Street Drain Replacement
Bradshaw Construction Corp.
Bradshaw has begun work on a project in a high-profile area of downtown as the tunnel contractor working with Clark Construction’s design-build team. An existing storm drain is currently located in the invert of the CSX Transportation Howard Street Tunnel and is the cause of frequent flooding. This project will replace that 48-in. storm drain with a larger, deeper siphon drain which will eliminate the flooding and eventually allow for CSX to increase the size of the existing tunnel to gain freight capacity through the area. A total of three tunnels will be mined out of a 55-ft deep shaft at the intersection of Camden Street and Howard Street, in the shadow of Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

From the 26-ft diameter shaft, three tunnels will be mined, all starting at different elevations. The first is the Upper Adit Tunnel, 32 ft of 66-in. liner plate, hand-mined tunnel for a 48-in. FRP storm drain. The Upper Adit will connect to the existing storm drain being replaced, bringing those flows back to the Camden Street Shaft. This tunnel in currently being constructed.

The second tunnel is 68 ft of 48-in. liner plate, hand-mined tunnel for 18-in. PVC pipe, which will ultimately serve as the drain for the Howard Street Tunnel. The Lower Tunnel consists of a two-pass microtunnel of 73.5-in. steel casing for a 60-in. FRP storm drain. The tunnel will go 122 ft under Howard Street and finish at the footing of the Convention Center and will be the siphon that will reconnect to the existing storm network. Subsurface conditions are expected to be poorly graded sand with silt and gravel and will require extensive grouting prior to tunnel excavation. Information: Todd Brown, Project Manager; tbrown@bradshawcc.com.

MISSOURI

St. Joseph

Black Snake Creek Stormwater Separation Improvement Project – Tunnel Package
Super Excavators Inc.
The work for this $26.991 million project for the City of St. Joseph Department of Public Works generally consists of the construction of 90-in. diameter concrete precast segment lined 6,648-ft long tunnel, 37-ft diameter baffle drop shaft, 48 ft of near surface reinforced concrete box culvert, 2-ft diameter vent shaft, 181 ft of 90-in. diameter open-cut steel pipe installation, 125 ft of 90-in. jacked steel pipe, an energy dissipation structure, site restoration, and performance of other associated works.

Factory acceptance testing on the Lovsuns TBM is now complete, and the machine is in transportation from China. Crews are in the process of finalizing the tunneling site to receive the TBM for onsite assembly. Tunneling is expected to commence in early June. The concrete work for the energy dissipation structure is being completed, along with steel sheeting removal and final grading to reach the intermediate milestone (October 2018). The secant receiving shaft (drop shaft) is currently under construction, and once complete, excavation will begin along with box culvert installation for the tie in work.

This is the first EPB machine provided by Lovsuns in the United States. The tunnel segments are being manufactured utilizing synthetic fibers. This is the time segments have been constructed in this manner in the United States.

Parties Affiliated with the Project: Black & Vetch Corporation – Engineer. Lovsuns – TBM Manufacturer.

Project Personnel: Mike Garbeth, Senior Project Manager; Gregg Rehak, Vice President.

NEVADA

Las Vegas

Lake Mead Low Lake Level Pumping Station (L3PS) Project
Barnard of Nevada Inc. (Barnard)
In May 2015, Barnard entered into a $440 million construction manager at risk (CMAR) contract with the Southern Nevada Water Authority for the L3PS Project. The underground work includes: 525-ft deep x 26-ft. diameter access shaft; bulkhead to allow for future expansion; 80-ft deep x 26-ft diameter Riser Shaft to connect to existing Intake No. 3 connector tunnel; 33-ft wide x 36-ft high x 400-ft long horseshoe-shaped forebay cavern; forebay connector tunnel; and 34 drilled 8-ft diameter x 500-ft deep pump well shafts with steel-lined 6-ft diameter casings.

The above-ground pumping station and accompanying appurtenances include: 32-each 30-mgd submersible pumps; valves and discharge header piping; surge tank, concrete valve vaults, electrical controls and starting equipment for the pumps; electrical control building; electrical feed from an onsite substation; and 5,550 lf of 144-in. discharge aqueducts for connecting the new pumping station to the existing water treatment plants.

To date, crews have completed the 500-ft excavation and concrete lining of the access shaft, the 60-ft connector tunnel and riser shaft (winze shaft) and all 34-each 500-ft deep x 6-ft diameter well casings, and excavation and lining of the forebay cavern tunnel.

The upcoming work includes structural concrete of the access shaft bulkhead structure. Concurrent with the underground construction, the above-ground pumping station work continues with the 108- to 144-in. discharge piping installation, concrete valve vaults, pump station pad construction, and electrical/maintenance building construction. The project has also received and stored the 13 of 32-each, 3,150-hp submersible pumps capable of pumping 30 mgd. All work is scheduled to be completed in 2020.

Design Engineer: MW/Hill A Joint Venture; Construction Manager: Parsons Corp.

Key Project Personnel: SNWA: Peter Jauch, Director of Engineering; Erika Moonin, Project Manager; Parsons: Kevin Ulrey, Construction Manager; MW/HILL: Ted Davis and Steve Hunt, Lead Engineers; Barnard: Operations Manager, Dan Schall; Project Manager, Jordan Hoover; Project Superintendent, Andy Granger; Underground Superintendent, Mike Gilbertson; Superintendents, Engineers, and Safety: Tracey Chambers, Tyler Askin, Marc MeieSalgado, Jordan Flatt, Nick Bowerman, Alex Casilla, Jeff Porter, Klaus Herbert, Bill Kiehl, Pryde Lahr, Joerg Moser, Jake Richardson, Aaron Rustan, Terry Swindle, Peter Turlington, Dan Heroux, Devin Weekly, Leo Weiman, Mathew Jackson, and Shawn Tezak.

NEW YORK

West Babylon

Bergen Point Wastewater Outfall Project
OHL/Posillico/Seli Overseas JV
The Suffolk County Department of Public Works on Feb. 8, 2018, issued NTP for the Bergen Point Wastewater Outfall Project. The $187.78 million job was awarded to a joint venture of OHL/Posillico/Seli Overseas (40% OHL USA, Inc., 40% Posillico Civil, Inc., 20% SELI Overseas USA, Inc.).

The project includes the construction of a 14,200-ft, 120-in. ID tunnel through a mixture of soft soil materials under the Great South Bay with the use of a tunnel boring machine (TBM). The tunnel will be constructed to replace the existing prestressed concrete cylinder pipe (PCCP) outfall pipe, which carries millions of gallons of treated wastewater, connecting the Bergen Point Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) to the Barrier Island under the Great South Bay. The new tunnel will address the concerns of potential failure of the current pipe and has a longer lifespan.

The tunnel will be excavated and concurrently lined using precast concrete segment rings. The JV has selected a slurry TBM as the most effective and efficient means of tunnel excavation and elected to use 48-in. wide precast segment liners.

Shaft construction will be divided into major work phases including site preparation, ground freezing and excavation of the two shafts both on the Bergen Point and Barrier Island sites.

Once the TBM is installed, tunnel excavation will proceed, followed by the installation of the permanent tunnel lining. Additionally, the team will also complete ancillary work within the site including the installation of new piping and valving, associated plumbing, HVAC, and electrical work. Shaft depth is approximately 120 feet under the Great South Bay.

Work began in March 2018. The team is currently surveying the existing site, preparing to build the shaft, and procuring equipment and materials needed. This is the largest construction project in Suffolk County in several decades and OHL’s first job on Long Island. The estimated date of completion is summer 2021.

Other Major Parties Affiliated with the Project (Tunnel Designer, Construction Manager, Major Subcontractors, TBM Manufacturer, etc.): CDM Smith – Manager and Designer; TBM: Herrenknecht; Subcontractors: L.E.B. Electric, Moretrench, CSI Group.

Key Project Personnel: OHL: Uday Durg, EVP, Northeast; Jorge Silva, Operations Manager; Sergio Estebanez, Project Manager. Seli Tunneling: Marco D’Ambrosio, Chief Engineer, Tender & Technical Dept.; Pieluigi Felici, Engineer. Posillico: Peter Brindley, SVP, Chief Operating Officer; Robert Hutzler, Superintendent; Kirsten Huffer, Engineer; James Scudder, Quality Engineer. Suffolk Country Department of Public Works (owner): Gilbert Anderson, P.E., Commissioner; John Donovan, P.E., Chief Engineer; Keith Kelley, P.E., Project Manager (CDM Smith); Jacek Stypulkowski, P.E., Resident Engineer (CDM Smith).

NORTH CAROLINA

Charlotte

I-77 HOT Lanes Sewer
Bradshaw Construction Corp.
Bradshaw has begun tunneling as part of a I-77 highway expansion project in Charlotte. The project consists of a 572 lf two-pass microtunnel of steel casing and ductile iron sewer. The casing is 60-in. and the carrier pipe is 24 in. Subsurface conditions are expected to be highly variable ranging from fine clay to hard rock. Information: Mike Wanhatalo, Project Manager; mwanhatalo@bradshawcc.com.

OHIO

Akron

Ohio Canal Interceptor Tunnel (OCIT) Project
Kenny/Obayashi, a Joint Venture
This is a $184 million job for the City of Akron. NTP was issued Nov. 4, 2015, with final completion scheduled for June 15, 2019. The 27-ft finished inside diameter tunnel, approximately 6,200 ft long, will pass through ground conditions that consist of soft ground, mixed face soft ground over bedrock, and bedrock. Depth to the invert of the OCIT will range from about 40 to 180 ft. A Robbins dual mode type “Crossover” (XRE) Rock/EPB TBM will be used to excavate the tunnel and install the precast segmental lining.
Excavation of the Reach 1 (soft ground) and Reach 2 (mixed face) are complete and Reach 3 (rock) is underway. The TBM is currently over 40% complete with excavation. Completion is set for Dec. 31, 2018.

Project Designer – DLZ, McMillen Jacobs, COWI, GPD; Construction Manager – Parsons, Welty, Thomarios; Subcontractors – Kenmore Construction, Northstar Contracting, Brierley Associates, Schnabel Foundation Company, Turn-Key Tunneling; TBM Manufacturer – The Robbins Company; TBM Guidance System – VMT Technical Measurement Solutions.

Project Personnel: Bob Rautenberg (Project Executive), David Chastka (Project Manager), Mike Quinn (General Superintendent), Brad Swinehart (Safety Manager), John Criss (Project Engineer), Kentaro Kyo (Lead Tunnel Engineer), Dirk Chisnell (Surveyor), Greg Cook (Equipment Manager).

Cleveland

Dugway Storage Tunnel
Salini Impregilo/Healy JV
The $153 million Dugway Storage Tunnel project for the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District consists of 14,750 lf of 24-ft ID tunnel 200 ft deep, 6 deep shafts ranging in size from 22 to 58 ft in diameter and 21 other near-surfaces shafts and structures. There are four 9-ft diameter adit connections to the tunnel ranging in length from 60 to 800 lf and two sections of near surface sewers installed in tunnel and by open cut.

The project is currently 80% complete. All six deep shafts have been excavated, with the structures completed in all six shafts. The main tunnel was completed on March 21, 2018. Five of the near-surface structures have been completed and the four adits have been excavated and lined.

Various ground support systems have been utilized. Ribs and liner plate have been used for soft ground support on most of the shaft. Secant piles were used to support the overburden for one of the deep shaft and two of the near surface excavations and ground freezing was used to control the ground while excavating the main shaft.

Final completion is anticipated by September 2019.

Parties Affiliated with the Project – Tunnel designer: Stantec/MM JV; Construction Manager: NEORSD
TBM: Herrenknecht; Subcontractors: Triad Engineering & Contracting Co. – Shaft Exc. & Adit Exc. and Lining; Marra Service Inc. – Shaft excavation; Northstar Contracting, Inc. – Concrete Structures; Nicholson Construction Company – Secant piles; Moretrench – Ground Freezing.

Key Project Personnel: Salini Impregilo/Healy: Project Manager: Jim Kabat; General Superintendent: Willie Flores; Chief Engineer: Roberto Bono; Construction Manager: Saeed Tabrizi; AFC Manager: Michele Gorasso; Electrical Superintendent: TJ Soto; Controls: Alex Noirie; NEORSD: Construction Program Manager: Doug Gabriel, CCM; Senior Construction Supervisor: Ryan Sullivan. Information: John Kennedy, (702)-524-0438.

PENNSYLVANIA

Wampum

Pennsylvania American Water Ellwood Raw Water Facilities
Bradshaw Construction Corp.
Bradshaw is underway on construction on a project in Wampum 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.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Greenville

Reedy River Basin Sewer Tunnel
Super Excavators Inc. / Cooperatia Muratori Cementisti, a Joint Venture
This $33.415 million project for Greenville’s Renewable Water Resources comprises 6,000 lf of 130-in. ID rock tunnel with 84-in. carrier pipe (Hobas) grouted in place.; a 40-ft ID by 40-ft deep launch shaft and 30-ft ID by 130-ft deep receiving shaft. Tunnel depth ranges from 40 to 130 ft below ground surface. The tunnel is to be mined in intact Gneiss bedrock using a double shielded rock gripper TBM manufactured by Lovsuns Canada. Shaft construction is to consist of liner plate and rock dowels with wire mesh. The project also includes 1,600 lf of 60 in. and 42-in. upstream and downstream connecting sewer as well as several junction chambers, screening/diversions structures along with odor control facilities. Drop shaft construction commenced on May 10. Final completion is anticipated by June 26, 2020.

The Tunnel Designer/Construction Manager is Black & Veatch.

Major Subcontractors and Suppliers: Lovsuns – TBM; Chardon Concrete (Concrete Structures), Pacific International Grout (Cellular Grout), Hobas Pipe – Tunnel Carrier Pipe.

Key Project Personnel: Justin Kolster – Senior Project Manager, Super Excavators / CMCRA Joint Venture; Greg Rehak – Vice President, Super Excavators; Stephen O’Connell – Construction Manager, Black & Veatch; Jason Gillespie – Senior Project Manager, Renewable Water Resources.

TEXAS

Scurry

Trinity River Main Stem Pump Station
Bradshaw Construction Corp.
Bradshaw is resuming the tunneling after major site flooding. The project consists of twin 260-lf microtunnels. The casing is 48-in. lined and coated to act as a raw water intake. Subsurface conditions are expected to be primarily lean and fat clay. Information: Mike Wanhatalo, Project Manager; mwanhatalo@bradshawcc.com.

WASHINGTON

Bellevue

Downtown Bellevue Tunnel (E330)
Guy F. Atkinson
Sound Transit is building the Downtown Bellevue Tunnel as part of its $3.7 billion East Link Extension, which adds 14 miles of track and 10 stations. In downtown Bellevue, the alignment goes through a 1,985-lf tunnel, 34-ft ID ovaloid, 12 to to 48 ft deep. The project includes one maintenance shaft 17-ft diameter by 50-ft deep located near the midpoint of the tunnel, a connecting adit to enlarged tunnel section for permanent ventilation fans, and 250 lf of cut-and-cover structure. Crews are excavating soft ground consisting of glacial till and outwash gravel, using the sequential excavation method (SEM) including full top heading (three headings) as well as single side drift (6 headings).

Guy F. Atkinson was awarded the tunnel contract at $121,446,551. NTP was issued Feb. 8, 2016, with substantial completion projected by May 20, 2020. Currently the job is 82% complete, completed excavation and support of first 54% using full top heading, bench and invert, currently excavating and supporting using single side drift. Construction of mid-tunnel maintenance shaft and adit started mid April 2018.

Crews are utilizing two Liebherr 950 to excavate the tunnel, and Normet Spraymec 8100 shotcrete robot to place the shotcrete lining.

HDR/McMillen Jacobs Associates are the Construction Manager and Resident Engineer; Mott McDonald is Tunnel Designer; GZ Consulting is the SEM Tunnel Engineer.

Key Project Personnel: Sound Transit: Chad Frederick, Principal Construction Manager; Atkinson: Archie Kollmorgen, Project Manager, Jake Coibion, Tunnel Manager; McMillen Jacobs Associates: Ted DePooter, Resident Engineer, Mun Wei Leong, Office Engineer.

CANADA

ONTARIO

Ottawa

Combined Sewage Storage Tunnel (CSST)
Dragados-Tomlinson Joint Venture
The $146 million CSST project for the City of Ottawa includes the construction of two inter-connected tunnels: an east-west tunnel (EWT) through the downtown core from LeBreton Flats to New Edinburgh Park, and a north-south tunnel (NST) along Kent Street from Chamberlain Avenue to the Ottawa River, just behind the Supreme Court of Canada. The tunnels will be a total length of 6.2 km, with an inside diameter of 3 m, and will be 10-31 m below ground level. The CSST project also includes the construction of 15 major access shafts, as well as support buildings such as odor control facilities.

A double-shield tunnel boring machine (TBM) is being used to construct the tunnel. The fully assembled TBM is approximately 250 m long. Tunneling also makes use of a locomotive and tracks for the transport of muck cars, precast concrete liner segments and personnel. A gantry crane is used at surface to support tunneling operations, including removing and dumping muck cars and lowering liner segments for tunnel assembly.

The full length of the CSST tunnels are anticipated to be excavated in bedrock. The bedrock formations that are anticipated to be encountered by the CSST tunnels and shaft excavations include the Veralum, Lindsay and Billings formations, which generally consist of limestone and shale.

Currently, construction is taking place at five of the 11 surface locations across the city and tunneling of the NST is underway. These include, shaft construction, starter and tail tunnel excavation, existing infrastructure connections, tunneling support operations, outfall chamber construction, and portal excavation for receiving of the TBM.

This summer, the tunnel boring machine will complete mining of the north-south tunnel. At which point, it will emerge from a portal in the cliff, behind the Supreme Court of Canada.

In constructing the CSST, Ottawa will achieve, by 2020, a level of performance that meets and potentially exceeds current combined sewer overflow (CSO) regulations and guidelines – putting the City of Ottawa at the forefront of Canada’s leaders in meeting industry regulations and guidelines for CSO controls.

Stantec and Jacobs-CH2M are the administrators of the construction contract to ensure the CSST Project is built in accordance with the City’s design with geotechnical support from Golder. Stantec completed the Environmental Assessment and functional design. Stantec and Jacobs-CH2M completed the preliminary and detailed design and are now both providing contract administration and inspection services through the construction phase.

Key Project Personnel: Owner (City of Ottawa): Manager – Ziad Ghadban; Project Manager – Steve Courtland; Contract Administrator: Project Manager: Adrien Comeau (Stantec); Contract Administrator: Sanjay Verma (Jacobs-CH2M), Previously Clare Humphrey (Jacobs-CH2M); Assistant Contract Administrator: Colin Goodwin (Stantec); Construction Director: Gerald Bauer (Stantec); Jacobs-CH2M Project Manager: Pascal Pitre (Jacobs-CH2M); Contractor (Dragados-Tomlinson Joint Venture):

Project Manager: Fernando Triana (Dragados); Civil Construction Manager: Bert Hendriks (Tomlinson); Project Engineer – Surface Works: Richard Poulin (Tomlinson).

Ottawa

O-Train Confederation Line Light Rail Transit Project
Rideau Transit Group
To build the O-Train Confederation Line, the City of Ottawa assembled a strong public-private partnership that includes financial commitments from the provincial and federal governments, and a proven private-sector project team, the Rideau Transit Group. A world-class consortium of Canadian and international companies, the Rideau Transit Group was selected in a highly competitive process based on the strength of the group’s design, construction and financial proposal, and its track record of delivering major transportation projects on time and on budget. Working closely with the City of Ottawa, the Rideau Transit Group designed and began building the $2.1 billion Confederation Line in 2013 and will maintain the line until 2038. Revenue Service begins when the build is completed in 2018.

An integral part of the Rideau Transit Group (RTG) proposal for the Confederation Line was the approach to the construction of the tunnel under Ottawa’s downtown core. The tunnel spans 2.5 km, is on average 15 m below the surface and features three of the stations in the Confederation Line project — Lyon, Parliament and Rideau.

Following the bid process in 2012, the City’s experts from around the world worked to determine the tunneling method and equipment required for the Confederation Line tunnel. Proximity to the Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the specific soil conditions of the downtown core, and the properties of the geotechnical materials to be excavated were all evaluated. It was also important that the tunneling method minimize disruptions for the general public and daily life in the city.

Sequential Excavation Method (SEM) was used to mine the tunnel. SEM provides a high degree of flexibility to adjust the excavation approach and support measures for soil and rock conditions encountered; it also reduces risks of tunneling construction. This method also minimizes longer term disruptions at surface.

Civil works completed in Q1 2018 include: Parliament Station steel erection for mid-entrance structure substantially complete; west / mid-entrance site backfill substantially complete; rock excavation for West Tunnel Vent Shaft (TVS) completed; Rideau Station West Entrance structural lining, excavation and breakthrough of west TVS, mid-entrance elevator adit structural lining, station platform and track slab concrete pours, and installation of west bound track work all completed; Rail installation for the trackwork in the westbound direction is complete from Tunney’s Pasture to Blair; In the tunnel, 80% of track slab is complete with rail installed for 50% of the length in the eastbound direction, westbound track complete.

Q2 underground work will include: Lyon Station final finishes, mechanical and electrical, systems and ventilation, and elevators and escalator work; Parliament Station east & west Tunnel Vent Shafts (TVS) and installation of mid-entrance elevators will be underway, and work on mechanical and electrical, fire protection and HVAC, elevators and escalator work will continue; Rideau Station work will include staircase concrete pours and escalator installation at west entrance, concrete structural lining of west TVS shaft, mid-entrance elevator installation, completion of east entrance structural lining, elevator and escalator installation between concourse and platform levels, and station service rooms construction and equipment installation.

Rideau Transit Group equity partners are: ACS Infrastructure Canada Inc., SNC-Lavalin and EllisDon. DBJV is made up of: Dragados Canada Inc., EllisDon and SNC-Lavalin.

Some of the other firms that have worked on the project include: Thurber Engineering Ltd. (geotechnical); Dr. Sauer & Partners Corporation (tunnel design); Adamson & Associates Architects (station design); Alstom – vehicle; Thales – systems; bbb Architects (station design); Fast + Epp; Hatch Mott MacDonald; IBI Group; MMM Group; Sereca Fire Consulting Ltd.; and Scotia Capital.

Key Project Personnel – City of Ottawa/O-Train Construction Office: John Manconi, General Manager, Transportation Services; Steve Cripps, Director, O-Train Construction; Gary Craig, Manager, Light Rail Design and Construction. Rideau Transit Group/OLRTC: Antonio Estrada, CEO, Rideau Transit Group; Peter Lauch, Technical Director, Rideau Transit Group; Eugene Creamer, OLRTC Project Director; Humberto Ferrer, OLRTC Deputy Project Director.