- Company: HART Engineering Corporation
- Industry: Water/Wastewater
- Location: East Providence, Rhode Island
- Expected Completion Date: March 15, 2013
- Project Website
Construction of a 10MGD sanitary sewer pump station to replace an existing pump station for the City of East Providence, RI.
What impact does this project have on America?
Clean water and an improved natural resource environment. Prior to construction of this new pump station, the sanitary sewer flows would overflow into the adjacent Narragansett Bay during rain events due to the limited pumping capacity of the existing outdated pump station. This project provides a pump station appropriately sized to support a growing population while preserving a precious saltwater ecosystem.
What interesting obstacles or unusual circumstances did you overcome to complete the project?
The overall construction site was challenging due it being immediately adjacent to the existing pump station and Narragansett Bay, while the poor soil conditions required an extensive foundation system to be built well below the existing ground water levels. During the installation of the concrete piles, an adjacent old soil boring created a soil boiling situation during the pile driving operation that jeopardized the sheeted excavation. We were able to stabilize this disturbed subgrade by quickly mobilizing a wellpoint dewatering system to control the subsurface hydrostatic artesian event allowing for the completion of the project.
What dangers and risks did you encounter, and describe any extraordinary methods used to keep workers safe?
The construction involved a sheeted excavation and a concrete pile foundation system within a limited work area. Throughout the project, the entire work area and open excavation was fully protected by means of railings and fencing, while all crane setup locations were planned around worker safety considerations.
How did you leverage new technologies to work faster and reduce waste?
The concrete pile foundation system was installed after the excavation was brought to subgrade which allowed for the installation of shorted precast piles. This installation decision expedited the installation of the piles and the bulk excavation work, while eliminating the waste of cutting the piles above grade.
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