On Dec. 30, 2016, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and MTA Chairman and CEO Thomas F. Prendergast unveiled the Second Avenue Subway’s 86th Street Station. (Photo: MTA/Patrick Cashin.)

The AECOM–Arup joint venture is celebrating the completion of the first phase of the Second Avenue Subway for the MTA. The first major expansion of New York City subway system in nearly a century, the 1.8-mile stretch of track runs between 63rd and 96th streets and consists of three new stations, plus one upgraded station. The AECOM-Arup joint venture provided full engineering and architectural services for Phase 1 of the $4.451 billion landmark project, which broke ground in April 2007.

“The on-time completion of the first phase of the Second Avenue Subway is a major achievement. The engineering and design ingenuity represents our best-in-class approach to large scale transit projects,” said Julie D’Orazio, senior vice president, NY Metro Transit/Rail Manager, at AECOM. “We thank the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and the governor’s office for their guidance and support; because of it the project met the completion deadline set in 2009. We are excited for New York City residents to experience this iconic new subway line.”

“The opening of the Second Avenue Subway will immediately improve the quality of life for thousands of New Yorkers,” said Craig Covil, Arup principal. “Designing and delivering such a complex project required the complete collaboration and unwavering effort of a robust team of engineers and contractors, and would not have been possible without the strong leadership and vision of the MTA and the governor’s office.”

RELATED: Second Avenue Subway Opens in New York

The Second Avenue Subway is part of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposed program for improving transportation infrastructure throughout the state, to ensure those who live, work and travel in New York have a safe, efficient, balanced and environmentally sound transportation system.

Serving approximately 200,000 daily riders, the first phase of the Second Avenue Subway will improve travel for both city and suburban commuters on Manhattan’s east side. On an average weekday, it will relieve overcrowded conditions on the nearby Lexington line by as much as 13% (23,500 riders). The project, initially imagined in 1929 and derailed by the Great Depression, will eventually run 8.5 miles along the east side of Manhattan.

“The Second Avenue Subway is a transformative project that takes a leap forward in engineering and design innovation of a transit system.” said Liam Dalton, P.E., project manager at AECOM. “We are very proud to have been a part of the project. Its success is a testament to the hard work, dedication and close collaboration with the contractors.”

Multiple Roles, Critical Responsibilities

An intricate balance of infrastructure, buildings and transit, the Second Avenue Subway project called for a comprehensive approach, one that recognized the social, economic and environmental issues facing the city of New York. Capitalizing on its multidisciplinary capabilities and global expertise, the AECOM-Arup joint venture responded to this situation with services that extend beyond conventional engineering. Among them:

This 2015 photos shows work being done at the future 72nd Street Station of Second Avenue Subway. (Photo: MTA/Patrick Cashin.)

–Tunneling. AECOM-Arup took a total design approach to the tunnel construction, one that encompassed life safety issues, ventilation systems, material science and other factors to create a cost-effective and sustainable design. A tunnel-boring machine was employed to excavate the 12,800 ft of twin-track, 22-ft, 1-in. diameter tunnels in the first phase of the Second Avenue Subway. The one expanded and three new stations on the line are some of the largest underground excavations in North America, ranging from 57 to 64 ft in width and up to 1,591 ft in length. Adding to the complexity of the job, these mined caverns all have escalator and elevator connections to street level—features much appreciated by riders who have long endured stairway-only access.

–Geotechnical. The Second Avenue Subway is sited below and amid some of the most congested urban infrastructure in the world. Navigating the maze of telecommunications, electrical, gas, steam, water and sewage lines that lie below the asphalt required intensive study and farsighted solutions. AECOM-Arup’s geotechnical experts applied their interconnected skills in foundation and landfill engineering, hydrology, engineering geology and other specialized services to reduce design and construction risks.

RELATED: MTA Begins Procurement for Second Avenue Subway Phase 2

–Acoustics. Working with recordings taken at existing subway stations, as part of the joint venture efforts Arup’s acousticians used the firm’s SoundLab technology to create digital models of the environment and determine the best way to quiet the bone-rattling noise typically found in the subway. The solutions include joint-free train tracks with ties that are encased in concrete-covered rubber, ceilings lined with perforated metal panels that are backed with sound-absorbing fiberglass (instead of the echo-prone tile and stone used in other parts of the transit system) and new, carefully oriented public-address speakers as part of a complete audio system that is optimized for intelligibility.

–Tunnel Ventilation. The design for the Second Avenue Subway included three new stations 96th, 86th, 72nd street, and the reuse of existing subway stations and tunnels at 63rd street, which required significant updates to be in compliance with modern codes and standards. This, combined with the limited space for the mechanical and electrical systems, necessitated careful planning and creative engineering solutions to bring the existing systems up to code while remaining cost effective. In some instances, mechanical ventilation was employed while other areas necessitated air conditioning treatments.

–Pedestrian Modeling. In the absence of a robust set of design guidelines for a new, modern subway line, the AECOM-Arup team worked with New York City Transit (NYCT) Operations Planning to set out design parameters and performance metrics. Using a newly developed model to simulate 3,000 uptown and downtown train arrival combinations, the team generated dynamic pedestrian model simulations for all stations for the morning rush hour. These simulations were used as a design tool to inform the optimal circulation paths for moving passengers between trains and the street level, even taking into account the complex movement associated with transfer passengers at 63rd street, and the challenges at 86th and 72nd streets, where abnormally deep stations necessitate increased use of elevator access.

–Stations. AECOM-Arup JV led the multidisciplinary design of the four new underground stations. Working from a new set of NYCT station guidelines developed specifically for the Second Avenue Subway project, the design includes architectural detailing, ADA Compliance, high ceilings, column-free design, dramatic lighting, top-level acoustics, added safety and security, and world-class artwork. All this combines to make these new stations a historic addition to the NYC subway system and the Upper East Side community.

RELATED: NYC MTA Opens No.7 Line Station

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Underground Locomotive x 3

Model-XP12.5, Serial Number ME064767, ME064769, & ME064770, 12.5 ton, 6 cylinder, Diesel, Exhaust Brake

Dimensions: 4ft-8in wide by 12ft-9inch long with a wheel length of 29-1/2inches (inside), 5ft-4inch height with a 5ft-9inch height from track

Explosion Proof Locomotive

Hydrodynamic three-speed transmission, Rigid bevel gear axles with planetary reduction wheel hubs.

Eight rubberized cushioning pads, four at each axle, are designed to compensate for uneven track and provide a smooth ride.

Wheels are made of cast steel then heat treated.

Single lever control, hydraulic wet disk brakes are integral into each drive axle for secondary service braking.

Air brake controls, Cummins Engine, 24-Volt Battery System, Dual Headlights (Front & Rear independently controlled).

10 Cubic Yard Dump Muck Car x 12

Manufactured by Mining Equipment Inc., Durango CO, USA

Model-P10-086R2, Rail Crawler, Steel Wheeled, Turnover discharge dumping style, automatic car coupler, 4ft-8inch wide by 12ft-6inch long, with a wheel width of 29-1/2inch (inside).

Bin height 5ft-1inch with a height of 6ft-7inch from track

Please contact: jrussell@marathondrilling.com
Toll free: 1-800-669-2086
www.marathondrilling.com

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Granite Construction Inc. (NYSE:GVA) announced in December that Kenny Construction Co., a wholly owned subsidiary, has been awarded a $23 million contract by Rochester Gas & Electric for the Station 23 Underground Transmission Line Project in Rochester, New York. Granite will book the contract into its fourth quarter 2016 backlog.

Through its Power Group, Kenny will install two new 115-kilovolt and one 34.5-kilovolt underground transmission circuits in central Rochester, adjacent to the University of Rochester. Scope of the work includes trench excavation, concrete duct-bank/conduit installation, manhole/vault installation, trench backfill, and pavement restoration. Once complete, the project will increase the electrical reliability and capacity to meet future demands for electricity in the area.

Construction is scheduled to begin in January 2017 and estimated to be complete by August 2017

RELATED: Kenny/Obayashi Awarded South Hartford Tunnel

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Treviicos has nearly completed Wynn Boston Harbor’s slurry wall. Trenches for the wall’s final sections are being excavated using slurry wall rigs with hydromill and grab excavators.

The post Treviicos Building Slurry Walls for Wynn Boston Harbor appeared first on Tunnel Business Magazine.

The Underground Construction Association of SME (UCA) recently endorsed the new “Guidelines for Improved Risk Management Practice on Tunnel and Underground Projects in the United States.” This document is an outgrowth of the insurance industry’s 2006 “A Code of Practice for Risk Management of Tunnel Works,” and has been adapted to U.S. contracting practices. The Guidelines recommend a detailed process for doing a risk assessment, and developing a list of mitigations.

The Guidelines were prepared by Joe O’Carroll and Bob Goodfellow on behalf of UCA. The Guidelines reflects the consensus of a wide variety of industry experts and other professionals involved in the tunnel and underground construction industry in the United States.

The Guidelines can be downloaded here.

RELATED: Silber Elected Chairman of UCA of SME

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Salini Impregilo is profiled for the first time in one of France’s leading industry magazines, Le Moniteur Export, in which it is described as a growing company with a promising future.

The Group also joins the magazine’s Classement MEX 2016 index with a ranking that places it among the top 20 construction companies in Europe by revenue thanks to its international expansion drive, which saw it acquire Lane Construction Corp. in the United States last year. “This major (player in the sector) has the wind in its sails,” reads the opening of the article in the December issue of the magazine.

RELATED: Salini Impregilo Reaches Milestone in Riyadh

In its description of the Group’s achievements, Le Moniteur Export refers to the recognition that Engineering News-Record (ENR), a major U.S. industry publication, gave to Salini Impregilo in August, classifying it as the global leader in the water sector.

It cites Salini Impregilo’s successes in winning and completing contracts throughout the world, including a contract to build a hydroelectric dam in Tajikistan and opening a new canal in Panama.

Strong results and a large order book only bode well for the future of the Group, whose presence is felt on every continent of the world, the magazine continues, citing its goal to reach €9 billion ($9.5 billion US) in revenue by 2019, 30% of which in the United States.

RELATED: Boring Complete on Anacostia River Tunnel

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Karlsruher Schieneninfrastruktur-Gesellschaft mbH (KASIG) is putting its trust in the civil engineering competence of Ed. Züblin AG. The STRABAG Group subsidiary is leading a consortium with Schleith GmbH to build the Kriegsstraße car tunnel in Karlsruhe, Germany. The two-lane tunnel in Kriegsstraße is the second part of the Kombilösung public transport infrastructure project to build an efficiently functioning rail network for the local public transport and to reduce the volume of traffic in central Karlsruhe. The contract for the road tunnel has a value in the low triple-digit millions.

“We are pleased that our Züblin sub-division in Karlsruhe has been awarded the contract for this challenging infrastructure project. The car tunnel in Kriegsstraße will make room for the tram as well as for pedestrians and cyclists. It is a central component of a groundbreaking traffic concept that will give downtown Karlsruhe a whole new quality of life,” says Thomas Birtel, CEO of STRABAG SE.

Construction is set to begin in April 2017, with completion scheduled for mid-2021. The tunnel will then reroute the through-traffic on Kriegsstraße underground for a length of approximately 1.6 km between Mendelssohnplatz and Karlstor. Instead of using the tunnel-driving method, the road tunnel will be built via cut-and-cover in a rectangular reinforced concrete frame. The Züblin-led consortium will first build a concrete trench up to 9 mdeep, which will then be covered with a lid upon which the tram tracks are to be laid. The works can be subdivided into nine construction fields that will be cut, concreted and covered from the top. The adjacent buildings and the high groundwater level make the process of waterproofing and retaining the excavation pit a formidable challenge.

Ed. Züblin AG, Sub-Division Karlsruhe, has many years of experience in the construction of large infrastructure projects and civil engineering structures. Among other things, the company has played a substantial role in the construction of the Rastatt ICE tunnel for Deutsche Bahn AG.

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Vadnais Trenchless Services’ newly refurbished microtunneling machine is lowered in the pit for the Arden Road Pump Station Improvements and Pipeline Installation in Amarillo, Texas. The 1995 Soltau MTBM was rebuilt by mts Perforator.

In the 1990s, microtunneling was still very much in its startup period in the United States. It wasn’t until the late 1980s that the U.S had its first major microtunneling program, and owners, designers and contractors were still getting comfortable with this emerging technology. One of the early adopters of microtunneling on the West Coast was Vadnais Trenchless Services, which began offering trenchless services in 1992. In 1995, Vadnais bought its first brand new microtunneling system from German-based manufacturer Soltau, which was a leading provider of machines to the U.S. market at that time.

While that machine served its purpose over the next decade and a half, technology for microtunneling machines continued to evolve – improved guidance and operations systems are allowing longer, more precise drives, while data logging and monitoring equipment provide for more information and analysis. With this is mind, Vadnais, in conjunction with mts Perforator, completed a rebuild of the Soltau machine to bring it into the 21st century.

The rebuilt Soltau MTBM features modern control and guidance systems.

“Basically we overhauled the machine and replaced everything; essentially the only thing left from the original machine is the steel body,” said Peter Turnbull, project manager for Vadnais Trenchless Services. “Essentially, it is now a new mts 2000 system OD 1500.”

The rebuild occurred in Vadnais’ shop in Vista, California, under the watchful eyes or Roger Skog, Vadnais’ equipment manager, and Andreas Thiele, mts Perforator’s lead engineer for microtunneling in the United States.

Thiele and mts Perforator are certainly no strangers to Soltau equipment; mts was founded in 2000 by former Soltau employees, including Thiele, following the sale of Soltau to Wirth. Eventually mts was purchased by Schmidt Kranz Group, a German holding company, and it merged with Perforator GmbH to become mts Perforator GmbH. mts Perforator opened a U.S. office in 2015 to extend sales and support to North American contractors.

For Vadnais, it had been using the Soltau machine regularly since acquiring it in 1999. However, seeing the need for updated equipment, and the need for more data, Vadnais opted to overhaul the MTBM.

“Engineers are asking us for more and more data and information, and the microtunneling drives are getting longer and longer, so we knew it was time to upgrade the equipment,” Turnbull said. The rebuild itself took just under three months from strip down to startup. Skog and MTBM operator Nicholas Cashdollar indicated that the rebuilt machine vastly improved control and feedback.

RELATED: Microtunnel Project Overcomes Macro Challenges DC Water’s First Street Tunnel

Texas Test

The newly built machine was put to work almost immediately to complete the Arden Road Pump Station Improvements and Pipeline Installation project for Amarillo Utilities. The job involved a crossing of I-27 for a sewer forcemain installation. SJ Louis was awarded the contract and subcontracted the microtunnel work to Vadnais.

This microtunneling portion of the project consisted of a single tunnel drive of 421 lf of 60-in. Permalok casing. Shafts for the microtunneling were trench shields approximately 15 ft deep built by SJ Louis.

“Basically we overhauled the machine and replaced everything; essentially the only thing left from the original machine is the steel body,” said Peter Turnbull, project manager for Vadnais Trenchless Services.

The microtunnel was installed in dense clayey soils above the water table. Due to the nature of the clay, Vadnais used a Brandt centrifuge in addition to a Schauenburg MAB 300 separation plant. The project started on July 20, 2016, and was complete on Sept. 3, 2016, with the microtunnel drive taking about two weeks to complete.

“The machine performed very well,” Turnbull said. “The crew and the mts Perforator support did a great job. We were very happy with the outcome.”
From Amarillo, the “new” mts 2000 system OD 1500 will head to Sarasota, Florida, to complete the Lift Station 87 Phase 1 Microtunneling project for the City of Sarasota. The $7.7 million Sarasota project involves two microtunnel drives (690 and 592 lf) to install 60-in. Permalok casing. The project is unique in that is the city’s second attempt to complete the project, so it will be a high-profile job.

“The Amarillo job provided us with a good test case to get familiar with the newly configured machine and get everything working in top shape,” Turnbull said.

RELATED: Merger Creates mts Perforator GmbH

With the overhaul of the old Soltau machine and its subsequent completion of its project in Amarillo, Vadnais is turning its attention to two other Soltau microtunneling systems in its fleet. “By rebuilding the machines we able to bring old machines into the modern market,” Turnbull said.

Jim Rush is editor of TBM

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Hatch has been recognized with another top employer award, this time specific to the GTA (Greater Toronto Area). The company’s home office has been based out of Mississauga, Ontario for more than 25 years.

Mediacorp is Canada’s largest publisher of employment periodicals, and the awarding organization for Canada’s top national and GTA employers. To select the winners, their editors first examine recruitment history, and then further dive into physical workspace, social atmosphere, health, financial, and family benefits, vacation time, internal communications, performance management, training, and community involvement.

As Canada’s largest metropolitan area, the GTA is home to a rich diversity of organizations, representing a broad range of industries. Hatch is one of 100 that made the top employer list, a hard feat given stiff competition in company culture, benefits, and employee engagement in the region.

RELATED: Hatch: Re-Hatched

Specifically, what made Hatch stand out was attention paid to fostering an admirable physical workspace and providing employee financial support — both through ownership options and future planning resources. Hatch’s home office in Mississauga houses a gym subsidized for employees, a cafeteria with healthy options, and many dynamic meeting spaces. Employee ownership is also a unique quality in the consulting engineering industry, and one Hatch prides itself on maintaining as a hallmark of the company’s culture and opportunity.

John Bianchini, Hatch’s CEO, comments, “Our people are our greatest assets and we support them to lead in their chosen professions. We are continuously looking to invest in them, and are passionate about building a better world through positive change, together.”

RELATED: Hatch Opens 2 U.S. Offices

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Minister for Planning Richard Wynne in December signed off on the rigorous Environmental Effects Statement (EES) for the landmark Metro Tunnel Project. The $10.9 billion ($8 billion US) Metro Tunnel will give three of the busiest train lines their own tunnel through the central business district, freeing up space in the City Loop to run more trains, more often to the suburbs and regional Victoria.

As a result of the EES, 119 fewer trees will be lost, Fawkner Park will no longer be used for the project and property acquisition in Kensington has been reduced from 22 to one. The Minister has also requested further action from the Melbourne Metro Rail Authority (MMRA) to minimize impacts on the community, businesses and surrounding heritage.

The MMRA is also required to set up new stakeholder groups along the alignment to work with communities during construction of the project. A business disruption plan, a traffic and transport work group and new guidelines for construction noise levels have also been requested in the final EES.

RELATED: Early Construction Works Begin on Melbourne Metro Tunnel

The draft EES was released earlier in 2016 for consultation and 379 submissions were received. Submissions focused on noise and vibration from tunneling, changes to traffic and transport, loss of trees, impacts on open space, heritage and the impact on communities and businesses around the works. An independent committee sat for 33 days between August and October, hearing from 115 parties, before making recommendations to the minister.

The independent EES panel assessed proposals to build a deeper Domain Station and determined that the shallow station provides the greatest benefit for the 40,000 passengers who will use the station each day. Now that the EES has been finalized, planning controls can be put in place for the project to go ahead.

“The Metro Tunnel is the biggest Victorian infrastructure project since the city loop was built in the 1980s and it will generate decades of benefit to public transport users,” Wynne said. “While there will be significant impacts over the construction period, plans will be in place to minimize the disruptions and we will keep working with the community along the way.”

RELATED: Robbins Dual Mode TBM Digs for Australian Coal

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The New South Wales government has announced that it has approved plans for the Sydney Metro between Chatswood and Sydenham, including new twin rail tunnels under Sydney Harbor and through the central business district (CBD).

Stage 2 of Sydney Metro starts at Chatswood and travels beneath Sydney Harbor, through the CBD to Sydenham and on to Bankstown. The approval is for the Chatswood to Sydenham section of the project.

Construction sites will be established in the Sydney CBD this year. By the end of 2018, the first of five tunnel boring machines will be in the ground carving out new twin tunnels.

Sydney Metro will have ultimate capacity of a new metro train every two minutes in each direction under the Sydney CBD and 31 metro stations from Rouse Hill to Bankstown – a 66-km new railway for tomorrow’s Sydney.

Planning approval includes:

– Delivering 16.5 km of new metro rail between Chatswood and Sydenham, including 15.5 km of new twin railway tunnels under Sydney Harbor and the Sydney CBD.
-Seven new metro railway stations at Crows Nest, Victoria Cross (North Sydney), Barangaroo, Martin Place, Pitt St, Central (new underground platforms), and Waterloo.

RELATED: Two JVs Shortlisted for Sydney Metro Tunnels

Two consortia are competing to build the new twin tunnels, with the contract expected to be awarded around the middle of this year.

More than 300 submissions were received during six weeks of public consultation last year on the Environmental Impact Statement for the Chatswood to Sydenham section.

Public feedback has helped refine the delivery of Sydney Metro, with local input driving changes that include using barges on Sydney Harbor to move tunnel boring machine parts from the north of the harbour and to take crushed rock from the Barangaroo Station site, reducing impacts on roads and traffic.

A future underground pedestrian link from Martin Place Station to O’Connell Street will be safeguarded, further improving pedestrian access and any rock-breaking work that uses heavy construction equipment will only take place during standard construction hours, with the exception of Central Station. This will significantly reduce potential noise impacts for the community.

The planning process for the conversion and upgrade of the Bankstown Line to metro standards will start this year.

RELATED: Environmental Plan in Place for Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel

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The Lovsuns’ headquarters near Toronto.

Lovsuns Tunneling Canada Ltd., a subsidiary of Liaoning Censcience Industry Co. Ltd. (LNSS), has announced that all TBM manufacturing will now be completed at the LNSS facility in Liaoyang, China. Management, sales, engineering and procurement, as well as field staff, are not affected by the move. Additionally, international sales and service remain the responsibility of Lovsuns.

Lovsuns, the successor company to Lovat Inc. and Caterpillar Tunneling Canada Corp., had produced approximately 300 TBMs in Toronto since it was founded in 1972.

“This is a strategic decision to increase the competitiveness of both Lovsuns and LNSS,” said Hongyu Xue, general manager of Lovsuns. “The move will result in cost savings and faster delivery times for our clients, including those in North America, while maintaining the world class product quality. We have a huge capacity for TBM manufacturing in China and this allows us to use that advantage to its fullest potential.”

RELATED: Breakthrough of Lovsuns Sewer Tunnel TBM in Istanbul

Xue stressed that design, engineering, procurement and field service is still overseen by Lovsuns, meaning clients will get the components they are used to. “The move basically transforms us from an equipment company to a more service oriented company providing engineering, sales and field services in conjunction with our remarkable production capacities in China,” Xue said.

Lovat Inc. was originally founded by Richard Lovat in 1972. In 2008, the company was purchased by Caterpillar, which announced in 2013 that it planned to shutter the business. In 2014, LNSS purchased Caterpillar Tunneling Canada Corp. and set up Lovsuns as a wholly owned subsidiary to manage the assets.

Lovsuns supplies machines throughout the globe, including supplying most recently TBMs for water and transit projects in Turkey.

RELATED: The Robbins Company, China’s NHI Join Forces

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Sackett

Brierley Associates celebrates the expansion into the Mid-Atlantic/Southeast region with the opening of a new Norfolk, Virginia, office under the management of David (Dave) Sackett, PG. Sackett has more than 30-years of domestic and international experience as a geoscientist, and he is a licensed Professional Geologist in Virginia and Texas. In addition, he holds a Certified Professional Geologist designation issued by the American Institute of Professional Geologists.

Throughout his career, Sackett has been responsible for the acquisition and management of geological interpretations of high-resolution marine geophysical data, nearshore and landside site characterization, planning and execution of integrated geotechnical investigations, preparation of geological and geotechnical reports and technical reviews in English and Spanish. Prior to joining Brierley Associates, Sackett managed the Norfolk office of an international geotechnical consultancy and served as the North/South America nearshore business sector leader, with a focus on design-build of large renewables and port infrastructure projects. He previously managed offices in Chile, Panama, Trinidad and Venezuela prior to returning to the United States in 2014.

RELATED: Brierley Expands BIM/VDC Services

Alan Howard (Principal) worked closely with Dr. A.J. McGinn (President and CEO) to make this Brierley geographic expansion and senior consultant hire a reality.  Howard notes, “Dave has been a Brierley client and friend for more than 10 years. He has always exemplified the enthusiasm, technical excellence and client service to generate repeat business while fostering trusted teaming. We are very pleased Dave has decided to join Brierley Associates to share those talents with our clients and staff across the country from our new Virginia office.”

You can reach Sackett at 757.777.3712 (office) or dsackett@brierleyassociates.com.

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The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) is set to recommend the Tutor Perini-O & G  joint venture as the contractor to build the $2.4-billion Phase 2 segment of the Purple Line Extension. Metro recently announced that it has secured $1.6 billion in federal funding to extend the subway to Century City.

Metro’s staff recommendation will be presented to the Metro Board of Director’s Construction Committee on Jan. 19 and is based on the firm’s competitive proposal of $1.37 billion, which is approximately one-half billion dollars lower than other competitor bids. The full Metro Board is scheduled to consider the recommendation at its Jan. 26 meeting.

 Metro made its recommendation after a thorough and extensive competitive bidding process. The Tutor Perini team was ultimately deemed to have the best value proposal through a combination of technical, project management and price components. All three proposals submitted were comparable on their technical merits.

 The recommendation is expected to keep the Purple Line Extension on schedule and on budget for Los Angeles County residents. Metro has approached its procurement in a fair and open process that has ensured equal opportunities for all bidders.

RELATED: L.A. Metro Breaks Ground on Purple Line Extension Project in Los Angeles

 Tutor was involved in construction of the original Metro Red Line. The contractor built segments 2 and 3. The contractor experienced construction challenges on the second section, which led to schedule delays and cost overruns in the mid-1990s. Litigation between Tutor and Metro has since been resolved. The contractor did complete the third and final section of subway to North Hollywood six months ahead of schedule and within the project’s budget.

 “We can and must redefine our relationships with the contracting community to build Los Angeles County’s transportation future,” said Metro CEO Phillip A. Washington. “With their modern history of delivering successful tunneling projects throughout the world, Metro is confident that this contractor will play a critical role in helping us build the world-class public transportation system we have promised to voters.”

Tutor Perini-O&G and their major subcontractors have delivered subway tunnel projects for the Central Subway project in San Francisco, the University Link in Seattle and the East Side Access project in New York. Another large project the contractor successfully helped construct is the World Trade Center – Greenwich Street Corridor project for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

 Metro intends to implement a strong oversight plan with experienced staff to ensure the project is completed as intended and remains on time and on budget. That includes “executive partnering” between Metro and the contractor up to the CEO level to resolve project claims and changes. Metro will also pursue a collaborative approach to third-party issues.

 Metro is now building the first section of the Purple Line Extension between the current subway terminus at Wilshire/Western and Wilshire/La Cienega with three new stations. The second section will add another 2.6 miles to the project with one station at Wilshire/Rodeo in downtown Beverly Hills and a station in the heart of Century City.

RELATED: LA Metro Recommends Purple Line Subway Extension Contract Award

Completion of the second subway section is anticipated no later than 2026 per a funding agreement with the Federal Transit Administration and Metro is aiming to possibly finish the project at an earlier date. A third and final section will extend the subway to the Westwood/VA Hospital. Construction of this last section is planned to begin as early as 2019.

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WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff, a global engineering and professional services consulting firm, will assume the WSP name effective May 2017. The firm has operated as WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff since the acquisition of Parsons Brinckerhoff by WSP in October 2014.

“We are adopting a single brand as the next step in the unification of the company, leveraging the rich heritage, reputation and combined portfolios of multiple firms to strengthen our position in the marketplace,” said Gregory Kelly, president and chief executive officer of the U.S. and Latin America region of WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff.

RELATED: WSP Agrees to Buy Parsons Brinckerhoff for $1.24 Billion

“We look forward to continuing to serve our clients and making a major impact on the communities where we work through our contributions to transportation, buildings, energy and environmental projects.”

The firm will continue operating as WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff until May 2017. The U.S. and Latin America region of the firm comprises approximately 8,000 employees in more than 100 offices working on hundreds of projects.

Parsons Brinckerhoff has roots dating back to 1885 and has been involved on iconic tunneling and infrastructure projects since its founding, including designing and engineering the first stage of the New York City subway and serving as project manager for the Central Artery/Tunnel project in Boston, as well as projects across the globe.

RELATED: PB Awarded RDP Contract for California High-Speed Rail

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Located adjacent to JFK International Airport in Queens, N.Y., Bergen Basin has been recently listed as one of the most polluted waterways in the New York metropolitan area by Government Executive. One of the culprits is a bottleneck in a sewer conveying flows from South Ozone Park to the Jamaica Wastewater Treatment Plant. When the sewer is overwhelmed, untreated sewage flows directly into Bergen Basin leading into the Jamaica Bay.

In a project designed to reduce overflows, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) undertook the Bergen Basin Sewer Reconstruction project, which involved the construction of a new interceptor sewer under the Belt Parkway.

JRCRUZ overcame a variety of challenges to successfully complete the Bergen Basin Sewer Reconstruction project.

The project, however, involved its share of challenges, including working in proximity to existing infrastructure while minimizing disruption for residents, businesses and commuters, particularly along the heavily traveled Belt Parkway. The groundwater table and flowing ground conditions added to the complexity of the job.

In the end, new technological approaches, innovative engineering solutions and good old-fashioned teamwork led to the successful completion of the project.

Project Background

In its efforts to alleviate CSOs in its territory, NYCDEP planned the Bergen Basin project with lead consultant Hazen & Sawyer and underground facilities designer and geotechnical consultant Mott MacDonald. In 2015, construction began on the $20 million Bergen Basin Sewer Reconstruction project, which was awarded to JRCRUZ Corp. The project involved building a new interceptor that would serve to increase conveyance capacity, alleviate the bottleneck and therefore reduce sewer overflows.

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The project had its share of challenges from the start. The project work area was located adjacent to the Belt Parkway, a heavily trafficked thoroughfare serving Brooklyn and Queens, with the new interceptor crossing underneath the roadway. In this urban environment, minimizing disruption was paramount, leading to the decision to use trenchless methods.

The ground conditions included artificial fill and glacial outwash below the groundwater table. Planners expected a relatively uniform condition of cohesionless soils with flowing conditions. The ground conditions in combination with the size of the pipe to be installed led to microtunneling being selected as the trenchless construction method.

The primary scope of work comprised two microtunneling drives and the construction of three access pits – one drive pit and two receiving pits. One drive paralleled the Belt Parkway, while the other crossed underneath. However, the Belt Parkway crossing had one additional complication – an existing 42-in. storm sewer crossed the planned microtunnel alignment. As a result of the conflict, designers developed a plan that would reroute the storm sewer, which would have required major disruption to the Belt Parkway. The portion of the storm sewer interfering with the new interceptor alignment would then be demolished to allow the tunnel to the pass, and then reconstructed and reconnected.

“It was very challenging tunneling under a major highway in close proxility to large utilities, including storm drains, water mains and a high-pressure gas main,” said Alex Papric, project superintendent for JRCRUZ. “In addition, we were working in sandy ground below the water table, so it was critical to maintain the integrity of the excavations to prevent any ground loss.”

Value Engineering

When JRCRUZ Corp. was brought on board as the microtunneling contractor, it offered a Value Engineering Proposal (VEP) to deal with the conflicting 42-in. storm sewer. In looking closely at the alignment, JRCRUZ determined that by downsizing the 48-in. pipe crossing the Belt Parkway to 36 in., it could pass beneath the existing 42-in. storm sewer – with about 10 inches to spare. To provide sufficient conveyance capacity, JRCRUZ proposed using twin 36-in. crossings instead of a single 48-in. crossing.

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“We looked at the elevation of the existing utilities and determined that if we maintained the existing invert elevation, we could install two 36-in. sewers under the existing storm sewer while maintaining the same capacity,” said Matt Cruz, JRCRUZ Corp. “We were also able to reduce impacts on the Belt Parkway by eliminating the need to bypass, demolish and reconstruct the existing storm sewer.”

The concept of using smaller pipelines had been discussed in the preliminary planning stage, but had not been pursued due to unknowns concerning the existing storm sewer – its exact elevation, whether it had been built with a cradle, and whether there were piles. The risks due to these unknowns resulted in the option being eliminated during the planning stage. Once the project was in construction, JRCRUZ was in a position to undertake more invasive investigations and confirm the viability of using twin 36-in. crossings.

JRCRUZ was granted access to the storm sewer and was able to perform test drills to confirm that the storm sewer was not built with a cradle that would impede the progress of the MTBM. Survey work was performed, including at the intersection points with the proposed microtunnel drives to confirm the elevations. Additionally, a crew drilled probe holes via horizontal directional drilling (HDD) along the proposed alignment of the additional crossing to check for the existence of obstacles. Two probes were drilled for each crossing – at the 2 o’clock and 8 o’clock positions of the tunnel cross section. These supplemented HDD bores performed during the design for the original crossing.

The successful completion of the probe holes and supplemental survey information gave NYCDEP and its consultants confidence to move forward with the VEP.

“The use of HDD probe holes turned out to be a useful site investigation tool,” said David Watson, project manager for Mott MacDonald. “I wouldn’t recommend it in every instance, but in this case, the consequences of the MTBM getting stuck beneath the Belt Parkway justified the investment in this additional investigation. Sinking an unplanned recovery shaft in the middle of the Belt Parkway would have been a major challenge and caused significant disruption to road users.”

Given the combination of low clearance, soft ground, short pipe lengths (4 ft), and the lack of a cradle, the decision was made to maintain a zone of grouted ground around the existing storm sewer to protect it in the event of settlement.

The project involved twin microtunnels underneath the Belt Parkway, a heavily trafficked thoroughfare serving Brooklyn and Queens.

Moretrench was brought on as the ground improvement contractor and used permeation grouting to form a block of treated ground around the storm sewer. Hydratite joint seals were installed inside of the sewer at the joints to prevent grout infiltration into the sewer. As an early warning to potential damage due to ground movement, a settlement monitoring program was set up along the microtunnel alignments.

“There was a very substantial settlement monitoring plan that included automated monitoring information that was available to all parties,” said Grahame Turnbull, of JRCRUZ. “It was set up to create instant notifications if settlement exceeded predetermined thresholds, but we were able to complete the drives without exceeding those thresholds.”

By using the contractor’s VEP, the owner was able to realize significant savings compared to the project’s originally estimated cost.

In dealing with the flowing ground conditions, JRCRUZ brought a new approach to the table by using innovative launch and reception shaft seals. These seals included a high-head, double-lip seal as opposed to a more traditional single-lip approach that can be susceptible to damage. The contractor’s approach also included using a cartridge-type system preinstalled into the double-lip seal within the shaft wall for the reception shafts. A more detailed description of this seal will be forthcoming in a future technical presentation.

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“We were below the groundwater table in soils that would tend to flow, so we needed an approach to control water and soil during break in and break out,” Watson said. “In the design we called for a zone of grouted soil outside of the launch and reception areas in addition to seals, but the contractor proposed using these customized mechanical seals in lieu of grouting. It worked very well for all three drives.”

Belt Parkway Conclusion

To successfully complete a project with a myriad of challenges requires innovative solutions and teamwork, according to Cruz. “We were able to complete the job successfully as a result of strong partnering between the owner and the designers,” he said. “It is not always an easy process, but by working together we were able to bring an approach to the table that helped to mitigate risk and bring cost savings to the owner. If you do not develop good relationships with the people you are working with even the best planned project can fail.”

Watson concurred. “The overall success of the project was about building relationships and working together to resolve problems as they arose. There were times when perhaps the parties did not perceive risk the same way, but we were able to resolve those issues and move the project forward.”
As a result of the project, the owner was able to save money from its original estimate and the Bergen Basin and Jamaica Bay will ultimately see benefits through improved water quality, all the while reducing impacts on residents and businesses during the construction process.

Jim Rush is editor of Trenchless Technology.

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Fjotland.

Moretrench has announced that Wayne Fjotland has been promoted to the position of Vice President. Fjotland has more than 36 years of focused geotechnical construction experience. He began his career working for Spencer, White and Prentis and Raymond International, joining Moretrench in 2001, and is a founding member of Moretrench’s Geotec operations.

In addition to serving Moretrench in a corporate capacity, Fjotland will continue his role as Regional Manager, overseeing the company’s geotechnical operations in the greater New York Metro area, New Jersey, and Eastern Pennsylvania. He continues to improve and modify the company’s equipment and field operations to meet emerging technologies and challenges across the geotechnical spectrum.

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“Wayne is a seasoned leader with extensive experience in all aspects of geotechnical construction. He truly is the most creative person that I have worked with in this business. I feel fortunate that I have the opportunity to work with him for so many years and I look forward to working with him for many years to come,” said Thomas J. Tuozzolo, P.E., Senior Vice President, Moretrench.

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As of January 2017 the Robbins TBM had completed the 900 m (2,950 ft) long access tunnel and was boring its first section of headrace tunnel at rates of up to 25 rings per day.

The Los Condores hydroelectric power plant in Chile is a high-cover, hard-rock challenge, with 500 m (1,640 ft) of rock above the tunnel and a high-altitude jobsite 2,500 m (8,200 ft) above sea level. As of January 2017, a 4.56 m (15.0 ft) Robbins Double Shield TBM had completed boring its 900 m (2,950 ft) long access tunnel and was well on the way to boring the first section of headrace tunnel.  The machine embarked on its journey on May 27, 2016, and has since excavated over 1,300 m (4,270 ft) of tunnel in total.

The journey to machine launch was an arduous one, requiring shipment of TBM components and vehicle transport on unpaved, mountainous roads.  Contractor Ferrovial Agroman is responsible for the intake tunnel at the Los Condores hydroelectric project, and was well aware of the challenges associated with machine launch: “The location of the work is a big constraint due to its rugged terrain and geographical location in the Andes. With all this, we are anxious to perform work in an efficient manner,” said Pello Idigoras, Tunnel Production Manager for Ferrovial Agroman.

The jobsite, located 360 km (224 miles) south of Santiago, Chile, is part of a new 150 MW power plant and intake tunnel. The Robbins Double Shield TBM is boring two sections of the intake tunnel, the first measuring 6 km (3.7 miles) and the second measuring 4.4 km (2.7 miles). A section between the two tunnels will be excavated by drill-and-blast to connect them, making the intake tunnel about 12 km (7.5 miles) in length. “This project brings an increase in energy production in the country, thus contributing to the overall improvement in the welfare of its citizens,” said Idigoras of the effect the completed hydropower project will have on surrounding areas.

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The 4.56 m (15.0 ft) diameter Robbins Double Shield TBM was launched on May 27, 2016 in the mountainous Maule Region of Chile.

The tunnel, located in the mountainous Maule Region of Chile, is being bored in two types of rock: sedimentary and volcanic. The rock has been tested at strengths up to 100 MPa (14,500 psi) UCS, with at least two fault zones — the first of which has already been traversed in rhyolite, andesite, tuff, and breccia. For Idigoras, the conditions are well-suited to Double Shield tunneling: “We have good quality medium to hard rock for Double Shield excavation overall,” he said. Despite that, some areas of challenging ground persist. To cope with the conditions, including steadily increasing water inflows at rates of up to 3,500 l/min (925 gal/min), the contractor is utilizing cementitious grouting and chemical grouting with polyurethane and foam. Such ground conditioning techniques were anticipated and the Robbins Double shield was designed to effectively apply these techniques.

As the TBM excavates, it is lining the tunnel with 250 mm (10 in.) thick, 1.2 m (3.9 ft) long concrete segments in a 4+1 arrangement. The machine is currently progressing at a rate of up to 25 rings per 20 hours of boring. Crews are operating in two 10-hour shifts with one 4-hour shift dedicated to maintenance. Idigoras sees the TBM performance and completion of the access tunnel as huge project milestones, though much work remains to be done. “After many months working in engineering, manufacturing, installation, and commissioning, we are proud to see this result. It would be impossible to name all the people who participated in this project thus far but they, as a whole, have managed to get the TBM started digging and boring well.”

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In an effort to recognize the individuals and companies that have worked toward successfully completing complicated projects and advancing the microtunneling industry, the Microtunneling Achievement Awards were created in 2002. The awards were established by Microtunneling Short Course organizers Tim Coss, Microtunneling Inc., Levent Ozdemir, Ozdemir Engineering, and Trenchless Technoloy magazine/Benjamin Media.

Course organizers have announced the 2017 winners of this prestigious award. They are: Lester Bradshaw, Bradshaw Construction; Paul Nicholas, AECOM; Andreas Thiele, mts Perforator; and Paul Vadnais, Vadnais Trenchless.

All four of these individuals have careers that date back to the neophyte stage of microtunneling, helping build the market from the ground up. Bradshaw and Vadnais have been involved on the contracting side of the business, while Thiele and Nicholas have primarily been involved on the equipment manufacture/supply side.

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The award winners will be officially recognized at the 24th annual Microtunneling Short Course, which is being held Feb. 6-9, 2017, at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colo. The awards presentation will take place at the Banquet Dinner, Feb. 9, at the historic Boulderado Hotel in downtown Boulder. For more information or to register, visit http://microtunnelingshortcourse.com.

Lester Bradshaw, Bradshaw Construction

Bradshaw

Lester M. Bradshaw Jr., a third-generation contractor, is a seasoned professional with 48 years of experience in the underground construction industry. He began his career with the family firm, Eastern Tunneling Corp., while at the same time earning both a bachelor and master degree of civil engineering from Georgia Tech and an MBA from Harvard. In 1982 he co-founded Bradshaw Construction and became its President in 1991. Over the past 35 years, Bradshaw Construction has successfully built over 600 tunnel projects. A few of its most notable achievements include pioneering compressed air ground stabilization for the NATM tunnel method, building the first microtunnel in the mid-Atlantic in 1991, and successfully microtunneling granitic rock in 2004.

Bradshaw is a member of ASCE and The Moles as well as a board member of the North American Microtunneling Association, UCA of SME Executive Committee, and the National Family Resiliency Center. He is a principal author of the 2015 ASCE Standard Design and Construction Guidelines for Microtunneling and a reviewer of the ASCE Standards for the Pilot Tube and Other Guided Boring Methods. Bradshaw has authored and presented numerous papers on microtunneling at the Microtunnel Short Courses and the NASTT and RETC/NAT Tunneling conferences.

Paul Nicholas, AECOM

Nicholas

Paul Nicholas has a background in geotechnical and extensive engineering, and has spent the last 37 years in the oil and heavy infrastructure and the tunneling industries. Nicholas specializes in TBM engineering where he has been entrenched in design, manufacturing, and/or commissioning. He also operates as both a consultant and contractor giving him an understanding of all the elements it takes to effectively construct and operate tunnel boring machines and tunnel projects.

He has extensive experience in various types of ground of tunneling works with EPB, slurry and rock TBMs supplied to road, hydro, utility and metro projects. Nicholas recently was project Manager/Director on several metro tunnels in India. Nicholas is an internationally recognized specialist in microtunneling, pipe jacking and trenchless technology.

Andreas Thiele, mts Perforator

Thiele

Born in Germany, Thiele studied electrical engineering and got his professional experience working for Götsche & Schwarzelmüller GmbH, a producer of water treatment plants. While working there, Thiele got the opportunity to work in European countries. After working there for seven years, he passed the state test to become a certified electrical engineer and went to work for Horst Schluckwerder OHG, a manufacturer of confectionery, marzipan and sweets, as an technical supervisor maintenance.

In 1997, Thiele was introduced to the microtunneling company Ingenieur-Tiefbaugesellschaft Dr. Ing G. Soltau GmbH. His duties included the service for the systems, training of customers and further development of the systems. This task took Thiele all over the world, including his first trip to the United States. During this time Thiele made many contacts worldwide – many of which are still contacts today. In 2000, Thiele joined LOVAT mts and worked there until 2004. Since 2004, he has been with mts Perforator GmbH. Thiele’s field of work has expanded considerably in recent years. After many international assignments, his focus now is on North America, where he has been able to renew many contacts from his stint at Soltau.

Paul Vadnais, Vadnais Trenchless

Vadnais

Paul J. Vadnais has spent over 40 years in the underground construction industry, most with Vadnais Corp. and its affiliated companies (V2 Trenching LLC in Oman and Vadnais Microtunneling Middle East). From 2014 to the present he has been the President of Vadnais Trenchless Services Inc. (VTS) and manages Pipe Jacking Trenchless Inc. (PJT), both are wholly owned operating units of Primoris Services Corp. (PRIM). He has had seats on numerous boards over the years including the AGC, ECA and NAMA.

Vadnais has managed and supervised projects including water sewer and storm drain pipelines, box culverts, pump stations and hundreds of miles rock trenching for oil and gas pipelines in the Middle East. In 1993, Vadnais entered the microtunneling industry and established the company as a leader in the field, completing some of the most difficult microtunneling installations, including multiple river crossings, caisson shafts and congested urban environments. Today, Vadnais manages VTS and PJT, which are operating on a national geographic footprint with projects in Florida, Colorado, Texas and the West Coast. To date, the company has installed over 230,000 lf of microtunneling and will begin construction this spring on an $88 million microtunneling project for the City of Los Angeles.

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Microtunneling Achievement Award Winners

Past winners of the Microtunneling Achievement Award:

• Northwest Boring (2002)
• Franco Coluccio, Frank Coluccio Construction Co. (2004)
• Glenn Boyce, Jacobs Associates (2006)
• James Kwong, Yogi Kwong Engineers (2007, 2013)
• Stefan Trumpi-Althaus, Jack Control Inc. (2008)
• Matt Roberts, Kiewit (2009)
• Dennis Molvik, Northwest Boring (2011)
• Gary Huber, Permalok (2012)
• Rick Turkopp, Hobas (2012)
• James W. Fowler Co. (2014)
• Rene Inosanto, Frank Coluccio Construction Co. (2015)
• Greg Raines, MWH (2015)
• John Grennan, Ward and Burke (2015)
• Julian O’Connell, Herrenknecht (2016)
• Dan Schitea, Vadnais Trenchless Services (2016)
• Troy Stokes, Akkerman Inc. (2016)
• Grahame Turnbull, Consultant (2016)
• Lester Bradshaw, Bradshaw Construction (2017)
• Paul Nicholas, AECOM (2017)
• Andreas Thiele, mts PERFORATOR (2017)
• Paul Vadnais, Vadnais Trenchless (2017)

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