Leaders of the L.A. County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) on Nov. 7 joined federal, state and local elected officials in the Mid-Wilshire District of Los Angeles to break ground on the long awaited Metro Purple Line Extension Project – the largest, most ambitious public works project in the western United States. 

In July, Metro’s Board of Directors approved a contract with a joint venture of Skanska, Traylor and Shea (STS) to construct the Purple Line Extension Project. Construction of the subway extension will connect West Los Angeles to the region’s growing rail network, making it possible to travel between downtown Los Angeles and Westwood in 25 minutes. The first subway segment will extend the Purple Line 3.9 miles from the existing Wilshile/Western Purple Line terminus near Koreatown into Beverly Hills. Three new underground stations are planned at Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax and Wilshire/La Cienega, providing fast, frequent, high-capacity transit service farther west along busy Wilshire Boulevard.

“The Purple Line will ease traffic along the congested Wilshire corridor and will make traveling from the westside to downtown faster and greener,” said Eric Garcetti, Mayor of Los Angeles and Metro Board Chair. “When it comes to infrastructure, L.A. is on the move. We are right now investing $36 billion in our transportation infrastructure to ease congestion and create thousands of jobs. Altogether, this is the largest public works project in the nation. In the car capital of the world, we are looking to reduce traffic and cut air pollution by giving people car-free options to get to work and play.”

The Purple Line Extension is a critically important rail project that is partially funded by the 2008 Measure R sales tax that was overwhelmingly approved by two-thirds of L.A. County voters. The first segment of the subway is expected to be completed in 2023 with a project budget of $2.821 billion. In addition to this local funding, Metro received a $1.25 billion Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) from the Federal Transit Administration to help pay for the first segment. The U.S. Department of Transportation also granted Metro a low-interest loan of $856 million from a Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) to complete the funding package for the project’s first phase. Combined, these nearly $2 billion in project commitments represent the biggest federal transportation investment for a single construction segment in the history of Los Angeles County.

The remaining $821 million in project funding for the first segment includes Measure R, City of Los Angeles local funding, and other existing local and federal funds.

The project is planned to be built in three sections. Section 2, which will include Wilshire/Rodeo and Century City stations, is scheduled for completion in 2026. Section 3, which will include Westwood/UCLA and Westwood/VA Hospital stations, is planned to open in 2035. When all three project sections are complete, the Purple Line will extend westward from Wilshire/Western for nearly 9 miles with a total of seven new stations.

Metro is currently seeking additional federal funding that could accelerate subway construction for Section 2 in the form of a $1.1 billion grant from the federal New Starts program, and a $307 million low-interest loan from the federal TIFIA program.

The full 9-mile project is projected to generate about 62,000 daily weekday boardings at the seven new stations. Today, there are 39,000 daily boardings on the Purple Line between Union Station and Wilshire/Western. By 2040, 150,000 daily boardings are expected on the Purple Line between Union Station and Westwood/VA Hospital.

During peak periods, trains are expected to run every four minutes. During off-peak periods, they are expected to run every 10 minutes. It will also create tens of thousands of jobs and generate increased economic activity for the region.

Over 300,000 people travel into the Westside every day for work from throughout the region. More than 100,000 people leave the area for outside destinations. These numbers will increase over time. The Purple Line is expected to provide a much needed transit alternative for traveling to and from West Los Angeles, one of the county’s most densely populated, job-rich areas. The area is also home to major world-class destinations.

The subway extension is expected to reduce reliance on automobiles, help reduce roadway congestion, reduce travel times and reduce greenhouse gases.

The Purple Line extension also will offer improved connectivity to the entire Metro Bus and Rail network, as well as municipal bus lines and other regional transportation services. It is just one of several projects designed to improve transit options and mobility in the area. Other planned improvements include the Wilshire Bus Rapid Transit Project and Expo Phase II line to Santa Monica.

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San Francisco-based engineering and consulting firm Jacobs Associates and Boise‐based engineering and construction firm McMillen LLC announced Dec. 12 that the two firms have merged to form McMillen Jacobs Associates Inc. The merger comes as a natural progression of a relationship established in 2011, when the two firms first worked together on the Lower Baker Dam Powerhouse in Concrete, Washington.

Leadership of both firms are thrilled with the merger. Dan Adams, Jacobs Associates President states: “McMillen and Jacobs Associates are both specialty firms, grounded in technical excellence. McMillen staff, particularly the construction group, is focused on quality as the highest priority, in the same way Jacobs Associates has always been. This cultural alignment will make the merger implementation straightforward. McMillen and Jacobs Associates clients will benefit greatly from the merger—our expanded capacity will enable us to better respond to their needs, either in permitting, design or construction.”

“We have always believed it’s about putting our clients first, not about getting bigger,” explains McMillen President Mara McMillen. “By merging with Jacobs Associates, we can now offer expanded technical capabilities from diverse staff who are highly respected in the industry. The merger also enables us to geographically expand our water resource licensing, engineering and self‐performing construction group. One integrated company increases our employees’ opportunities to build their careers in a broader range of disciplines and to become stockholders in the company.”

McMillen Jacobs Associates Inc. has been formed as an employee-owned holding company, with Dan Adams serving as President/CEO and Mara McMillen as Chief Operating Officer. Rafael Castro, Mort McMillen, and John Kaplin will round out the corporate leadership team serving as Vice Presidents for Corporate Development, Water Resources, and Construction Management, respectively. Jacobs Associates and McMillen will both continue as wholly owned subsidiaries of McMillen Jacobs Associates, with Dan Adams and Mara McMillen leading each. The combined resources of the merger provide clients access to 380 staff located in 19 offices across North America, New Zealand, and Australia.

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Steven Scherer, President of Nicholson Construction

Steven Scherer, former Senior Vice President of Hayward Baker Inc., has recently been appointed as the President of Nicholson Construction. Scherer brings more than 35 years of civil and foundation engineering experience to his new position. He spent 14 years at Hayward Baker Inc., the last seven as Senior Vice President, a role in which he was responsible for approximately $200 million of self-performed, design-build geotechnical projects across a 21-state region.

Prior to his role as SVP, he held the position of Vice President, where he was responsible for all company operations across seven states, including business development, estimating, engineering and strategic planning. He also brings a wealth of leadership experience to his new role. Over the course of his career, Scherer has worked for large construction management and general contracting firms on building and civil construction projects and has also helped to create a successful Midwest geotechnical contracting firm.

“Steve is well known in our industry as a results-oriented leader,” said Christophe Dauchy, interim president, Nicholson Construction/Director of North America for Soletanche Bachy. “His record for success really speaks for itself – we are very fortunate to have him leading our company and we look forward to our future under Steve’s direction.”

He is active in several professional organizations, including ASCE, DFI and ADSC. He holds a bachelor of science degree from the University of Tennessee and a master of science degree from Northwestern University, both in civil engineering.

His tenure with the company begins in early December.

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Pipe jacking along 1.5 kilometers in the “Elbedüker Hetlingen” project was executed directly under the Elbe through complex geological ground and under high water pressures of up to 4 bar.

In Northern Germany, the existing pipeline network is being modernized for regional gas supply. This major project also includes the “Elbedüker Hetlingen” where a Herrenknecht AVND machine (Ø 3,025 mm) crossed under the Elbe near Hamburg in the second half of 2014.

The tunnel was driven in a pipe-jacking process from the town of Hetlingen to the target shaft on Lühesand Island on the Elbe – under high pressure in terms of both time and water. “Construction of the two new gas transit pipelines enables us to guarantee gas supplies for Northern Germany and Scandinavia also in the future,” said Dr. Philipp v. Bergmann-Korn, spokesman for the client Gasunie Deutschland Services GmbH.

Thanks to laser navigation technology supplied by Herrenknecht subsidiary VMT, the jobsite crew succeeded in steering the AVND2400 right along the specified route and precisely into the target shaft.

Even before the project start, everyone involved was aware of the huge technical challenges associated with the construction. The diversified ground ranged from sandy gravel soil with stones through layers of boulder clay featuring larger rocks to layers of clay which tend to be very sticky. This was exacerbated by high water pressures of up to 4 bar as well as a route length of more than 1.5 kilometers (0.93 miles), making the project one of the longest pipe-jacking jobs in the world. In its capacity as drilling company, A.Hak Drillcon relied on the expertise and support offered by Herrenknecht right from the start. Even during refurbishment and project-specific modification of the used AVND2400AB, collaboration was hand-in-hand and included a videoscope examination of the main bearing as well as adaptation of the manlock and the main bearing sealing for water pressures of up to 4 bar.

In time for December 4, 2014 – the feast day of Saint Barbara, patron saint of tunnel builders and miners – the drilling company A.Hak Drillcon was able to celebrate successful breakthrough on Lühesand Island on the Elbe.

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Onsite First Time Assembly (OFTA) was used for the Robbins EPB on a narrow jobsite next to Seattle, Washington, USA’s busiest highway.

Tucked away on a small jobsite in a quiet neighborhood bordering a busy interstate highway, a Robbins Earth Pressure Balance (EPB) machine underwent Onsite First Time Assembly (OFTA). The OFTA method allows for TBMs to be initially assembled onsite, and results in time and cost savings to the contractor. On Monday, Nov. 17, 2014, unbeknownst to commuters driving by, the 6.65-m (21.8-ft) TBM rumbled to life and began its journey south into the city of Seattle.

The machine, for contractor JCM North Link LLC (a joint venture of Jay Dee, Coluccio, and Michels) is excavating for the North Link Project, which is an extension of Seattle’s light rail system. The project required twin 3.6-mile tunnels through glacial till and

Contractor JCM Northlink saw refurbished EPBs as the best solution for the tight project schedule.

sand. JCM utilized a refurbished Hitachi Zosen machine in its fleet for the first tunnel, which launched in summer 2014, and the Robbins EPB for the second. This isn’t the Robbins machine’s first project; prior to North Link, it bored mixed ground tunnels for Singapore’s Downtown Line.

Urban tunneling brings unique challenges to the project. The tunnel will travel under a university campus, where there is concern about noise and vibration from the machine’s movements. Research and preparation have been done to mitigate these foreseeable issues. The compact jobsite also caused complications during assembly, with a long, narrow setup that required creative storage methods for parts and systems.

JCM is confident that refurbished TBMs are the best solution given the tight project schedule. Designed for use on multiple tunnels in mixed ground, the Robbins EPB features a steel frame 30% heavier than other EPBs on the market, with components intended for 10,000 hours of workable life.

Robbins continuous conveyors run in the background as Onsite Assembly continues at North Link’s narrow jobsite in Seattle.

“Ten years ago, EPB tunneling in mixed ground below the water table was not that common…it would have been considered a big risk to use a refurbished machine. Now, many EPBs have been specified to deal with more challenging conditions, so there are a quite a lot more out there to be refurbished. This [solution] increases our ability to get a TBM to launch sooner, and is also more cost-effective,” said Glen Frank, Project Manager for JCM North Link, on using a refurbished machine.

Robbins continuous conveyors are running behind both TBMs. “We’ve had great success with Robbins conveyors [on past projects],” said Frank. “Without the conveyor, we couldn’t do this job. They cut down on costs and

Contractor JCM North Link purchased a refurbished Robbins EPB made for mixed ground, after it successfully completed metro tunnels in Singapore.

vibration, and allow us to use rubber-tired vehicles, rather than trains, for transport in the tunnels. We feel that Robbins conveyors are the best quality out there.”

Both machines will travel from the North Link site in northern Seattle south to the Roosevelt station site near the University of Washington campus, adding length to the recently completed University Link tunnels. The tunnels are all part of a larger transit system scheme for project owner Sound Transit, intended to provide a quick and alternative transportation option to Seattle’s outdated surface bus system, and to help alleviate the city’s traffic congestion. The tunnels are expected to go online in 2021.

A crew member inspects the TBM during Onsite First Time Assembly (OFTA)—a Robbins-developed method proven to save contractors both time and money.

JCM North Link installed the cutterhead on the Robbins EPB prior to its launch in November 2014.

The North Link Light Rail Extension will add to Seattle’s subway route by providing access north of Seattle down to the University of Washington’s Husky Stadium.

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The North American Society for Trenchless Technology (NASTT) has announced its fourth induction class to its Hall of Fame. The induction class is the late David Magill Jr., Avanti International; Ron Halderman, Mears Group; and Kaleel Rahaim, Interplastics Corp.

In 2010, the NASTT Board of Directors voted to create a Hall of Fame in order to ensure that the Society’s most outstanding and praiseworthy members received due recognition. The intent of the NASTT Hall of Fame is to preserve the outstanding accomplishments of exceptional individuals and to honor their contributions to the advancement of both the trenchless industry and the Society. Members may be elected from all five NASTT membership categories: Manufacturers and Suppliers; Engineers and Consultants; Municipal and Utility Employees; Contractors; and Academia.

David Magill, Jr. — who passed away in January 2014 — was a pioneer in the chemical grout industry and was the first president of Avanti International, a company that he championed for more than 30 years. In 1990, Magill was one of the seven Charter Members of NASTT providing the initial funding to start our Society. He was an icon in the chemical grout industry, led Avanti International since 1978 until his son Daniel took over leadership in 2008. Magill’s passion and vision not only caused the infrastructure rehabilitation industry to flourish but helped commission NASTT as the premier source of trenchless engineering.

Ron Halderman graduated from the Colorado School of Mines and for the past 35 years has been working in the drilling industry. For 27 of those years, Halderman has been a leading figure in the horizontal directional drilling industry. Today, Halderman is director of horizontal directional drilling for Mears Group. He has helped innovate many of the procedures currently being used by HDD contractors and consultants throughout the world. He holds a patent titled “Apparatus and Method for Recirculating Mud When Drilling Under an Obstacle,” and has applied for a patent on the Mud Recovery System to be discussed at this year’s Power Delivery Design Conference.

Kaleel Rahaim is a graduate chemical engineer from Mississippi State University.  He has experience in many different aspects of engineering such as project and process engineering and has been involved in the thermoset polymer industry for over 30 years.  His current position is business manager of pipeline remediation polymers for the Thermoset Resins Division of Interplastic Corp.  Rahaim served on the NASTT Board of Directors from 2006 to 2011 and is involved with many other trade organizations for the trenchless remediation industry.

The class will be formally inducted into the NASTT Hall of Fame at the 2015 NASTT No-Dig Show in Denver, which takes place March 15-19.

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The Tunnelling Association of Canada (TAC) approved the members of its 2015 board of directors during its annual general meeting, part of the 2014 TAC conference.

The conference, which took place in Vancouver Oct. 26-28 under the theme “Tunnelling in a Resource Driven World,” included presentations, technical sessions and a trade exhibition highlighting advancements in tunneling research and practice from around the globe. Emphasized were experiences, challenges and successes that reflect the growing importance of tunneling in the development of natural resource projects.

The TAC directors serve a three-year term and expiring director positions in 2014 were TAC President and Vice President East. The TAC Nominating Committee’s proposal of Erik Eberhardt serving as TAC President, Steve Skelhorn as TAC Vice President East and Bruce Downing as Vice President West received approval. Dowling was nominated to fill the West position vacated by Eberhardt.

Continuing directors are Rick Lovat, Past President; Derek Zoldy, Secretary; and Vince Carbonara, Treasurer.

The board nominated the following to other director positions: Walter Trisi, Director, Ontario Region; Serge Moalli, Director, British Columbia Region; Rick Staples, Past President; Lara Reggin, Director; and Seamus Tynan, Director. Continuing Directors are André Rancourt, Quebec and Maritimes Region; Heinrich Heinz, Alberta and Prairies; Boro Lukajic, Government Liaison and Bylaws Director; Craig Bournes, Communications Director; and Nichole Boultbee, Young Members Director.

Departing the TAC board were Garry Stevenson, Scholarships Director; Laura McNally, Contractor Relations Director; and Brian Garrod, Ontario Region.

Also of note from the general meeting minutes is an increase in membership for 2014 with paid membership at 353, up from 260 members in 2013. There are 287 individual, 38 corporate, 22 student and six retired members.

The TAC Board’s goal for 2015 is 300 individual, 45 corporate, 50 student and six retired members. To help achieve this goal, membership fees will remain the same as 2014 at $75, $500, $15 and $25, respectively.

Another highlight of the 2014 conference was the awarding of the Dan Eisenstein Memorial Scholarship to Jennifer Day, Canadian Tunneler of the Year to Evert Hoek, and the Canadian Project of the Year to the Billy Bishop Pedestrian Tunnel Project. The latter was awarded to the Toronto Port Authority, Technicore Underground Inc., PCL Constructors Canada Inc., Hatch Mott Macdonald, Arup, Exp and Isherwood & Associates.

A Technicore TBM breaks through on one of the drifts for the Toronto Billy Bishop Airport pedestrian tunnel, the recipient of the TAC Project of the Year award.

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Industry Leaders to Receive Honors at Microtunneling Short Course

Reynaldo “Rene” Inosanto, of Frank Coluccio Construction Co., Greg Raines, of MWH Global, and John Grennan, of Ward and Burke, are the 2015 recipients of the Microtunneling Achievement Awards.

The winners will be honored at the 2015 Microtunneling Short Course banquet dinner Feb. 12. The 21st annual Short Course takes place Feb. 10-12 at the Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado.

Created by Short Course organizers Tim Coss, of Microtunneling Inc., and Levent Ozdemir, of Ozdemir Engineering, the awards recognize the individuals and companies that have worked toward successfully completing complicated projects and advanced the industry.

Reynaldo “Rene” Inosanto

Rene Inosanto

Reynaldo “Rene” Inosanto’s involvement in the microtunneling industry predates the arrival of the method to the United States. He was raised in Manila, Philippines, and earned a B.S. in civil engineering at FEATI University in Manila.

Inosanto began his career with F.F. Cruz & Co. in the Philippines as a field engineer for road and highway construction, but his career took a turn in 1983 with he got involved with a microtunneling project in the congested Tondo district in Manila. Inosanto has worked on projects in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, North America, South America and the Caribbean.

In a microtunneling career that spans more than 30 years, Inosanto still gets satisfaction from a job well done. “For me, I have a good feeling when the microtunnel machine is removed from receiving pit and we were able to finish the project successfully,” he says.

Greg Raines

Greg Raines

Greg Raines got involved with the underground industry early in his career. “I was in high school when I was first introduced to underground mining by a close family member,” Raines says. “He was an underground miner, and it is because of his influence that I am now working in this industry. I like to think this is why underground work is so natural for me. It was his passion and dinner table education that first got me underground, and because of this influence, I focused my education in tunneling.”

From dinner table conversations to today, Raines remains fascinated by the industry and the innovations made in the underground construction world.

“The microtunneling industry brings the excitement of technological advancements as well. Completing an entire project through remote control is a unique and cutting-edge,” he says. “These projects put me and my team on the cusp of innovation. We are a part of the future.”

John Grennan

John Grennan

John Grennan, Director of Ward and Burke Microtunnelling Ltd., began his career with Ward and Burke in Ireland in 2005, and got involved with microtunneling along with the company in 2007. After earning his master’s degree from MIT in Boston, he returned to work for Ward and Burke in Ireland in 2010. In 2011, the decision was made to open a branch in Canada, and Grennan was the first over to set up shop.

In 2011, Ward and Burke Construction completed the Gore Road project in Toronto. Due to the uniqueness of the project and limited options, Ward and Burke was able to re-introduce microtunneling technology to the area.

Since that time, Ward and Burke has completed some of the most technically challenging projects ever completed in North America, including the Keswick Effluent Outfall, the first combined vertical and horizontal curve completed in North America, and the Elgin Mills Road Watermain, which included a 2,400-ft drive of 60-in. pipe with three designed curves.

For more information about the Short Course, visit www.csmspace.com/events/microtunnel.

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Jim Rush – Editor

In this issue we take a look at the Water System Improvement Program (WSIP) being constructed by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. The WSIP was envisioned in the wake of the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989 that caused widespread damage to the area. I can recall tuning in to watch the World Series between the San Francisco Giants and Oakland A’s when the quake happened, and listening as Al Michaels described the scenes in the aftermath, including a collapsed portion of the double-decked Bay Bridge and damage to areas downtown.

The WSIP is a $4.8 billion program that will increase the reliability and redundancy of the water system that serves 2.6 million people. The WSIP is the latest chapter in a long and interesting history of water delivery in the Bay Area. The water system stretches more than 160 miles from the Sierra Mountains to the San Francisco Peninsula and the City of San Francisco. In fact, the water supply — the Hetch Hetchy reservoir that was formed by damming the Tuolomne River — was created to provide a reliable source of water in the aftermath the Great Earthquake of 1906 that ravaged San Francisco. Without water to fight fires, the city burned for three days, resulting in even more catastrophic damage and loss of life.

The construction of the water system lasted more than 20 years, culminating with the arrival of Hetch Hetchy waters in the Crystal Springs Reservoir on the San Francisco Peninsula in 1934. The WSIP provides redundancy and seismic reliability to that system, and allows for maintenance and repair of some sections of the system that have not been taken out of service since becoming operational. The major tunneling components are: the 3.5-mile long New Irvington Tunnel, which parallels an existing tunnel which will be rehabilitated; the 5-mile Bay Tunnel, the first bored tunnel constructed under San Francisco, which replaces existing 1930s-era steel pipelines; and the 4,200-ft New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel, which provides seismic improvements by relocating an existing pipeline.

The Bay Tunnel and New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel projects are complete, with the New Irvington Tunnel expected to be in service by spring 2015. In fact, the Bay tunnel opening was commemorated by a ceremony at the Pulgas Water Temple in October, almost 25 years to the day of the Loma Prieta earthquake.

With the WSIP winding down, the tunneling community may not have far to go for the next big water project. The Delta Habitat Conservation and Conveyance Program, which begins in nearby Sacramento, involves some 70 miles of large diameter tunnels to support the delta ecosystem and secure water for some 25 million Californians and 3 million acres of farmland. If all goes to current plan – probably unlikely given some of the opposition to this massive $25 billion program — tunnel design would commence in early 2016, with the first tunnel contracts being advertised for construction bids in late-2017 to early-2018.

Stay tuned …

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SF WSIP Program Begins Paying Dividends 25 Years after Devastating Loma Prieta Earthquake

On October 17, 1989, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake rocked the San Francisco Bay area, leaving behind extensive damage to homes, businesses, transportation infrastructure and public utilities. The “Loma Prieta” earthquake was viewed live by people worldwide who were tuned in to a World Series game between the host San Francisco Giants and their Bay Area rivals, the Oakland A’s, when the when the quake struck.

The quake occurred along the San Andreas Fault, one of several faults that traverse the Bay Area. It was the largest to occur along the San Andreas Fault since the infamous 1906 quake brought sections of the city to ruins.

The $287 million Bay Tunnel, a 15-ft OD water tunnel, extends 5 miles under San Francisco Bay, and is the first-ever bored crossing of the Bay.

In the wake of the 1989 disaster, and in preparation for the next big quake that will hit the area, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), together with the advocacy efforts of the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency (BAWSCA) and its member agencies, began the process of rebuilding and upgrading its infrastructure system. Currently, SFPUC is in the latter stages of its $4.8 billion Water System Improvement Program (WSIP) that will ensure a seismically reliable water system for 2.6 million Bay Area residents.

Now 25 years after the Loma Prieta earthquake, the fruits of that labor are beginning to pay off. In fact, on Oct. 15, two days shy of the 25-year anniversary of the Loma Prieta quake, officials gathered at the Pulgas Water Temple, where the water from the Hetch Hetchy system in the Sierra Nevada Mountains enters the Crystal Springs Reservoir on the San Francisco Peninsula, to celebrate the opening of the new Bay Tunnel, one of the major components of the WSIP program. The Bay Tunnel extends 5 miles below San Francisco Bay, carrying water from the East Bay to the Peninsula, which replaces existing 90-year old pipelines that currently traverse the Bay.

The WSIP is one of the largest infrastructure improvement programs in the nation and the largest SFPUC has ever undertaken. It includes 83 projects — pipelines, tunnels, treatment plants, reservoirs and two dams, and is now 85 percent complete with most major projects completed or under way. The WSIP celebrated 10 years of construction early in 2014, and is on track to ensure that the regional water system that is part of the system that stretches 167 miles and crosses three major fault zones is up-to-date and capable of delivering water even after a major earthquake.

“The Bay Area is safer today than it was just a few years ago because of these projects going into service,” said Daniel Wade, Director of WSIP. “The U.S. Geological Survey reports that there is a very high probability of a major earthquake in the area within the next 30 years, so we are in a race against time. When that earthquake hits, completion of the WSIP will allow us to be in a position to continue to deliver water to 2.6 million people in the Bay Area who were previously at a significant risk of having a major disruption to the their water system.”

While many projects are complete, there is still a lot of work to be done. In fact, some $2.6 billion worth of projects are currently under construction. Most of the work is expected to be completed by the middle of 2016, with the exception of three projects, including the $718 million Calaveras Dam Replacement Project, the largest WSIP project, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2018.

“We have accomplished a tremendous amount to date, but we still have a ways to go to acheive our ultimate level of service goal that we established at the beginning of the program,” Wade said.

Workers stand a set on the $339 New Irvington Tunnel, which comprises 3.5 miles of 8.5- to 10.5-ft of tunnel.

Major Tunneling Works
Major tunneling components include the Bay Tunnel, New Irvington Tunnel and New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel. The $287  million Bay Tunnel, a 15-ft OD water tunnel fitted with a 9-ft ID welded steel pipeline, extends 5 miles under San Francisco Bay, and is the first-ever bored crossing of the Bay. The $339 million  New Irvington Tunnel, which comprises 3.5 miles of 13.5-ft diameter water tunnel built using conventional tunneling methods fitted with a  8.5-ft ID welded steel water pipeline, is due for completion in spring 2015. The $81  million New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel, consisting of 4,200 ft of 12-ft diameter tunnel fitted with an 8-ft ID welded steel water pipeline, was completed in 2011.

“The Bay Tunnel is one of the most impressive projects we have completed to date,” Wade said. “The project team did a tremendous job in proactively addressing all the technical challenges that come with building a 5-mile tunnel under the Bay. And it is not just one of our most high-profile projects, it is also one of the most important from a seismic reliability standpoint because the 1930s-era riveted pipeline that carried water across the Bay was in need of major repair or replacement.”

Alternatives to the bored tunnel included new pipelines across the Bay and new pipelines around the south of the Bay, but the tunneled solution was deemed the best option from a technical and environmental standpoint. “It wasn’t the cheapest option, but it as the project that would accomplish all of our goals,” Wade said.

The Bay Tunnel was built by Michels/Jay Dee/Coluccio JV. Jacobs Associates led the tunnel design team, which also included URS, Fugro West, and Telamon Engineering. Hitachi Zosen was the TBM manufacturer.  Jacobs Engineering was the construction manager.

The New Irvington Tunnel carries Hetch Hetchy water through the East Bay hills. It is a parallel tunnel that will increase the reliability of the water system by creating a redundant water transmission line. Importantly, the completion of the new tunnel will allow the old tunnel to be taken out of service for maintenance and repairs. Once the New Irvington Tunnel is in place, SFPUC can operate both tunnels simultaneously but can maintain level of service goals with either tunnel out of service.

The tunnel was built through difficult  and variable ground conditions including squeezing ground, shear zones, hard rock and soft ground, high ground water inflows, and potentially gassy conditions.  For these reasons, planners opted to use conventional mining techniques, including roadheader excavation and drill-and-blast, for tunnel excavation.

“There was a debate during the design phase about whether conventional mining was the right decision, and I believe the right decision was made at the end of the day,” Wade said. “There was significant concern that a TBM would get stuck because of the highly variable geologic conditions that were anticipated. The team has done a great job managing the issues as we have gone forward on the project.”

The contractor is Southland/Tutor Perini JV. URS and Jacobs Associates were the tunnel designers, while Hatch Mott MacDonald was the construction manager.

The other major tunnel component was the New Crystal Springs Bypass Tunnel in San Mateo County. The tunnel was completed using a 12-ft diameter TBM and precast segments at depths up to 160 ft below surface. It was built to replace an existing 8-ft diameter pipeline in an area prone to landslides. The new tunnel is built into the Franciscan bedrock below the landslide area, increasing the reliability of water supply.

Shank/Balfour Betty JV was the contractor, Arup/Brierley Associates JV was the designer, and Jacobs Associates was the construction manager.

San Franciscans flocked to the Pulgas Water Temple in October 1934 to mark the arrival of Hetch Hetchy water on the San Francisco Peninsula. In October 2014, officials marked another ceremony on the same spot to commemorate the arrival of water through the Bay Tunnel.

Looking Back
Managing a $4.8 billion program that involves 83 projects built over the course of one and a-half decades takes careful planning and a coordinated effort.  For SFPUC, it began with agreeing on the program definition. “When you have a system that is aging and in need of repair and seismic upgrades, there is a long list of things that the various stakeholders would like to see happen,” Wade said. “So, getting everyone on the same page both internally and externally as to what the program definition should be was something we did early on and I believe it is one of our major accomplishments. By getting everyone to buy in to the level of service goals upfront, we were able to really focus in on the projects that needed to be part of the program to meet those goals.”

Like any program, there have been lessons learned as part of the WSIP. According to Wade, several of the major lessons learned to date include:

•  Invest in Investigation. “Early in the planning and design phases every dollar that is spent on investigation both from a geotechnical standpoint and also on existing conditions of facilities is a good dollar spent. Those dollars can save you 10-fold or 100-fold during construction.”
• Begin Risk Management Early On. “Although we had an informal risk management program during the planning and design phases, we did not start our formal risk management program until the construction phase. However in all our of programs going forward, we are starting a formal risk program earlier so that we can use that as a tool to not only manage risk but also to help communicate with our stakeholders what are the major risks in the program .”
•     Alternative Delivery Can Be Beneficial. “We had good success using design-build on our new UV Tesla Treatment facility, and we are embracing alternate delivery for other programs going forward, especially   to help manage schedule and  cost risk. By bringing contractors on board early, you are able to get their input into the project in terms of constructability that brings a different perspective and adds value to the design engineers’ perspective.”

Moving Ahead
Now that the WSIP is entering its wind-down stages, it doesn’t mean that SFPUC can rest easy. In fact, the SFPUC is in the early stages of the Sewer System Improvement Program to address reliability of the wastewater system over the next 20 years. Additionally, the WSIP addressed water infrastructure in the Bay Area, so planners are now addressing needs in the Hetch Hetchy and upper part of the water delivery system.

“We need to ensure that we upgrade the upper reaches of the Hetch Hetchy system so that we can maintain the level of service that we promised to our rate-payers as part of WSIP,” Wade said.

When the WSIP is complete, Bay Area residents can be assured of a safe and reliable water system now and for the future.

The post Ensuring a Sustainable Future appeared first on Tunnel Business Magazine.

A shotcrete train includes the premixed bags of shotcrete, water tanks, a hopper, pump, compressor, robot or manlift, gantry crane or other method to move the shotcrete bags, and all the ancillary items required.

Shotcrete is one of the principal tools available for tunnel rehabilitation, and using a self-contained shotcrete train makes shotcrete application highly efficient, even at remote sites. The author’s preference is for a steel fiber-reinforced, microsilica wet-mix shotcrete with a high-strength, deformed end steel fiber, and microsilica limited to a maximum 10 percent of the cement weight.

The fiber reinforcement is used instead of wire mesh because of the ease and speed of application to uneven tunnel profiles. The microsilica serves as a low-grade accelerator, in addition to lowering the porosity and increasing the final compressive strength of the shotcrete. A cement-rich shotcrete mix of this type has been used effectively on dozens of tunnel rehabilitation projects, particularly for railroad tunnel enlargements, in the past 25 years.

Of particular importance for tunnel rehab is that dry, premixed, bagged shotcrete applied from a self-contained shotcrete train is ideally suited for “live track” railroad tunnel projects, when access to the construction site is limited. Such application allows large volumes of shotcrete to be placed safely and efficiently where needed, even in difficult access areas.

Shotcrete is a primary tool for tunnel rehabilitation.

Live track conditions refer to work windows in which a section of railroad is taken out of service for a limited period of time within a 24-hour period to allow construction work. When the window expires, the construction zone has to be cleared of equipment and materials so trains can safely travel through it. The work windows can be as short as an hour or two. Also, live track construction methods are not just limited to railroad projects. They are sometimes required on highway projects, especially if construction can only be performed during specific work windows when there is less traffic demand.

A shotcrete train includes the premixed bags of shotcrete (normally in 3,000-lb sacks), water tanks, a hopper, pump, compressor, robot or manlift (if applying by handheld nozzle), gantry crane or other method to move the shotcrete bags, and all the ancillary items and accessories required. For railroad projects, often two flatcars are required to assemble all of this equipment, and a mobile railcar mover is needed to transport equipment and materials.

Depending on the setup and the number of bags that can be carried on the shotcrete train, 50 cu yd of shotcrete can be consistently applied in a seven-hour work window. Bagged shotcrete mix avoids the need for transit mixer delivery from a batch plant, and significantly reduces or eliminates wastage when problems arise with track time or pumping equipment failure since only about 1 cu yd is in the hopper at any one time. By paying for shotcrete by the cubic yard as a unit price item, the quantity can be easily modified as required by the actual conditions encountered in the field. Core testing based on the volume placed should be used to confirm shotcrete strength.
Shotcrete trains provide flexibility, ease of use, and efficiency. With their use, they make wet-mix shotcrete an even more effective tool for tunnel rehabilitation applications.

Joe Schrank is an associate with Jacobs Associates. He is based in Nashville, Tennessee.

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Trenchless Technology magazine, the leading publication covering the worldwide trenchless marketplace, released its annual ranking of trenchless consulting firms in its December 2014 issue. The 18^th annual “Top 50 Trenchless Design Firms” is topped by AECOM Technology Corp., which reported $169.2 million in trenchless billings for 2013. (AECOM’s totals also include those of URS Corp., which it recently acquired.)

Rounding out the Top 10 Trenchless Design Firms from No. 2 to No. 10 (with reported trenchless billings) are: Hatch Mott MacDonald ($147.850 million); CH2M Hill ($123.200 million); Black & Veatch Corp. ($79 million); CDM Smith ($65.4 million); MWH Global ($57.624 million); Arcadis U.S. ($51.810 million); Stantec ($51.044 million); Brown and Caldwell ($36.600 million) and Cardno ($36.055 million).

To see the entire Top 50, visit trenchlessonline.com.

Total trenchless billings for 2013, as reported by the firms who are listed in the Top 50, are more than $1.141 billion — which is more than $194.13 million over 2012’s totals. All trenchless and overall billings represent work in North America only. The results show a dramatic uptick in trenchless billings. Since 2003, billings have increased from a total of $288 million to more than 1.1 billion (total billings of the top 50).

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The Washington State Department of Transportation (WsDOT) on Dec. 22 announced that it has changed its estimated date for resumption of tunneling on the SR 99 project to April 2015, one month later than was anticipated when the plan to repair the stalled 57.5-ft diameter TBM was introduced last April. Additionally, WsDOT anticipates the tunnel opening to traffic in August 2017. The original estimate for tunnel opening was December 2015 and was revised to November 2016 following the stoppage.

The project has been stalled since December 2013 due to mechanical issues with the TBM, which had mined 1,000 ft before being stopped.  Crews have been constructing a large-diameter pit to access the machine and allow for the replacement of the main bearing and other TBM modifications.          In addition to the mechanical issues, concerns over ground settlement possibly related to the access pit dewatering caused another brief stoppage. Settlements of approximately 1 in. were discovered in November , leading WsDOT to briefly stop excavation. However, settlement levels near the SR 99 tunnel access pit have remained stable since Nov. 24 and excavation resumed. Crews have excavated 90 of the 120 ft needed to access the TBM.

According to WsDOT, some ground settlement was predicted due to dewatering, but the settlement measured was greater and farther reaching than anticipated. Engineers are still evaluating whether other factors are involved that could explain the discrepancy. WsDOT continues to conduct daily inspections of the viaduct and watch the survey data closely as the contractor – Seattle Tunnel Partners (STP) moves forward with their work.

The $2 billion SR 99 project comprises a two-mile long tunnel under downtown Seattle to replace a viaduct that was damaged in the 2001 Nisqually earthquake. Tunneling, using the largest TBM built to date, began in summer 2013.

The post WsDOT Revises Timetable for SR 99 Project appeared first on Tunnel Business Magazine.

Annual Course Scheduled for Feb. 10-12, 2015 in Golden, Colo.
Release Date: December 18, 2014
Contact Information: Jim Rush, 330-467-7588, jrush@benjaminmedia.com

Microtunneling Short Course organizers have released the agenda for the 21^st annual event, which will be held February 10-12 at the Colorado School of Mines campus in Golden. The Microtunneling Short Course features three days of instruction and networking opportunities with world-renowned experts in this specialty field.

Among the featured presentations on this year’s agenda is a case history presentation of the Ala Moana Project in Hawaii by Jordan Bleasdale of Frank Coluccio Construction Co. The Ala Moano project includes approximately 15,000 ft of microtunneling, including twin 1,800-ft drives under Honolulu Harbor through ground conditions including coral and zero blow count material. The project is one of the most technically challenging and expensive micotunneling projects completed in the United States to date.

Steve Leius of SECA Construction Co. will give a case history titled “Vintage Microtunneling a Smart Choice.” This presentation covers the successful completion of a project in which the contractor purchased and refurbished a 30-year old Rasa microtunneling machine for completion of a soft-ground project, resulting in lower project costs.

Also, Paul Vadnais of Vadnais Trenchless, will discuss the need for standards for concrete pipe in the United States. Currently, standards exist in Japan, Germany and the United Kingdom for concrete jacking pipe, but are lacking in the United States, which can lead to project failures.

Other presentations cover microtunneling from planning through installation, covering topics such as design, equipment selection, shaft construction, pipe materials, legal issues, and more. The full agenda can be found at csmspace.com/events/microtunnel/agenda.html.

Established in 1994, the Microtunneling Short Course is the premier educational vehicle worldwide for training and education in this specialty field. The Microtunneling Short Course is organized by Course Directors Timothy Coss, President of Microtunneling Inc. and Dr. Levent Ozdemir, President of Ozdemir Engineering and a former professor at the Colorado School of Mines. More than 2,600 contractors, consulting professionals, owner agency representatives, manufacturing and supplier representatives, and students have attended the course since its inception.

As part of the program, winners of the Microtunneling Achievement Awards will be recognized Feb. 12 at the Banquet Dinner at the Golden Hotel. The winners are Rene Inosanto of Frank Coluccio Construction Co., Greg Raines of MWH Global, and John Grennan of Ward and Burke.

If you are involved with microtunneling, or are planning to be involved, the Microtunneling Short Course is a must-attend event to obtain the latest technical information to ensure a successful project. For information or to register, visit csmspace.com/events/microtunnel.

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The Deep Foundations Institute (DFI), along with ADSC, Geo-Institute of ASCE and the PDCA will host IFCEE 2015. The International Foundations Congress and Equipment Expo is the world’s largest equipment exhibition and technical conference dedicated to the deep foundations industry. It will be held March 17-21, 2015, at the JW Marriott Hill Country Resort & Spa in San Antonio, Texas.

The conference will include presentations of reviewed technical papers, panel discussions and debates, indoor exhibits, an outdoor equipment exposition, educational short courses, technical committee meetings and networking with industry leaders.

DFI will also be presenting the 2015 Ben C. Gerwick Award for Innovation in the Design and Construction of Marine Foundations, and hosting and presenting the 2015 Osterberg Memorial Lecture and Award.

Many DFI members have contributed time and energy to submitting papers, reviewing papers, and volunteering as session chairs and track chairs for the technical sessions. Additional information as plans progress can be found at www.ifcee2015.com

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DFI’s membership voted to elect four new members to the board and re-elect two members as follows.  Their terms began on Jan. 1, 2015.

Matthew E. Meyer, P.E.

Matthew E. Meyer, P.E., is a professional engineer registered in Florida, Georgia, Virginia, West Virginia, New York and Connecticut, with about 20 years of geotechnical engineering experience. He is the immediate past chair of DFI’s Augered Cast-in-Place Pile (ACIP) Committee. He has been involved with major public sector and private sector projects. Meyer is currently a principal/vice president with Langan Engineering and Environmental Services Inc. Meyer has a B.S. in civil engineering from The Citadel and a M.S. in civil engineering (geotechnical focus) from Virginia Tech.

Thomas D. Richards, Jr., P.E., D.GE

Thomas D. Richards, Jr., P.E., D.GE, is chief engineer at Nicholson Construction Co.  He is active in numerous committees of DFI, ADSC, PTI and ASCE, leading to frequent commenting on FHWA and other industry documents. He is also a member of The Moles. For over 25 years at Nicholson, he has dealt with technical aspects of a multitude of specialized geotechnical projects using micropiles, anchors, soil nails, diaphragm walls and numerous grouting techniques. Richards’ responsibilities include design, quality control, research, testing and instrumentation.

Stefano Valagussa

Stefano Valagussa has worked in Egypt for Rodio and the United States for Rodio and Nicholson Construction. Valagussa is an active member of DFI, as well as ADSC, AGC and ASDSO. Among other projects, he directly oversaw unique projects such as the slurry wall installation at Ground Zero, New York City; the cutoff wall by jet grouting at Diavik Diamond Mine, North West Territories, Canada; the largest deep mixing project ever done in United States, and possibly the world, for the LPV-111 Levee Improvement, in New Orleans; and Wolf Creek Dam, in Kentucky, considered the largest and most complex dam rehabilitation project to date. Valgussa graduated from the Politecnico di Milano, Milan Italy with a degree in civil engineering.

Alan Roach

Alan Roach is the president and CEO and chairs the Board of Directors of Berkel & Co. Contractors Inc. at the corporate office in Bonner Springs, Kansas. He served as the chairman for the DFI Annual Conference in Kansas City in 2009. For more than 40 years, he has been involved with the company in both the contracting and installation of many types of deep foundations and excavation support systems with emphasis on the use of Auger Cast-in-Place piles throughout the United States and overseas. He has been instrumental in establishing numerous regional offices nationwide.

Dr. K.S. Rama Krishna

Dr. K.S. Rama Krishna, the current chair of DFI’s regional chapter in India, and David Borger, P.E., engineering manager at Skyline Steel, were both re-elected to the board.  Dr. Rama Krishna, formerly chief engineer-technology at L&T GeoStructure has more than 35 years of experience in the research and design of special foundations and geotechnical projects for land, near shore and offshore based structures. David Borger has worked for Skyline for 17 years and has been a member of DFI’s Driven Pile Committee for 10 years and also serves on its Marine Foundations and Sustainability Committees.

David Borger, P.E.

Additionally, the officers of the Institute have also changed. John Wolosick (Hayward Baker) has moved from vice president to president, Dan Brown (Dan Brown & Associates PC) has moved from treasurer to vice president and Matthew Janes moves from secretary to treasurer. The Executive Committee also welcomes its newest member, Michael Wysockey (Thatcher Foundations Inc.) who will serve as secretary.

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Since Stephenson Equipment was established in 1957, the company has always been driven to keep customers satisfied. Stephenson’s new crane shop building is one more step it has taken to satisfy customer needs.

Dale Heiner, VP of Service Operations for Stephenson, gives a few highlights of the new crane shop building just completed at the company’s Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, location. “Our new shop has a 40-ft ceiling height with four 100-ft deep bays, a 15-ton, two-hoist overhead crane spanning the entire 12,000-sq ft building that features radiant floor heat. We also constructed a new 4,000-sq ft test pad, giving us the ability to better inspect and test a crane after repairs have been completed.

“The new shop benefits our customers, the manufacturers we represent and Stephenson by shortened repair times and improved quality due to the ability to perform more repairs within the shop safely vs. outside repairs in varying weather and safety conditions.”

The new shop is still staffed by Stephenson’s highly trained technicians. Stephenson employs over 125 customer-focused employees across seven locations in Pennsylvania and New York.

For information www.stephensonequipment.com.

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Ibergruas, a leading Potain dealer and rental company headquartered in Madrid, Spain, has just added Manitowoc’s tower crane lines to its offerings in Mexico. The two companies began their partnership in Spain three decades ago and are now extending their venture to Latin America.

“We’re proud to offer the best products and services to our customers in Mexico,” said Ramón Arroyo Ortega, general director at Ibergruas in Mexico. “Our partnership with Potain in the country brings together the best tower cranes in the market and our 30 years of expertise in the industry.”

Ibergruas celebrated the announcement at Expo CIHAC 2014, Mexico’s largest construction industry event, in October. The company’s Mexico City branch specifically chose to feature the Igo 18 self-erecting crane at the event.

Alvaro Alanis, Potain’s regional business manager, said the event was a great opportunity to announce the partnership in Mexico, and that the Igo 18 was an ideal crane to showcase the company’s latest innovations in self-erecting cranes.

“We welcome Ibergruas as our new Potain dealer in Mexico,” he said. “Ibergruas will be a great partner, as it truly believes in the unmatched quality and features of Potain cranes. Our booth at CIHAC received hundreds of visitors interested in our products. We were also honored by the visit of the Ambassador of Spain in Mexico, Luis Fernández-Cid de las Alas Pumariño.”

Already known for its ease of transport, the Igo 18 also boasts quiet electric motors, variable frequency motor drives and overload protection system. Ibergruas believes the 2-ton capacity crane will be a valuable tool for Mexico’s growth in housing and other construction.

The Igo 18 features a 78.7-ft jib and can lift 0.8 tons at jib end. It is designed with a small rear-slewing radius to ensure maneuverability even at the most congested job sites. The crane can also be operated with a wireless remote control that provides information to the operator, including wind speed, radius, hook height, load and moment.

The post Manitowoc Appoints New Potain Dealer for Mexico appeared first on Tunnel Business Magazine.

At the end of September, the cutting wheel of TBM “Alice” broke through the target shaft wall for the first time. A school pupil from South Auckland gave the Herrenknecht EPB Shield S-764 its name. The inspiration was the main character from the children’s book “Alice in Wonderland.” In it Alice follows a white rabbit through a tunnel into a fictional fantasy world.

The tunnel boring machine Alice has begun its second drive in New Zealand. Earlier, Alice – named after the main character of “Alice in Wonderland” – excavated the first 2.4-km long tunnel in just 11 months, with outstanding best performances of 126 m per week and 452 m per month.

On September 29 at 1:45 p.m. local time the gigantic boring shield finally broke through the wall to the first target shaft in Waterview.

“This is a fantastic achievement. Our construction partners on the Well-Connected Alliance completed the breakthrough safely and ahead of schedule,” Brett Gliddon, New Zealand Transport Agency’s Highway Manager, said afterwards. “It is a huge engineering feat for New Zealand, one that is attracting worldwide attention. It demonstrates that with local and international experience and expertise, we can deliver infrastructure to equal the best in the world.”

The “Waterview Connection” tunnel project is one of the largest infrastructure projects in New Zealand. It is the centerpiece of a total of six related construction projects. They are designed to close the glaring gap in Auckland’s Western Ring Road. With three lanes each, the two tubes of the road tunnel will connect the two nationally significant motorways Highway 16 and Highway 20. The tunnel alignment runs below a densely populated residential area and several parks. The 2.4-km long link will become the longest road tunnel in New Zealand.

The target shaft in the north lies immediately adjacent to the motorway to be connected later. For this reason, after the breakthrough the shield and the first back-up had to be turned in a space of only 25 by 39 m.

During a visit in May 2014 Prime Minister John Key called the structure an amazing piece of engineering. “It is going to be a fantastic addition to the motorway network here in Auckland,” he said.

The tunnel creates a time-saving connection between the Central Business District and the International Airport. For this project, Herrenknecht delivered to the companies Fletcher Construction, McConnell Dowell and Obayashi – as part of the Well-Connected Alliance – a machine concept perfectly adapted to the geological and structural conditions. With a boring diameter of 14.46 m, the EPB Shield S-764 is one of the world’s largest tunnel boring machines of its kind. Its cutting wheel is driven by 24 electric motors with a total output of 8,400 kilowatts. It has relatively large openings for optimum removal of the excavated material and has been specifically designed for the expected geology.

In the first section the TBM went through soils composed mainly of sandstone and siltstone. The cutting wheels’ central cutting tools could be changed from the rear area. The ripper tools for softer grounds were thus replaced with disc cutters for harder rock when needed.

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key (center) visited the tunnel construction site in May 2014.

In addition to the actual TBM with three back-ups, which creates the tunnel shell, Herrenknecht designed and delivered an autonomous, fourth back-up. This followed TBM Alice at a distance on the first section already. Its task is to lay a “tunnel within the tunnel.” It creates a part of the tunnel invert that supply lines will later pass through. This method of operation fully independent of the TBM advance offers an important advantage: advance performances of the TBM and the lining of the invert do not limit each other and can be done in parallel to save time.

After the first breakthrough the TBM and the first back-up were turned by 180 degrees in a very tight space and moved to the starting position for the second drive. Because of the limited space, a temporary second back-up, also supplied by Herrenknecht, was docked onto the machine. In the initial phase it is responsible for the extension of the supply and disposal lines. With it, Alice is now boring an approximately 300 m long launch tunnel. After this first part of the second tube has been driven, the original configuration with the longer back-ups 2 and 3 will be re-docked to the TBM. Then Alice will get going at full speed.

The EPB Shield S-764 was assembled in the Herrenknecht plant in Guangzhou, China. Core components such as the main drive, hydraulic station, electrical station and air locks were manfactured at Herrenknecht’s headquarters in Schwanau, Germany.

The shell of the second tube is due to be completed in 2015. The opening to traffic is scheduled for the beginning of 2017.

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Total construction put in place (CPIP) for 2014 will be $62 billion greater than last year — a 7 percent increase according to a recent report from construction and engineering consultant FMI. CPIP should finish this year around $972 billion and is expected to top $1.04 trillion in 2015.

Commercial and manufacturing construction are two of the largest growth sectors, accounting for more than $111 billion in new construction. Randy Giggard, managing director of research services for FMI says, “With new and apparently sustainable sources of natural gas and shale oil, America is on the verge of a veritable manufacturing renaissance building petrochemical plants in the Gulf and gaining interest from more companies, especially foreign-owned companies, considering relocating manufacturing to America.”

Lodging has experienced the largest percentage increase for CPIP in 2014. It is expected to finish the year 24 percent up from 2013, building on last year’s 25 percent increase. This sector now accounts for nearly $17 billion in CPIP.

As for other areas of public infrastructure:

-        Transportation: Transportation construction continues at a solid pace with 2014 projected to end up 5% and continue at 7% growth for 2015 to $44.7 billion. The improving economy has increased freight rail-car loadings, especially for minerals, petroleum and petroleum products, grain and automobiles. Record sales for Boeing are indicative of a strong aviation market. Intermodal, partnered projects like the recently completed Bechtel-led team for Phase 1 of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project may become the model for large metropolitan transportation systems.

-        Sewage and Waste Disposal: The good news for sewage and waste disposal construction is that we expect modest growth from 3% to around 4% for the forecast period. That is an improvement over the last few leaner years, and growth may be helped in some industrial areas with a growing manufacturing sector. Nonetheless, this key sector will continue to compete with other infrastructure sectors for public funds.

-        Water Supply: The need for improvements in our water supply is great, but the investment is lean. Our forecast calls for $13.7 billion to be spent on water supply construction in 2014 and growth of just 1% to $13.5 billion in 2015. The drought crisis in California may be instructive for the rest of the nation, as California will have to increase spending on water resources. According to Gregg Powell of FMI, “In today’s market, there is arguably no sector facing a more critical shortfall between demand and investment than the U.S. water market. The country’s water and wastewater infrastructure suffers from subpar conditions throughout the supply chain, encompassing water intake, diversion, transportation, storage, treatment and delivery.”

For more information, visit fminet.com.

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