Tunnel Update – October 2019

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 October 2019 issue of the print edition.

CALIFORNIA

Carson/Los Angeles/Rancho Palos Verdes

Joint Water Pollution Control Plant Effluent Outfall Tunnel
Dragados USA
NTP for this $630.5 million project was issued April 8, 2019, with 1,900 working days to complete the work and an estimated completion date of October 2026. As part of the implementation of the Clearwater Program, the Sanitation Districts will construct a tunnel approximately 7 miles long and 18 ft in internal diameter to convey disinfected, secondary-treated effluent from the Sanitation Districts’ Joint Water Pollution Control Plant (JWPCP) located in the City of Carson to an existing ocean discharge system at Royal Palms Beach in San Pedro in the City of Los Angeles. The tunnel will provide better seismic resiliency, provide additional capacity for population growth and storm events, and will provide redundancy for the two existing tunnels that were constructed in 1937 and 1958, which have not been inspected in nearly 60 years. The tunnel alignment will vary in depth from approximately 50-ft to 450-ft below the ground surface. The entire tunnel alignment will be below the groundwater table with pressures ranging from 1 to 9 bar.
Tunneling will go through two very distinct ground conditions. The first half of the tunnel will be through soft ground with depths up to 110 ft. The second half of the tunnel will be through hard rock with depths up to 450 ft where the tunnel will be subjected to intense ground squeezing conditions due to the overburden pressure.

The tunnel lining will consist of bolted and gasketed precast concrete segments. To offset the “hoop stress” developed from internal pressure, a post-tensioning system consisting of internal steel tendons along the circumference of the concrete liner was specified. This post tensioning design is unique and has only been used a few times in the world, but never before in North America. In the second half of the alignment, the hard rock around the tunnel will offset the internal pressure, and post-tensioning will not be required.
As of May 2019, the project is in the submittal phase with site work at the JWPCP Shaft Site expected to begin in the summer of 2019. Construction of the slurry wall for the JWPCP Shaft Site was expected to begin in the fall of 2019 with excavation of the shaft expected to begin in early 2020.

Lead Design Consultant: Parsons; Tunnel Design Consultant: McMillan Jacobs Associates; Tunnel Construction Management Consultant: Mott MacDonald; Listed Major Subcontractors for Dragados – Excavation and Structures: W.A. Rasic Construction Company Inc.; Jet Grouting and Support of Excavation: Malcolm Drilling Company Inc.

Key Project Personnel: Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts – Field Engineering Section: Michael Tatalovich, Section Head; Russell Vakharia, Resident Engineer; Sewer Design Section: Anthony Howard, Section Head; Oscar Morales, Supervising Engineer; Yoonkee Min, Senior Engineer; Parsons – Danson Kelii, Project Manager; McMillan Jacobs Associates – John Stolz, Lead Tunnel Design Consultant; Mott MacDonald – Daniel McMaster, Lead Tunnel Construction Manager; Dragados – John Kennedy, Vice President of Operations; Lawrence Lenahan, Project Manager; Claudio Cimiotti, Construction Manager; Willie Flores, Project Superintendent.

Los Angeles

Regional Connector
Regional Connector Constructors (Skanska-Traylor JV)
The Regional Connector Transit Project is in the heart of downtown Los Angeles in a congested urban environment that provides numerous challenges and requires coordination with multiple third parties. The Regional Connector Transit Project will 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 feet of twin tunnels with an excavated diameter of 21 ft. The ground conditions range from alluvium soils to clayey 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 sequential excavation method (SEM) techniques, and three cut-and-cover subway stations. The bored tunnels were excavated by one TBM concurrently with the construction of the three stations, requiring coordination between the cut-and-cover operations and TBM tunnel excavation.

The bored tunnels were successfully completed on time in January 2018, and the TBM has been demobilized. All three cross passages, tunnel inverts, and walkways are completed. All three underground stations have been excavated.

Crews achieved a milestone in August with the breakthrough of a concrete knock-out panel between 7th/Metro Station. The connection point will allow crews to be able to integrate the new rail line with the tracks that are used by the Blue Line and Expo Line.

The project is scheduled to open in 2022.

Other parties affiliated with the project – Tunnel Designer for the Contractor: Mott McDonald; TBM Manufacturer: Herrenkecht. Preliminary design was completed by CPJV (AECOM/ WSP), which is also performing design services during construction, and Metro’s Construction Management Consultant is Arcadis.

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), Jaydeep Pendse, Resident Engineer; Contractor Project Executives (Regional Connector Contractors RCC): (Skanska) Mike Aparicio, Mike Smithson, Greg Zwiep, Justin Waguespack; (Traylor) John McDonald, Richard McLane, Christophe Bragard.

Los Angeles

Westside Purple Line Extension Section 1
Skanska/Traylor/Shea JV
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, with service expected in 2023. The twin Herrenknecht EPB TBMs have completed the first stretch of tunneling from Wilshire/La Brea to Wilshire/Western Station. The second breakthrough occurred June 27. The TBMs were to be dis-assembled, trucked back to Wilshire/La Brea, and begin digging the next section to Wilshire/La Cienega. Both TBMs are scheduled to reach Wilshire/La Cienega in Beverly Hills by mid-2020.

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 at Wilshire/La Cienega Station.

The tunnel is 18-ft, 10-in. in 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. Cross-passages are planned to be mined by the sequential excavation method using variety of localized ground support systems.

Tunnel Designer: PTG/CH2M; 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.

Los Angeles

Westside Purple Line Extension Section 2
Tutor Perini-O&G JV
The second section of the Purple Line Extension Transit Project includes 2.59 miles of additional tracks to Metro’s Rail system and two new stations at Wilshire/Rodeo and Century City/Constellation. Tutor Perini-O&G JV was awarded a $1.37 million contract in 2017.

As of mid-June, the tunnel boring machines from Herrenknecht were on site at the Century City construction yard, where they will be assembled and begin mining east to Wilshire/La Cienege. TBM mining is expected to take two years. Metro held a naming ceremony for t he TBMs, which were christened “Harriet” and “Ruth” after Harriet Tubman, known for her role in the Underground Railroad, and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who fights for gender equality and social justice.

Transit operations are scheduled to begin in 2025.

Los Angeles

Westside Purple Line Extension Section 3-Tunnels
Tutor Perini/Frontier-Kemper
Tutor Perini/ Frontier-Kemper JV was awarded a $410 million contract by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority for the Purple Line Extension Section 3 Tunnels Project.
The project involves the design and construction of twin bored tunnels for future Purple Line subway service spanning approximately 2.6 miles between Century City and the VA Hospital in Westwood. Substantial completion is anticipated in the summer of 2022, with revenue service planned for 2027.

Los Angeles

Westside Purple Line Extension Section 3-Stations
Tutor Perini/O&G
Tutor Perini/O&G JV has received notice of intent to award a contract from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority for the Purple Line Extension Section 3 Stations project.
The contract value is anticipated to be approximately $1.4 billion. The scope of work entails the design and construction of two new subway stations at Westwood/UCLA and Westwood/Veteran Administration (VA) Hospital. The company is currently performing initial design work on the companion Purple Line Extension Section 3 Tunnels project, awarded last year, which will build the tunnels and related systems that will connect with the new Westwood/UCLA and Westwood/VA Hospital stations.
The Purple Line Extension, Section 3, will add 2.56 miles of new rail to Metro’s Rail system and connect downtown Los Angeles to the Westside. The project is anticipated to begin construction in 2019 and be open for operations in 2027.

Redwood City

SVCW Gravity Pipeline Project
Barnard Bessac Joint Venture
This is a two-stage, $214 million project for Silicon Valley Clean Water (SVCW). The first stage (design) was awarded on Oct. 5, 2017, and is complete. The second stage (construction) was awarded on Nov. 8, 2018. Final completion is expected in October 2022.

The project involves 17,560 ft of tunnel split into two drives of 5,260 and 12,300 lf. The tunnel is 13.5 ft ID, 16.2 ft bored diameter by new EPB TBM manufactured by Herrenknecht. The depth reaches 23 m at its lowest point, 12 m deep at its shallowest. There is one temporary launching shaft, 58 ft ID made of slurry wall, and two permanent shafts as inlets made of fiberglass or polymer concrete lining.

SVCW held a naming contest for the $18.2 million TBM, which was christened “Salus” after the Roman goddess of safety and well-being.

Ground conditions include firm and compacted clay with occasional silty sand lenses (in connection to the San Francisco water bay). The double-pass lining includes a concrete lining installed by TBM, followed by an 11-ft ID fiberglass pipe installed and grouted after tunnel excavation. The rings are made of six equally sized segments, 1.5 m long, 10-in. wide wide, left and right universal segment.

The project is one of the first tunnel projects in the United States to use a progressive design-build contract (development of the design conjointly with the owner, continuous cost estimation of the construction during design development, risk sharing). Crews will use a continuous conveyor for TBM spoil muck out, which is an unusual arrangement for such a small diameter tunnel with multiple 800 ft curves. It will also be the largest FRPM pipe installation in tunnel in North America.

Other unique aspects of the job include a 10-degree inclined conveyor in a pushed tube tunnel from the launching shaft to the spoil basin; height restriction (<60 ft) due to vicinity to the San Carlos airport, which affects construction techniques for three shafts; low cover under a river bed (<2 diameter), under a live sewer forcemain for 60% of the project alignment; and work in a marine protected area (Bair Island).

Contractor: Barnard Bessac Joint Venture (PM: Jack Sucilsky, DPM: Oliver Robert); Designer: ARUP (EOR: Jon Hurt, PM: Nik Sokol, tunnel designer: Luis Piek); Construction Manager: Tanner Pacific (PM: Mike Jaeger, DPM: Bruce Burnworth); Owner technical Advisor: Kennedy Jenks; Launch shaft contractor: Malcom; TBM manufacturer: Herrenknecht; Conveyor supplier: H&E logistic; Precast segment supplier: Traylor Shea JV.

CONNECTICUT

Hartford

South Hartford Conveyance and Storage Tunnel
Kenny/Obayashi IV, JV
Kenny/Obayashi received NTP on this $279.4 million project for the Hartford Metropolitan District (MDC) on Aug. 1, 2016.

To date, crews have completed 5,918 lf of 21,258 lf of 18-ft precast lined tunnel; 3 secant pile shafts have been excavated; Excavation and lining have been completed on the Launch and Pump Station shafts; Excavation is nearing completion at the Retrieval Shaft; 15 Drop/Vent shafts are complete; 8 adit/deaeration chambers will begin soon. The cast-in-place chambers will be excavated by drill-and-blast as the main line passes. Adits will be lined with spiral weld pipe.

The tunnel geology includes red siltstone with basalt encountered at fault zones during TBM excavation. After TBM extraction, an Odor Control Building will be constructed at the Retrieval Shaft Site. Recent construction activities: Drill-and-Shoot of the Retrieval Shaft (RS) and completion of surface structures (RS), Pump Station Shaft CIP liner and installation of the suction header, and TBM production mining.
Completion is scheduled for May 2022.

Owner: MDC; Design Engineer(s): AECOM, Black & Veatch; Construction Manager: Jacobs Project Management Company. Subcontractors – Case Foundation Company, R.E.D. Technologies and Gelly Trucking, Freeman Companies, Zuvic, Carr & Associates.

Project Personnel: PM: Mike Surman: PE: Vinny Prestia; General Superintendent: Jeff Nelson; Superintendents: Ronnie Beesley, Jay Jankowski, Samora Grant, Luis Cruz; Engineers: Brett Mann, Satoshi Akai, Dan Guerette, Yuichi Kammoto, Allison Donahue, Zach Heinrich, Sanaz Dezfolin; QC: Laura Wagner; Safety Managers: Paul Lauricella, Tyler Sheehan.

KENTUCKY

Louisville

I-64 & Grinstead CSO Trenchless Installation
Bradshaw Construction Corp.
Bradshaw Construction Corp. is in the process of constructing a CSO interceptor tunnel in Louisville. The 1,252-ft rib-and-board tunnel is being installed behind a 102.5-in. LOVAT ME-99RL Series 11700 TBM. 925 ft of tunnel has been installed, with mining currently progressing through an S-curve on twin 2,300-ft radius curves. Once completed, 84-in. FRP will be installed and backfilled. Bradshaw is also constructing two 24-ft ID shafts, one with liner plate and one with rib-and-board. Project geology consists predominantly of clay, with 350 ft of weathered limestone encountered in the middle of the crossing. The project members include the Louisville and Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District (Owner), Qk4 (Engineer) and Bradshaw Construction performing as the General Contractor. Project Information: Jordan Bradshaw – Project Manager; Jordan.bradshaw@bradshawcc.com.

MINNESOTA

Minneapolis

10th Avenue WM River Crossing
Bradshaw Construction Corp.
Bradshaw has will soon begin construction on a microtunnel under the Mississippi River. The microtunnel will be 896 lf and the jacking pipe will be 60-in. steel casing. Subsurface conditions are expected to be weak sandstone. Information: Mike Wanhatalo, Project Manager; mwanhatalo@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 108-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. Notice to proceed was issued on July 17, 2017. Scheduled completion is spring 2020.

The TBM is progressing forward, and 1,332 segment rings have been installed, which is equivalent to 5,328 lf (80% complete). All of the segments have been delivered to the project site from CSI (Concrete Systems Inc.). The TBM is expected to reach the retrieval shaft late October 2019 and begin the disassembly process soon thereafter. The drop shaft excavation (receiving shaft) is 100% complete. This is a 44-ft ID secant shaft with a depth of 60 ft. The concrete subcontractor Enerfab has finished placing all the exterior walls of the structure, leaving a block out for the retrieval of the TBM. Once the TBM is disassembled, crews will begin to finish the remaining work and close out the project.

The TBM is the first EPB machine provided by LovSuns in the USA. The tunnel segments are being manufactured utilizing BarChip 54 synthetic fiber – the first time segments have been constructed in this manner in the United States.

Engineer: Black & Vetch Corporation; TBM: LovSuns; Segments: CSI (Concrete Systems Inc.); Synthetic Fibers: BarChip Inc.; Concrete subcontractor: Enerfab.

Personnel: Mike Garbeth, Sr. Project Manager, Super Excavators; Jeff Tatum, Tunnel Superintendent, Super Excavators; Jeff Taugher, Tunnel Surveyor, Super Excavators; Brian Glynn P.E., Tunnel Engineer, Black & Vetch; Cary Hirner P.E., Sr. Tunnel Engineer, Black & Vetch.

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 Southern Nevada Water Authority for the L3PS Project. As of December 2018 all of the underground excavation and construction has been completed. Additionally, the steel bulkhead dome has been removed which now connects the Pumping Station to the previously construction Intake No. 3 tunnel filling the underground forebay with water from Lake Mead. Concurrent with the underground construction, the Above-ground Pumping Station work continues with the 108- 144-in. Discharge piping installation, Valve Vaults fit-out, Electrical/Maintenance Building construction, installation of 30 of 34 each submersible pumps, and function testing activities. All work is scheduled to be completed in 2020.

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.

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

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; Superintendents, Engineers, and Safety: Marc MeieSalgado, Cody Cupp, Joerg Moser, Soctt Evans, Justin Zandt, John Doerr, Kyle Simmons, Craig Arnes, Troy Gates, Shawn Tezak.

NORTH CAROLINA

Greensboro

Young’s Mill Outfall
Bradshaw Construction Corp.
Bradshaw has completed tunnel construction on the Young’s Mill Outfall, which consisted of two microtunnels of 430 ft and 420 ft in length under roadways and an interstate highway. The jacking pipe was 60-in. welded steel casing with 36-in. DIP sewer. Subsurface conditions were expected to be mixed-face and mixed reach from silt to competent rock. The rock turned out to be very hard and abrasive. 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 project for the City of Akron. NTP was issued Nov. 4, 2015, with current final completion scheduled for April 2020. The 27-ft finished inside diameter tunnel, approximately 6,200 ft long, passed through ground conditions that consisted of soft ground, mixed face soft ground over bedrock, and bedrock. Depth to the invert of the OCIT ranged from about 40 to 180 ft. A Robbins dual mode type “Crossover” (XRE) Rock/EPB TBM – a U.S. first – was used to excavate the tunnel and install the precast segmental lining.

The TBM completed the drive in August 2018. Currently the project team is working on completion of the surface structures to achieve full operation of the system.

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), Maria Chastka (Project Engineer).

Cleveland

Doan Valley Relief and Consolidation Sewer
Triad Engineering and Contracting Co.
This $13.5 million project for the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District comprises 3,137 lf of 72-in. diameter sewer via trenchless methods. Approximately 2,007-lf of tunnel will be built using conventional two-pass methods, with 1,130 lf built by microtunneling. Other aspects of the job include 1,475 lf of 48-in. sewer by open-cut methods, three flow control structures, eight manholes, one cast-in-place manhole and modification of one regulator structure. Ground conditions vary from shale bedrock to clay till, sandy clay and some sand seams with water.

The microtunnel has been completed by Super Excavators. The first section of two-stage tunnel has been completed by Triad. The second section of two-stage tunnel is underway. Shaft 2 and S-1 structures under construction.

NEORSD Manager: A.J. Smith; NEORSD Resident Engineer: Matt Waite; Tunnel Designer: Dave Mast, P.E., AECOM; Triad Personnel: Project Manager: Philip Kassouf; Project Superintendent: Rick Chipka Jr.; Tunnel Superintendent/Engineer: Brad Kassouf; Assistant Project Engineer: Art Hanus.

Cleveland

Doan Valley Storage Tunnel
McNally/Kiewit DVT JV
The Doan Valley Storage Tunnel, a $142.3 million project for the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, holed through on Sept. 7. The cutterhead was removed on Sept. 13 crews were in the process of recovering the rest of the TBM as of Sept. 23.

The project involves 10,000 ft of 18-ft diameter tunnel, as well as two smaller conveyance tunnels: the Martin Luther King Conveyance Tunnel (3,000 ft of 8.5-ft diameter tunnel) and the Woodhill Conveyance Tunnel (6,300 ft of 8.5-ft diameter tunnel). Also included are five drop shafts and six diversion structures. Ground conditions are primarily soft ground and Chagrin shale bedrock.

Construction began in summer 2017 and the project will be complete in 2021. This project is one of seven tunnels to be constructed as part of the District’s Consent Decree. It will reduce combined sewer overflows by 365 million gallons annually from 11 CSO locations along Doan Brook.

Designers: Wade Trim, McMillen Jacobs Associates; TBM: Herrenknecht (20.75-ft), Robbins (12-ft).

NEORSD Personnel: Construction Manager: Bob Auber; Construction Supervisor: Karrie Buxton; Construction Coordinator: Jack MacKeigan; Design Manager: Rick Vincent.

Cleveland

Dugway Storage Tunnel
Salini Impregilo/Lane Construction JV
This $153 million project for the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District involves the construction of 15,000 ft of 24-ft diameter tunnel 200 to 230 ft below ground, and six shafts of varying diameters and depths. Ground conditions are mainly soft ground and Chagrin shale bedrock.

As of mid-September, the tail tunnel (185 ft in length) lining was 20 percent complete. Plantings at wetlands restoration at the main mining site is complete. Site restoration was taking place at shaft sites DST-4, DST-5, DST-7 and DST-8.

The project is expected to achieve substantial completion (fully operational) in December 2019. It is one of seven tunnels to be constructed as part of the District’s Consent Decree. It will reduce combined sewer overflows by 370 million gallons annually from Dugway Brook and Lake Erie.

Designers: MWH Americas, Mott MacDonald LLC; TBM: Herrenknecht.

NEORSD Personnel: Construction Manager: Bob Auber; Construction Supervisor: Richard “Buck” Depew; Construction Coordinator: Jack MacKeigan; Design Manager: Doug Lopata.

Cleveland

East 140th Consolidation and Relief Sewer
Triad McNally JV (Triad Engineering and Contracting Co; C&M McNally Tunnel Constructors)
This $69 million project for the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District was issued NTP in August 2016 and has an expected completion date of January 2020. The project consists of 14,000 Lf of 60- to 84-in. tunnel, 8 access shafts, 6,800 lf of 12- to 54-in. diameter consolidation and relief sewers, three detention basins, 12,000 ft of 12- to 54-in. storm sewers, regulator improvements, and junction chambers.

All tunnels are completed and lined. Junction chambers and connecting structures are underway. Live sewer connections will be undertaken when the Dugway Storage Tunnel is activated. Other connecting sewers, manholes and restoration are underway.

Personnel – NEORSD Manager: A.J. Smith: NEORSD Resident Engineer: Tony Vitale; Tunnel Designer: DLZ: Tom Hessler. Contractor Personnel – JV Manager: Cliff Kassouf; Assistant JV Manager: John Teahen; Project Manager: Phil Kassouf; Equipment Manager: Rick Chipka; Tunnel Superintendent: James Lowery; Project Engineers: Matt Bennett, Brad Kassouf.

Cleveland

London Road Relief Sewer
Triad McNally JV (Triad Engineering and Contracting Co; C&M McNally Tunnel Constructors)
This $39.6 million project for the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District was issued NTP on July 31, 2018, and is scheduled for substantial completion within 2 years. The job includes 10,700 lf of between 7-ft diameter and 9.5-ft diameter bored tunneling, 6 shafts, 8 diversion structures, junctions, manholes and modifications to 6 regulators, along with an additional 870 lf of sewers by open-cut methods.

Reach 2 tunnel is complete. Reach 1 tunnel is underway. Reach 4 sewer installation is complete. Reach 5 structure work is underway. Reach 6 structure work and open-cut sewer installation is underway. Reach 3 access shaft is excavated. Crews are using refurbished Lovat TBMs for tunneling (M112 and RM 83).

Personnel – NEORSD Manager: Robert Auber; NEORSD Resident Engineer: Matthew Waite; Tunnel Designer: Ben DiFiore, Mott MacDonald. Contractor Personnel –Project Manager: Philip Kassouf, P.E.; Tunnel Superintendent: James Lowery; Project Engineer: Matthew Bennett, Brad Kassouf.

Cleveland

Westerly Storage Tunnel
Jay Dee Obayashi JV
The Westerly Storage Tunnel is a $135 million, 9,600 lf, 25-ft ID CSO tunnel excavated in rock and supported with a bolted, gasketed, one-pass steel fiber reinforced concrete segmental lining. It is part of the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District’s Project Clean Lake to improve water quality in the region.

The project is approximately 40% complete overall. At site WST-1, approximately 8,000 cy of soil has been excavated to a final soil depth of 93 ft, and approximately 10,100 cy of rock excavated to a final rock depth of 229 ft. Overall shaft excavation is complete, and installation of rebar for final concrete structure has started.

A site WST-2, approximately 1,900 cy of soil excavated to a final soil depth of 165 ft, and approximately 525 cy of rock excavated to a current rock depth of 240 ft. Rock excavation in shale is approximately 74% done. Overall shaft excavation is 90% done. Near surface structure SOE at WST-2 is 100% installed, with excavation currently 2% done.

At site WST-3, approximately 12,000 cy of soil excavated to a final soil depth of 146 ft, and approximately 3,900 cy of rock excavated to a final depth of 211 ft. Overall shaft excavation 100% done. The starter and tail tunnel excavation at site WST-3 and both complete.

The Lovsuns TBM arrived by boat in early September.

Tunnel Designer: Stantec Mott MacDonald Westerly JV; Construction Manager: NEORSD; Major Subcontractors: DiGioia-Suburban Excavating (open cut and miscellaneous site work), Nicholson Construction Company (Shaft SOE), Marra Services Inc. (shaft excavation at two sites), Northstar Contracting Inc (concrete structures). TBM Manufacturer: Lovsuns

Key Project Personnel: Project Sponsor/Project Manager (Jay Dee Obayashi JV): Tim Backers; Deputy Project Manager (Jay Dee Obayashi JV): Nate Long; Project Engineer (Jay Dee Obayashi JV): Lisa Smiley; General Superintendent (Jay Dee Obayashi JV): Jerry Pordon; Deputy Director of Engineering & Construction (NEORSD): Doug Gabriel; Construction Manager (NEORSD): Robert Auber; Senior Construction Supervisor (NEORSD): Ryan Sullivan.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Greenville

Reedy River Basin Sewer Tunnel
Super Excavators Inc./Cooperatia Muratori Cementisti, a Joint Venture
This $39,4 million project for Renewable Water Resources (RE-WA) comprises 6,000 lf of 130-in. ID rock tunnel with 84-in. carrier pipe (Hobas CCFRPM Pipe) grouted in place. Tunnel depth ranges from 40 to 130 ft below ground surface. 40-ft ID by 40p-ft deep launch shaft and 30-ft ID by 130-ft deep receiving shaft.

Tunnel is to be mined in intact Gneiss bedrock using a double shielded rock gripper TBM. 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 and with odor control facilities.

The project is on schedule. Work on the junction chamber is complete. The diversion structure and 25-ft ID drop shaft CIP work is finishing. Crews have finished the 14-ft arched set starter tunnel. Tunneling is scheduled to begin fall of 2019. NTP was March 5, 2018. Completion is expected by May 2021.

Tunnel Designer/Construction Manager – Black & Veatch; TBM Manufacturer – Komatsu/Terratech/Robbins; Subcontractors and Suppliers – Chardon Concrete (Concrete Structures), Pacific International Grout (Cellular Grout), Tunnel Carrier Pipe (Hobas Pipe).

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

TEXAS

Dallas

Mill Creek/Peaks Branch/State Thomas Drainage Relief Tunnel Project
Southland/Mole Joint Venture

This $206.7 million project for the City of Dallas comprises 26,385 lf of 32.5-ft OD (30-ft ID) tunnel and 7 shafts (ranging from 120- to 200-ft depth). The tunnel is being built through Austin chalk using a main beam TBM and roadheader.

The project is 30% complete by duration. To date, crews have completed excavation of launching/entry shaft at 120 vf depth; completed excavation of a 39-ft diameter horseshoe Starter Tunnel; and completed excavation of 2 of 6 intake shafts ranging from 22 to 25 ft diameter and 110 to 190 ft deep. TBM delivery and surface assembly/commissioning are ongoing. In total there are 6 working sites with the city with the tunnel crossing below city infrastructure. Expected completion is March 2023.

Owner: City of Dallas; Lead Designer: HALFF; Tunnel Designer: COWI; CM: Black and Veatch; TBM Manufacturer: Robbins; Subcontractor: Oscar Renda Constructing Inc.

Contractor Personnel: Operations Manager: Kent Vest; Senior Project Manager: Quang D. Tran, P.E.; Project Manager: Nick Jencopale; QC Manager: Matt Jackson; General Superintendent: Mike Clingon.

VIRGINIA

Lynchburg

Liberty University Vines Center Arena Tunnel
Bradshaw Construction Corp.
Bradshaw Construction Corp. recently completed installing one 72-in. FRP tunnel by microtunneling in Lynchburg, Virginia. The 250-ft tunnel was installed behind a Herrenknecht AVN-1500 underneath the Liberty University campus. Ground conditions consisted of mixed-face/mixed-reach rock transitioning to sandy clay. Weathered/fractured rock overlaid massive schist for the first 150 ft of tunneling, and rock gave way to sandy clay for the remaining 100 ft. The project was performed for CMA Associates (Owner) and Faulconer Construction Co. (General Contractor), with Bradshaw Construction performing as tunneling subcontractor. Project Information: Jordan Bradshaw – Project Manager; Jordan.bradshaw@bradshawcc.com.

Norfolk

I-264 Storm Sewer Tunnels
Bradshaw Construction Corp.
Bradshaw Construction Corp. recently completed installing two 60-in. RCP tunnels by microtunneling. The two tunnels (270 and 110 ft) were installed behind a Herrenknecht AVN-1500 underneath I-64, HRT tracks and Curlew Drive. Ground conditions consisted of sand, clay and obstruction-laden fill, with minimal ground cover. The project was performed for VDOT (Owner) and Tutor Perini Corporation (General Contractor), with Bradshaw Construction performing as tunneling subcontractor. Project Information: Jordan Bradshaw – Project Manager; Jordan.bradshaw@bradshawcc.com.

Richmond

General Assembly Building Pedestrian Tunnel
Bradshaw Construction Corp.
Bradshaw has completed construction on a pedestrian tunnel connecting the new General Assembly Building to a parking garage. The project consisted of a 56 lf 15-ft, 1-in. by 21-ft, 1-in. SEM shotcrete tunnel. Subsurface conditions encountered were silty sand with gravel. Information: Mike Wanhatalo, Project Manager; mwanhatalo@bradshawcc.com.

Virginia Beach

PRS Reliability Upgrades – Providence Road
Bradshaw Construction Corp.
Bradshaw Construction Corp. will soon begin work on a 182-ft tunnel in Virginia Beach for a 42-in. FRP sewer installation. The 60-in. Permalok steel casing tunnel will be installed behind a Herrenknect AVN-1200. Ground conditions are expected to be poorly graded sand beneath the water table. The project members include the Hampton Roads Sanitation District (Owner), RK&K (Engineer) and Ulliman Schutte Construction (Construction Manager), with Bradshaw Construction performing as tunneling subcontractor. Project Information: Jordan Bradshaw – Project Manager; Jordan.bradshaw@bradshawcc.com.

CANADA

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Vancouver

Annacis Outfall
Bessac
Bessac, in partnership with Pomerleau Inc., has been awarded a $184 million (CAN) outfall contract by Metro Vancouver. The project consists of the construction of a new outfall pipeline from the Annacis Island Wastewater Treatment Plant (WTP) to the Fraser River.

It includes the following key components: two 15 and 10 m diameter 40 m deep shafts inside the WTP; two segmental lining tunnels 4.20 m internal diameter (200 m and 580 m long); one river riser in the Fraser River; a 280-m long and 2.5 m diameter diffuser buried in the Fraser River bottom; and a new water control structure connected to the existing one.

The construction will start in fall 2019 and will last until 2024.

ONTARIO

Mississauga

Dixie Road and QEW Crossing Sanitary Sewer
CRS Tunnelling Inc.
The slurry microtunneling section of the project consisted of two drives 410 m southbound along Dixie Road and 228 m northbound under the QEW to North Service Road. The geology of the tunnel drives consisted primarily of shale within interbedded limestone, as well as some running sand found near the retrieval shaft on Dixie Road. The average MTBM production was 6 pipe/shift.

This was the first project where concrete pressure pipe (CPP) was used as the “jacked tunnel pipe” and the joints were to be tested to 50 psi. There was also 82 m of open-cut, where 900 mm CPP was installed along North Service Rd. CRS Tunnelling constructed three shafts. The launch shaft was built of steel ribs and wood lagging (in the overburden) and rock bolts and wire mesh in the rock. One retrieval shaft was also constructed of steel ribs and wood lagging/rock bolts and wire mesh, while the other was built using gasketed steel liner plate. The manhole structures were installed in all three shafts as well as in the open-cut section on North Service Road.

This was the first time that the Region of Peel was to install CPP for a sanitary sewer application; and the pipe was to be directly installed by microtunneling. The CPP tunnel pipe specified was 900 mm, however, there was a curve in one of the tunnel alignments and the minimum requirement for “curved” microtunneling is approximately 1,200 mm ID (to work with the existing tunnel guidance systems) so the pipe had to be upsized. Also, one of the tunnel drives was over 400 m long, and the jacking loads that were to be exerted were too high for the 900 mm pipe so the pipe was also upsized to 1,200 mm for that reason as well. The second tunnel alignment was underneath the QEW, and since the pipe size increased, a full resubmission was made to ensure that the upsize would not negatively impact the highway. The $6 million project was completed between January 2018 and August 2018.

Ottawa

Combined Sewage Storage Tunnel
Dragados/Tomlinson JV
The CSST project 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 to 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 Herrenknecht 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, pre-cast 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 10 of the 11 surface locations across the City. These include, shaft and chamber construction, existing infrastructure connections, construction and pre-commissioning of odor control facilities, tunneling support operations, outfall chamber construction, and preparation for receiving of the TBM at the bottom of a 19 m deep shaft. Tunneling of the NST is complete and mining of the EWT was near completion at the beginning of September.

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. Project infrastructure has been constructed to be multi-purpose: providing CSO reduction, basement flooding control and critical system resiliency.

Stantec and Jacobs 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 completed the preliminary and detailed design and are now both providing contract administration and inspection services through the construction phase. R.W. Tomlinson, Marathon, Talco and, Black and MacDonald are major subcontractors.

Project Personnel – Owner (City of Ottawa): Manager – Ziad Ghadban, Program Manager – Steven Courtland, Program Manager Stakeholder Engagement – Jennifer Carreira. Contract Administrator: Project Manager – Adrien Comeau (Stantec), Contract Administrator – Steve Rowe (Jacobs), formerly Clare Humphrey (Jacobs), Assistant Contract Administrator – Colin Goodwin (Stantec), Construction Director – Gerald Bauer (Stantec), Jacobs Project Manager – Pascal Pitre (Jacobs) Contractor (Dragados-Tomlinson JV): Project Manager – Fernando Triana (Dragados), Civil Construction Manager – Bert Hendriks (Tomlinson), Project Engineer – Surface Works – Richard Poulin (Tomlinson).