Brightwater Milbor-Pita

FINAL LINER
VOLUME 13
SPRING 2007
New Win
News
Refining Design of Seattle's Light Rail Extension:
Expanding Our Capabilities:
Milbor-Pita
Washington Park
Union Bay
Husky
Stadium
University Link
Montlake
Vent Shaft
University of
Washington
Station
Portage
Bay
Capitol Hill
Station
5
University Link
Seattle, WA
Lake Union
N
Dan N. Adams, PE ║ Seattle, WA
Sound Transit is now in final design on a
3.15-mile light rail extension that will run in
twin-bore tunnels from downtown Seattle to
the University of Washington (UW). Known as
University Link, or U-Link, the extension is expected to be open for service in 2016. U-Link
will serve the three largest urban centers in
the state of Washington — downtown Seattle,
Capitol Hill, and the University District. By
2030 the U-Link line alone is projected to
As Project Manager for the Northlink Transit
Partners Joint Venture, Dan knows University
Link inside-out.
add 70,000 boardings a day to the total
light rail system. An initial 15.7-mile line
from downtown Seattle to the Sea-Tac
Airport is already more than 70 percent complete and on schedule to open in 2009.
Final Design Team
To finalize U-Link’s design, Sound Transit
appointed the Northlink Transit Partners
Joint Venture (NTP JV), which includes Jacobs
Associates, HNTB Corporation, Earthtech, and
26 subconsultants. Jacobs Associates handles project management, tunnel design, and
geotechnical engineering. HNTB Corporation
leads integration, rail and station mechanical,
and electrical design. Earthtech adminis-
Pine Street
Stub Tunnel
Sound Transit plans to extend their light rail line
3.15 miles north from downtown Seattle to the
University of Washington. Jacobs Associates
manages the joint venture conducting final
design of University Link’s twin-bore tunnels, two
stations, and related structures.
ters project controls, tunnel ventilation, and
architectural management. Key subconsultants include David Hewitt Architects, LMN
Architects, and KPFF Consulting Engineers.
Scope of Work
The NTP JV mobilized in December 2006 to
bring the station and route design process
from preliminary engineering to 100 percent
completion by early 2009. In addition to
the twin-bore tunnels, U-Link includes two
below-grade, cut-and-cover stations — one
Geo-Savvy
MPA also brings a host of geotechnical and
geological expertise. Their abilities include
design of slope stability, foundation engineering, erosion, landslide prevention, and
construction dewatering systems. MPA has
subcontracted to large engineering firms like
DMJM Harris, Hanson-Wilson, STV/Ralph
Whitehead, and INCA, as well as contractors
such as Trenchless Construction Services,
Ghella-Sogene Tunneling, and Wilder
Construction Company.
continued on page 6
Table of Contents
Building a Watertight Design:
2
page Principal’s Message ║ New Wins
— South Cobb Tunnel CM, University Link
continued ║ Project update — Claremont
Tunnel Seismic Upgrade
Brightwater
page 3 retc ║ Project update — East
Jeremy Johnson, PE ║ Seattle, WA
Side CSO
King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division
serves around 1.4 million people in the central Puget Sound region. Without an upgrade,
the existing wastewater conveyance and
treatment system likely would have reached
capacity by 2010. This could have stifled regional growth by potentially effecting a stateimposed moratorium on new construction.
King County planned the new Brightwater
Wastewater Treatment System to provide the
increased capacity and infrastructure needed
to support anticipated growth. Additionally,
the new system will bring important environmental benefits, such as controlling
untreated overflows into lakes and bays, and
recycling sewage into irrigation water.
Jeremy serves as the lead for engineering
support during construction of the Brightwater
Conveyance System East Contract.
Top-Notch Railroad Services
JA’s integration of MPA broadens the expertise that we offer our clients, especially in the
underground rail department. In its 12 years
of business, MPA became a boutique powerhouse in rail tunnel rehabilitation and large
embankment stabilization, both in design and
construction management (CM). Recently
the Norfolk Southern Railway selected MPA
as part of the STV/Ralph Whitehead Joint
Venture to provide tunnel engineering and
CM services on the Heartland Corridor
Project, which will improve vertical clearance
deficiencies in 28 tunnels. MPA also counts
Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Union Pacific,
CSX, Metrolink, and CalTrain among their
railroad rehabilitation clients.
continued on page 2
Project Update
The System in Brief
When completed in 2010, Brightwater will
connect about 335 miles of existing sewage
pipes to a new treatment plant. From the
plant, treated wastewater will flow to a new
outfall in Puget Sound. The project includes
Jacobs Associates (JA) welcomes Milbor-Pita
& Associates (MPA), specialists in geotechnical and rail tunnel engineering, into our family. This April JA’s Board of Directors approved
the acquisition of MPA, headquartered in
Woodinville, Washington. MPA’s founding
partners, Frank Pita and Gerry Millar, and
their technical staff have accepted positions
with JA in Seattle. Frank and Gerry, who have
signed on as Principals, both have multiple
professional licenses and more than 30 years
of industry experience.
page 4 Project updates — Transbay
Downtown Extension, Brightwater continued
page 5 Cross-examination — Reviewing
the Dispute Review Board ║ New Win
— Pipeline 6
page 6 Muck Bucket — Project Award,
Promotion, Staff Recognition, New Hires ║
Milbor-pita continued
approximately 13 miles of new bored
tunnels, which will lie 40 to 440 feet
underground in north King and south
Snohomish Counties.
Design History
Throughout a four-year involvement with
Brightwater, Jacobs Associates (JA) has
encountered some unique design challenges,
especially in managing groundwater. JA
Brightwater’s East Contract construction site
contains multiple large shafts: (left) an 80-foot
internal diameter (ID) shaft for tunnel excavation;
(right) a twin circular-cell shaft, each cell measuring 83 feet ID, to house a rectangular pump
station. Each structure employs concrete diaphragm wall technology to keep out groundwater.
began preliminary design in 2002 as a subconsultant to HDR and then performed final
design, completed in 2006, in joint venture
with MWH. The JA/MWH Joint Venture (JV)
About JA
Jacobs Associates provides state-ofthe-art civil engineering consulting services.
We specialize in design and construction
management for underground projects. Our
firm also offers expertise in construction
claims and dispute resolution. We have provided these services for more than 50 years.
© 2007 Jacobs Associates
continued on page 4
Principal’s Message:
Sustaining Growth,
Maintaining the Mission
This year Jacobs
Associates
celebrates an important milestone:
we have reached
the 100 employee
mark. Our firm is
bigger than it has
ever been in our
over 50-year history. More importantly, this achievement in growth
has been met while
staying true to our
Victor S. Romero, PE, CEG
mission, which has
been no accident.
We have made concerted efforts to grow steadily in
a way that observes the firm’s underlying ideals: to
develop leading-edge talent, to make meaningful contributions to the field of engineering, and to provide
exceptional service to our clients.
In my 16 years at Jacobs Associates, I have seen us
double in size and, with improved technology, increase
the ratio of professional engineering staff to nontechnical staff. Another example of growth at Jacobs
Associates, and one that’s wholly new to us, is the
addition of a company, Milbor-Pita & Associates, into
our family. We pursued this merger for many reasons,
as outlined elsewhere in this 'Final Liner,' but especially because we saw a good fit. Milbor-Pita's people
and work will complement our corporate culture and
our bottom line.
As we take all of these steps toward being bigger, we've
also had to take a good look at who we are now, and
where we're going. From an organizational standpoint,
we have maintained a structure that allows us to bring
in new employees at every level, from college recruits
to seasoned professionals. Our organization relies on
our Principals’ involvement at the project level. We
are not just managers that manage, but engineers that
engineer. This hands-on style ensures that our services
remain high-quality.
New Win
Building a Long-Term Water Solution:
South Cobb Tunnel CM
Ted R. DePooter, PE
Seated in the northwest part of metro
Atlanta, Georgia, Cobb County encompasses about 350 square miles and more
than 650,000 people. In 1980 the county
housed less than half of today’s population. As the Cobb County Water System
(CCWS) watched the population grow, they
realized that their county sorely needed
additional infrastructure. The CCWS’ current capital improvement plan attends to
the South Cobb Basin, the county’s largest
sewer basin at nearly 150 square miles.
Capacity for the Future
After carefully studying the problem, CCWS
opted to build a long-term solution. At approximately 27 feet in excavated diameter
and 29,000 feet in length, the South Cobb
Tunnel will handle projected 2040 flows,
providing 80 million gallons of storage
capacity for flow equalization. This deep
rock tunnel will carry sewer flows to a new
130 million-gallons-per-day pump station.
This project also involves building multiple
Ted brings more than 20 years of experience in underground construction to his
future position as Resident Construction
Manager on the South Cobb Tunnel.
shafts and inlet structures, as well as
small connector tunnels. Construction,
estimated to cost $200 million, will run
from late fall of 2007 to 2013.
Bottom-Line Value
The new South Cobb Tunnel and Pump
Station make sense on an economic level.
This project will retire two large pump
stations, approximately 30,000 linear feet
of force main, and 26,000 linear feet of
large-diameter gravity sewer main. This
translates to lower operating costs for the
CCWS. In addition, this project removes
the need to upgrade sewer lines located in
an environmentally-sensitive area prone
to flooding.
Repeat CM Team
The CCWS selected Jacobs Associates (JA)
in a team with Parsons to provide construction management (CM) and support
services for the South Cobb Tunnel. JA and
Parsons provided similar services for Cobb
County back in 1999 on the 49,600-foot
long Chattahoochee Tunnel, completed
under budget in 2005. On the South Cobb
Tunnel, JA will provide resident engineering, tunnel inspection, and quality
Senior Engineer Sarah Wilson (left) posed in front of the carrier pipe with the East Bay Municipal
Utility District team: (left to right) Cam Miller, Xavier Irias, Tom Shastid, Eileen White, Shawn
Carlson, and David Tsztoo.
Along with the rest of the profession, we are also being
affected by the shortage of engineers and construction craftspeople coming out of universities and trade
schools. It’s been said a lot lately, but I don’t mind
saying it again: our industry needs to engage the youth
of our country in our profession. Jacobs Associates
has made investments by underwriting scholarships
and grants, and by volunteering time at high schools
and universities with industry-focused teaching. But
we need to do more than visit these institutions with
lectures and recruiting pep talks. We need to show students that a career in civil engineering and construction is just as rewarding as other highly skilled professions. I think attracting people into our profession is
an easy sell — where else do you get to build projects
that benefit society, play with big toys, and work in an
industry of smart and colorful individuals?
At Jacobs Associates, we believe our growth can be
sustained and rewarding, as long as we stay true to
our ideals.
Yours very truly,
Victor S. Romero, PE, CEG
Principal and Vice President
Victor has more than 16 years of experience in underground design, construction management, and claims
consulting. He currently serves as Project Manager for
Pipeline 6, as well as Lead Tunnel Engineer for the San
Francisco Bay Tunnel.
Final Liner • Volume 13
assurance. In addition, JA will support
CCWS staff in dealing with sensitive community issues, such as noise associated
with blasting and ground vibration induced
by the tunnel boring machine. The JA and
Parsons team will work hard to maintain
a safe workplace, satisfy constructability
requirements, control risk, ensure quality,
manage cost and schedule, and control
the effects of differing site conditions
Project Update
Turning on the Spigot
Claremont
This March the East Bay Municipal Utility
District (EBMUD) turned on the spigot in
the Claremont Tunnel, which recently underwent a seismic upgrade. The tunnel’s
new steel carrier pipe, lined and coated
with mortar, will ensure delivery of drinking water to over 800,000 customers in
the event of a major seismic event on the
Hayward Fault. Jacobs Associates provided
design and construction management
support services on this award-winning
water tunnel upgrade. The American
Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) San
Francisco Section deemed Claremont the
recipient of its Special Innovation Award
for 2006.
It's clear that some new challenges lie ahead. In order
for Principals and Associates to be conversant with the
many projects we are working on companywide, we
have had to implement formal programs for conflict of
interest checks, and find ways to disseminate knowledge among our employees and offices.
While another obvious necessity of growth is recruitment of qualified employees, we are also focusing on
retention. To this end we have instituted in-house
project manager training for our up-and-coming staff,
taught by the Principals and outside instructors. We
have also expanded our technical continuing education. Employees need more than the old adage of “on
the job” training.
The old Parsons and Jacobs Associates
construction management crew on the
Chattahoochee Tunnel includes (left to right,
front row) Ted DePooter, Fred Estep, Denver
Chandler, Mark Tilly, Dave Rendini, (back)
John Geyer, and Dwayne Easterling.
continued from page 1
New Win
University Link
at UW near Husky Stadium, and the other
in the heart of Capitol Hill. The project
also involves 18 cross passages, as well
as several ancillary structures associated
with highway undercrossings (including
the nine-lane, two-story Interstate 5) and
pedestrian circulation at each station.
UW Station
Perhaps the most complex of the open cut
structures, the UW Station is the northern
terminus for this phase of the light rail program. As such, the station features a double-crossover and storage track configuration. Its location among Husky Stadium,
the main campus, University Hospital, and
a bus-transfer station requires three different entrances. The station box structure measures 855 by 110 feet with the
platform level about 80 feet below grade.
A central mezzanine connects three different entrance locations.
Construction Packages
Final design work includes developing six
different construction packages. The first
contract, involving advanced utility relocation and demolition, will advertise around
May 2008. The remaining contracts will
follow: bored tunnels from the UW to the
Capitol Hill Station (CHS); bored tunnels
from CHS to Pine Street; University Station
finishes; CHS finishes; and trackwork and
maintenance base modifications.
tion, eliminates 900 feet of deep cut-andcover tunnel, and significantly diminishes
temporary traffic impacts at this extremely
congested location;
Optimize rail vertical and horizontal
alignments between stations to raise the
platform elevation of the CHS by 30 feet;
•
Jacobs Associates developed an alternative construction sequence for the Pine
Street Stub Tunnel, which lies just south of
Interstate 5. This scheme continues bored
tunnels through an existing maze of cylinder
piles, beneath a row of tie-backs, and into the
north wall of the existing Pine Street Tunnel.
Cost-Effective Engineering
The NTP JV has focused the efforts of
over 65 technical staff on refining U-Link’s
alignment with an eye to lowering the
project’s total cost. Specifically, the JV has
performed in-depth analyses required to:
Reconfigure the tunnel ventilation
system and eliminate an unnecessary
vent structure;
•
Refine rail geometry and optimize the
civil structures to reduce the length of the
UW Station by 15 percent;
•
Develop a new north entrance at UW
that includes a pedestrian bridge connec•
Create a transit-oriented development
scheme at CHS to effectively separate the
structure from development; and
•
Develop an alternative construction
sequence that eliminates 750 feet of
sequentially-excavated tunnels and two
“recovery shafts” south of Interstate 5.
•
The JV continues to generate new ideas
that simplify the project and provide taxpayer value. This relentless focus on value
will pay off in delivering the project within
the capital budget of $750 million.
RETC 2007
Presenting 10 Papers, 13 Authors, 3 Program Chairs
One of the premier conferences in the tunneling industry, the
biennial Rapid Excavation and Tunneling Conference (RETC)
will take place June 10th through 13th in Toronto, Ontario.
Organized by the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration
(SME), this international conference showcases the latest innovations in excavation, tunneling, and underground construction.
This year Jacobs Associates (JA) has contributed the greatest
number of papers in our firm's history. In addition, several JA
Principals will serve as program chairs. In between sessions, look
for JA at exhibit number 308.
Preliminary Design of the Caldecott Fourth Bore: Bhaskar B.
Thapa, Michael T. McRae, Johannes Van Greunen (all with JA)
presents a new test methodology for estimating soil abrasivity
on TBMs.
This paper describes the preliminary design of the Caldecott
Tunnel Fourth Bore along State Route 24 in Oakland, California.
It focuses on New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM) design
of initial supports and seismic tunnel design. The tunnel passes
through weak, folded, and faulted sedimentary rock. This lifeline
facility must accommodate emergency vehicles within 72 hours of
a 1,500-year seismic event.
Evaluation of Large Tunnels in Poor Ground – Alternative
Tunnel Concepts for the Transbay Downtown Rail Extension
Project: Steve Klein (JA), David Hopkins (JA), Bradford
Townsend (Hatch Mott McDonald), Derek Penrice (Hatch Mott
McDonald), Ed Sum (Transbay Joint Powers Authority)
A special program on Sunday, June 10th, will survey the current
state of revisions to the 1974 manual on 'Better Contracting
Practices.' Registrants for this session on 'Better Contracting for
Underground Construction' will receive a draft of the new document in advance. Chapter topics include Risk Analysis, Design
Responsibilities, and Price Schedules. JA Principal and President
William Edgerton chairs the committee managing this revision
under the umbrella of the Underground Construction Association
of the SME.
Joint Water Pollution Control Plant Tunnel and Ocean
Outfall Project: Steve Dubnewych (JA), Jon Kaneshiro (Parsons
Water & Infrastructure Inc.), Calvin Jin (Sanitation Districts of
Los Angeles County)
JA Principals Dan Adams and Mike McRae will each chair a
technical program on Monday, June 11th — 'Design and Planning
of Underground Projects I,' and 'New and Future Projects I,' respectively. Additionally, Principal Victor Romero, recently elected
to the RETC Executive Committee, will assist with planning the
2009 conference.
For more information on RETC, visit www.retc.org.
Paper Abstracts
Excavation and Support of a Water Tunnel through the
Hayward Fault Zone: Sarah Holtz Wilson (JA), David F.
Tsztoo (East Bay Municipal Utility District), Carl R. Handford
(Atkinson Construction), Kenneth Rossi (EPC Consultants)
The East Bay Municipal Utility District’s Claremont Tunnel is
an 18,000-foot long water tunnel built in 1929. The Claremont
Upgrade Project involved the construction of a bypass tunnel
through the Hayward Fault zone, including an enlarged vault section designed to accommodate up to 8.5 feet of horizontal offset.
Notable aspects include challenging and squeezing ground conditions, and a special excavation and support sequence.
Driving the Twin Bore Running Tunnels by Earth Pressure
Balance Machine on the Sound Transit C-710 Beacon
Hill Station and Tunnels Project: Steve Redmond (Obayashi
Corporation), Chris Tatersall (Hatch Mott MacDonald), Nestor
Garavelli (Obayashi Corporation), Peter Raleigh (JA, care of
Parsons Brinkerhoff), Michael J. Lehnen (Hatch Mott MacDonald)
Twin bore running tunnels link the west and east portals of this
complex light rail project. The tunnels were driven 4,500 route
feet by an earth pressure balance (EPB) tunnel boring machine
(TBM). One third of the way through the drive, the TBM was
"walked across" the Beacon Hill Station, the deepest underground
"binocular" station of its kind in North America, and relaunched
on the other side. This paper reviews the layout and design considerations; the contractor's approach; and the launch, relaunch,
and recovery of the TBM.
Photographs courtesy of the Bureau of Environmental Services,
City of Portland
The Joint Water Pollution Control Plant Tunnel and Ocean
Outfall, if constructed, would be one of the major marine outfall
projects in the world. The new system would provide relief to the
existing outfall and allow inspection, maintenance, and repair of
the existing tunnel and outfall system. Significant challenges include crossing seismically active faults, and potentially encountering up to 11 bars of water pressure, as well as gassy and contaminated ground conditions.
Portland, Oregon’s Alternative Contract Approach – A
Final Summary: Paul Gribbon (City of Portland), Greg Colzani
(JA), Julius Strid (EPC Consultants), Jim McDonald (Impregilo/
S.A. Healy Joint Venture)
Portland, Oregon’s $370 million West Side Combined Sewer
Overflow Tunnel Project finished early and under budget. Its
innovative reimbursable cost–plus–fixed-fee contract followed a
qualifications-based contractor procurement process and a
pre-construction planning phase. This paper addresses the final
results of the contracting method and provides a lessons-learned
case history.
Planning and Design of the Bay Tunnel: R. John Caulfield
(JA), Victor S. Romero (JA), Johanna Wong (San Francisco
Public Utilities Commission)
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission's Hetch Hetchy
water system serves 2.4 million people in the Bay Area. The
1920s-era pipeline crosses under the Bay and is vulnerable to
damage from shaking on the nearby San Andreas and Hayward
Faults. The Commission plans to replace the pipeline with the
first TBM-driven tunnel under the Bay.
The Transbay Downtown Extension (DTX) involves construction
of an approximately 1.5-mile rail line that will extend Caltrain
commuter service, and the future California High Speed Rail
service, into downtown San Francisco. The DTX excavation will
employ mined tunnel and cut-and-cover methods. Challenges
include difficult ground conditions, low rock cover, an alignment
that passes beneath several historic buildings, and a large
tunnel span.
Construction of a Mixed Face Reach through Granitic
Rocks and Conglomerate: Michael A. Krulc (Traylor Shea
Joint Venture), John J. Murray (JA), Michael T. McRae (JA),
Kathy L. Schuler (San Diego County Water Authority)
The San Vicente Pipeline Tunnel Project involves construction
of an 8.5-foot diameter water pipeline in an 11-mile tunnel.
Excavation takes place in variable geologic conditions consisting
of strong granitic and volcanic rocks, weak sedimentary rocks,
abrasive conglomerates, and mixed face conditions. One 5,200foot mixed face reach included Friars Formation Conglomerate
overlying granitic rock. The excavation in this reach employed
drill-and-blast and NATM methods.
Drop Shafts for Narragansett Bay Commission CSO
Abatement Program, Providence, Rhode Island: Rafael C.
Castro (JA), Geoffrey Hughes (Louis Berger Group), Fredrick
“Rick” Vincent (Jacobs Civil), Philip H. Albert (Narragansett
Bay Commission)
Seven pairs of drop and ventilation shafts, between 2 and 9 feet
in diameter, will convey combined sewer flow to a 230-foot-deep,
26-foot-diameter storage tunnel. This paper presents case
histories for each site. Discussion includes functional requirements, program and site access constraints, structural design,
geology, excavation and lining construction methods used, and
lessons learned.
New Test Methodology for Estimating the Abrasiveness of
Soils for TBM Tunnelling: Bjorn Nilsen (Norwegian University
of Science and Technology), Filip Dahl (SINTEF Rock and Soil
Mechanics), Joerg Holzhäuser (Smoltczyk & Partner GmbH),
Peter Raleigh (JA)
Tunnel excavation using TBMs has become increasingly common
in recent years, despite the fact that precise evaluation of certain
risks has not kept pace with their use. One of the risks easily
overlooked is the effect of abrasive ground on cost and schedule.
Several test methods exist for rock, but there is limited knowledge
of the impact of abrasive soil on soft ground TBMs. This paper
Project Update
Christening the Cutterhead
Associates Greg Colzani and Ted DePooter pose with the gleaming
new 25-foot cutterhead, which will attach to Rosie, the 300-foot
long tunnel boring machine.
East Side CSO
The largest sewer project yet undertaken by the City of
Portland, the East Side Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) celebrated the arrival of a 25-foot cutterhead this April. This giant
piece of steel will attach to a 300-foot long Herrenknecht
tunnel boring machine (TBM), nicknamed Rosie, expected
to launch sometime in May. A sister project of the recently
completed West Side CSO, the 6-mile East Side CSO will
capture more than 94 percent of the sewage and stormwater
that now overflows into the Willamette River when it rains.
The $464 million East Side project, constructed by the Joint
Venture of Kiewit-Bilfinger Berger, should reach completion in
2011. Jacobs Associates assists the owner, Portland’s Bureau
of Environmental Services, with construction management
services, including contract administration, resident engineering, and construction photography services.
The 115-foot deep, 67-foot diameter Opera Shaft will serve
as the East Side CSO’s main mining and access shaft.
Using the New Austrian Tunneling Method/Sequential Excavation
Method will help control ground movements. The current plan for
excavating the three-track tunnel calls for seven individually-mined
drifts: three in the top heading, three in the first bench, and one in
the second bench.
Project Update
Reviving Bay Area Transit:
Transbay Downtown Extension
Rock Dowels
Pipe Canopy
18” Thick
Concrete Final
Lining
NATM/SEM Solutions for Difficult Ground
Geologic borings reveal extremely challenging ground conditions along the tunnel alignment. The geology ranges from
highly fractured, sheared, and weathered rock to relatively
strong rock. After evaluating several tunneling methods, JA
recommended using the New Austrian Tunneling Method/
Sequential Excavation Method (NATM/SEM), which involves
incrementally excavating and supporting the tunnel. This
cost-effective and flexible approach, used in the United States
since the early 1980s, can address both difficult and variable
Excavation
Sequence Order
50.0’
ground conditions. In the case of the DTX tunnel, NATM/SEM
will help prevent damage to the overlying historic buildings. A
grouted pipe canopy, to be installed ahead of the excavation,
will provide positive pre-reinforcement of the tunnel arch. The
pipes will reduce overbreak and minimize the potential for
surface settlement.
Among the United States’ Largest Rail Tunnels
Another key element of the TJPA program, the Downtown
Extension (DTX) will stretch the existing Caltrain commuter
rail line 1.3 miles to connect with the TTC. This extension
eventually will accommodate the proposed California High
Speed Rail as well. Jacobs Associates, teamed with Parsons
and Arup, is currently refining the conceptual designs for the
mined 3,200-foot long tunnel section. The scope of these
evaluations includes project development studies, alternatives evaluations, conceptual design, and cost estimates.
The Future of DTX
TJPA is currently developing a funding plan for constructing
the DTX. When this is finalized, preliminary engineering and
then detailed design will commence. TJPA has earmarked late
2011 or early 2012 for the start of construction; however, if
funding allows, construction could begin sooner.
Alternatives under evaluation — two- and three-track tunnel
sections with respective spans of about 45 and 65 feet wide
Steve leads the conceptual and preliminary design for the
half-mile tunnel section of the Transbay Downtown Extension.
Shotcrete
All Around
(15” Total)
14’ Max
— place the DTX tunnel among the largest rail tunnels ever
constructed in the United States.
10’ Max.
For the average Bay Area commuter, traveling from home to
work takes about 30 minutes. Recent United States census
studies indicate that San Francisco has the ninth-highest
mean commute time in the country. One reason for this is the
lack of integration of San Francisco’s public transit providers.
In an effort to improve the efficiency of this disjointed system,
the Transbay Joint Powers Authority’s (TJPA) aims to consolidate six bus and rail service providers under one roof. Slated
to become the largest multi-modal transit center west of New
York City, the Transbay Transit Center (TTC) will be a landmark
building and the focus of a major redevelopment program for
San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood. An international design competition is underway to determine the plans
for this signature structure.
20’ Max
Steve Klein, PE, GE ║ San Francisco
The Downtown Extension will be excavated in weak, highly fractured
Franciscan Formation rock.
continued from page 1
Project Update
Brightwater
Conveyance System Construction Contracts
Due to Brightwater's complexity and scope, King County packaged the conveyance system into three construction contracts.
now lends engineering support to facilitate a smooth and successful construction process.
Contract Name
Construction Cost
(U.S. millions)
Contractor
Anticipated
Completion Date
Description
(Measurements approximate)
East Contract
$131
Kenny Shea Traylor
Joint Venture (JV)
Late 2009
One 14,400’ long, 16’ 8” internal
diameter (ID) tunnel drive; one
2,400’ long microtunnel; two large
shafts, one 80’ and another 82’ ID
Central Contract
$210
Vinci/Parsons/
Frontier-Kemper JV
Late 2010
Two tunnels, one 19,000’ and
another 11,600’ long; one 3,400’
microtunnel; and two shafts
Unique Shaft Design, East Contract
The East Contract features two large shafts, one for tunnel excavation and one to house a new pump station. King
County required a rectangular pump station footprint, which
created challenges for design of the pump station shaft. High
groundwater and compressible soils at the site prohibited
dewatering during shaft construction, thus requiring underwater excavation techniques. However, underwater construction prevented the use of temporary internal bracing within a
rectangular shaft, and site space constraints eliminated the
use of a large, unbraced circular shaft.
West Contract
$102
Jay Dee/Coluccio/
Taisei JV
Early 2011
One 21,000’ long, 13’ minimum ID
tunnel; 540’ long, 60” ID
microtunnel; one 50’ deep shaft;
sampling facility
This Central Contract construction site contains a microtunnel jacking pit on the upper left, and, at right, the 58-foot internal diameter
North Kenmore Portal, from which a slurry shield tunnel boring
machine will launch.
The JA/MWH JV overcame this challenge by designing twin
circular-cell shafts using relatively watertight concrete diaphragm wall technology, and two structural invert slabs. Each
of the intersecting cells measures 83 feet internal diameter
(ID) (77 finished), with a temporary 60-foot long diaphragm
wall spanning the intersecting points. Eventually three large
reinforced concrete struts will replace the temporary wall, providing an open floor plan for the pump station. The contractor
began shaft construction in the summer of 2006.
Groundwater Pressure, Central Contract
At the Central Contract site, groundwater issues complicate
two tunnel drives. Due to local topography, portions of the first
19,000-foot drive must lie more than 400 feet underground
and face up to 7.3 bars of groundwater pressure. The JA/
MWH JV mitigated this issue by requiring slurry shield tunneling technology, a first in the United States on a competitively
bid contract. The design team specified steel-fiber-reinforced
bolted and gasketed segmental tunnel lining systems for
this and the other 11,600-foot long tunnel drive. Both drives
will launch from one shaft, requiring a large on-site segment
storage area. Construction of the tunnel starter shaft began
in August of 2006, with tunneling expected to begin in late
summer of 2007.
Site Access, West Contract
The West Contract includes an approximately 21,000-footlong tunnel drive to launch from a site on the Puget Sound
shore. King County made a commitment to use alternative
methods (rail or barge) to transport tunnel spoils rather than
using trucks through the residential neighborhood. Vehicular
traffic accessing the site must cross the railroad tracks on an
existing privately owned timber trestle, which was in need of
some maintenance. To improve site access, the JA/MWH JV
developed a plan to repair the bridge and an existing on-site
dock. The modified dock will allow a barge to haul out tunnel
spoils, and the improved bridge will serve trucks delivering
incoming materials, including segments. Due to its weight,
the tunnel boring machine will travel to the site by rail, barge,
truck, or a combination of the three, so long as none of the
individual pieces exceed the dock or bridge load capacities.
Site preparation activities began in February of 2007.
Final Liner • Volume 13
Cross-Examination:
Reviewing the Dispute Review Board
Lisa Rode ║ San Francisco, CA
Eavesdrop on a conversation between construction contractors,
owners, or engineers, and you might assume they're talking about
a war, only to discover they're hashing out a dispute between parties on a construction project. The language of war — words like
entrenched, recalcitrant, and adversarial — is as common in these
conversations as it is in a courtroom. This has many wondering whether current methods for resolving disputes, particularly
Dispute Review Boards (DRBs), are living up to their potential
for keeping the parties out of the courtroom and out of relationships more characterized by conflict than cooperation.
"I started out as an enthusiastic advocate of DRBs," says John
Stolz, PE, Senior Associate at Jacobs Associates. "But I'm beginning to question whether they are in my clients' best interest. If
you've got good people on the job, do you need a DRB? And if
you don't, can a DRB bridge that gap?"
Stolz cites ex parte communication,* recommendations that don't
fall within the "four corners" of the contract, and real and perceived biases as major obstacles to the effective use of DRBs for
dispute resolution. Owners, contractors, and even DRB members
have additional concerns: there's a need for training and formal
certification of DRB members, a need to reconsider the selection
and make-up of DRBs, a need for enforceable and well-written
As Technical Editor, Lisa keeps Jacobs Associates' writing on-pitch.
recommendations, and a need for DRBs to focus on maintaining
neutrality and enforcing the contract.
But the theme that recurs most often is the relationship of the
parties and their willingness to remain cooperative in the face of
problems on the job. Without a strong commitment from both
parties to understand each other’s limitations and to maintain
frequent and open communication, many in the industry believe
that disputes will escalate into hostility – with or without a DRB.
The practices described by the Dispute Review Board Foundation
(DRBF) include frequent communication between the DRB
and parties involved on the project throughout the course of the
project. But often, the DRB doesn't play a role in the project
until a dispute has already progressed into a conflict. This can
occur because the parties don't want to involve the DRB, for any
number of reasons, or because the contract stipulates that specific
steps must be taken before the parties can proceed to the DRB.
If the DRB is not involved soon enough, the parties may have
already committed to adversarial positions.
*Ex parte communication occurs when one party in a dispute communicates with a member of the DRB without the other party's
presence or participation. The Dispute Review Board Foundation's
Practices and Procedures disallow ex parte communication, because
it has the potential to introduce perceived impartiality.
New Win
Hydrating San Diego County:
Pipeline 6, South Reach
In some cases, the steps outlined in the contract can be at odds
with the philosophy that Pete Douglass, President of the DRBF,
calls the greatest value of DRBs: avoiding disputes before they
escalate. "We recently revised our practices and procedures," says
Douglass, "to remove, in all cases, the word 'fair,' and remind
users and DRB members alike that the DRB has no authority to
change the terms of the contract (whether fair or not) but instead
is responsible for helping the parties understand the interpretation of the contract."
A greater emphasis on de-escalating disputes, fostering better
relationships, and working within the contract should encourage
those who had begun to lose faith in the process, but will it be
enough? "To be honest I don't know if the wholehearted buy-in
to the DRB is still there in the industry. Unless we restore the
basic original concepts, DRBs will gradually fade away. Maybe it
will take 20 years, but it will happen," says Bob Pond, Executive
Vice President at Frontier Kemper.
John Stolz agrees: "DRBs have great potential. None of us like to
offer criticism without also offering a solution, but at the end of
the day none of us know exactly what the solution is. We have to
open up some dialogue about the problems."
Editor's Note: Jacobs Associates welcomes dialogue about the utility
of DRBs. Post your opinion: www.jacobssf.com/drb.html.
A portion of Pipeline 6's South Reach alignment traverses Mount
Olympus. Jacobs Associates will study various tunnel alignments,
including prior Environmental Impact Report (EIR) alignments, as
well as newer alignments.
Victor S. Romero, PE, CEG ║ San Francisco, CA
This pipeline ultimately will convey 600 cubic feet-per-second
of untreated water from Lake Skinner to San Diego County.
The Metropolitan Water District (MWD) of Southern California
originally approved Pipeline 6 back in 1993. However, several revisions to the demand projections have delayed the
pipeline’s on-line date, initially 1998. The original 30-mile
alignment, including a 6.5-mile tunnel formerly known as
the Mount Olympus Tunnel, consisted of a North and South
Victor leads Jacobs Associates’ work on the feasibility study
for the South Reach of Pipeline 6.
Reach. Design of the North Reach Pipeline began in 2002,
with final contract completion scheduled for 2007.
Due to changes in environmental regulations, property
ownership and development, and project timing, the South
Reach alignment now requires revisiting. MWD selected
Jacobs Associates (JA) to complete a feasibility study involving hydrogeologic, geological, and geotechnical analysis to
determine the most cost-effective alignment and construction method(s). JA will provide tunnel engineering, groundwater monitoring, geotechnical field exploration, and testing
services in support of tunnel evaluation studies. Groundwater
control and mitigation related to tunnel construction will
weigh heavily in determining the alignment.
Staff Recognition
JA Stays Engaged in Community
continued from page 1
News
Project Award
Milbor-Pita
A Culture Fit
JA and MPA complement each other
culturally as well as professionally.
Both firms share a focus on underground engineering. Both possess
a great deal of practical knowledge
of the construction process. JA and
MPA each have highly experienced
technical leaders directly involved
in all aspects of the firms’ services,
including client service. Lastly, both
firms have loyal, repeat clients. The
expanded JA pledges to continue
delivering the same high-quality
service as ever. And now we can
offer more of it.
As JA President William Edgerton
says, "With Milbor-Pita & Associates
becoming Jacobs Associates, they
gain the resources of a larger,
complementary talent pool, while
Jacobs Associates gains two senior
technical leaders, the talented
engineers who support them, and
the clients they have served so well.
Jacobs Associates now has more
depth in our traditional specialty of
underground engineering, while we
add new services and clients."
Promotion
West Side CSO
Wins ACEC
Grand Prize
The West Side Combined Sewer
Overflow (CSO) surfaced as one of
the top eight projects, out of 180
submitted, in the American Council
of Engineering Consultants' (ACEC)
national Engineering Excellence
competition. The West Side CSO,
a project of Portland's Bureau of
Environmental Services, took the
National Grand Prize in the Water
and Wastewater category.
The West Side CSO wrapped up
construction in the fall of 2006,
well under budget, ahead of
schedule, with a strong worker
safety program, and with a local
business utilization that exceeded
the client's expectations. Other
noteworthy aspects include the
first use of large-diameter slurry
mix-shield tunnel boring machines
in the United States, and one of
the largest and deepest shafts
excavated in soft ground in the
country. Jacobs Associates provided
construction management and support-of-excavation design services.
Richard W. Smith, PE
Rick Smith, recently promoted to
Associate, has 20 years of experience in geotechnical engineering
for civil design and construction.
He has specialized expertise in
earthquake engineering, slope
stabilization, deep foundations,
and excavation support. Based in
Seattle, Rick serves as the Lead
Geotechnical Engineer for final
design of Sound Transit’s University
Link. He also managed subsurface
characterization studies for the
12.5-mile Brightwater Conveyance
Tunnel. Mr. Smith earned his ME
in Geotechnical Engineering from
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and
State University. He attended the
University of Washington for his BS
in Civil Engineering.
Look out for photographs of the
Underground Technology Research
Council (UTRC) Conference in
Seattle taken by Engineering
Geologist Sue Bednarz in the May
issue of Tunnels & Tunnelling
North America (T&T).
Engineers without Borders (EWB),
a non-profit humanitarian organization, helps developing countries
by providing aid and services for
sustainable engineering projects.
Staff Engineers Eileen Cooney and
Erin Hohenshelt have begun fundraising in Jacobs Associates' San
Francisco headquarters, and they
plan to start structural design soon
for tsunami reconstruction projects
in Sri Lanka. Find out more about
EWB at www.ewb-usa.org.
The February ‘Underground’ issue
of Engineering News-Record
(ENR) included President William
Edgerton’s outlook on the North
American underground industry.
While he anticipates a bullish
market, he also warns of a shrinking supply of engineers to execute
the work.
T&T International published an
article this April on Transbay’s
Downtown Rail Extension by
Principal Steve Klein and Hatch
Mott MacDonald’s Bradford
Townsend and Derek Penrice.
New Hires
Employee Count
Reaches 100 Mark
Eileen Balingasa has teamed her
drafting skills with those of our San
Francisco Computer-Aided Design
(CAD) Group. She has three years of
experience drawing water, wastewater, and residential structures.
Eileen attended the University of
Manila in the Philippines, where
she earned a BS in Architecture.
Staff Engineer Shannon Goff
began working in Jacobs
Associates' (JA) San Francisco
headquarters in April. She recently
earned her MS in Civil Engineering,
with a concentration in Structural
and Geomechanical Engineering,
from Stanford University. For her BS
in Civil Engineering, she attended
North Carolina State University,
where she was Valedictorian.
Shannon has interned with Sandia
National Laboratories at the
Nanoscience, Engineering and
Computation Institute, where she
completed research on the use of
cohesive zone elements for modeling ductile failure in metals.
JA's new Senior Marketing
Coordinator, Grace Lui-Santiago
has settled into our San Francisco
office, where she keeps the proposal process humming. She brings
14 years of management experience in marketing, human resources, and business administration.
Grace holds an MBA in Finance
and Marketing from the University
of San Francisco. She also has a
BCom in Human Resources from
the University of Windsor, Ontario.
MPA ║ Gerry Millar, GE, joins JA
as a Principal, bringing 40 years
of practical experience in geological engineering and tunneling. He
maintains an active practice in
New staff from Milbor-Pita &
Associates noted with an MPA.
Final Liner • Volume 13
Gerry Millar, GE
Stephen has worked at Robert
Y. Chew Geotechnical. In addition he has interned with Phelps
Dodge Mining Corporation and
Zambia Consolidated Copper
Mines (ZCCM). Stephen holds a
BS in Mining Engineering from the
University of Arizona, Tucson, and
an Associate Degree in Advanced
Level Sciences from the University
of Cambridge. He has received
the ZCCM Engineering Academic
Scholarship as well as the College
of Engineering and Mines’
Academic Achievement Award.
railroad tunnel repair and enlargement. In 2004 he authored a
major cost study about tunnels on
U.S. freight railroads for a Surface
Transportation Board Hearing.
Gerry has an MS in Geological
Engineering from the University of
Missouri-Rolla, and a BA in Geology
from Rutgers University. Fluent in
English and Spanish, Gerry has
prepared engineering studies and
construction documents in both
languages.
Amanda Morgan has worked as
Staff Engineer in our Seattle office
since February. She recently earned
her MS in Civil Engineering and
Geotechnics from Northwestern
University. For her Master’s thesis,
Amanda performed a parametric
study of a 50-foot deep excavation
and a tunnel connection excavated
using the New Austrian Tunneling
Method, both modeled using finite
element methods. During employment with Dr. G. Sauer Corporation,
Amanda worked on elements of
the North Link Light Rail and Dulles
Corridor Rapid Transit Project. For
her BS in Civil and Environmental
Engineering, Amanda attended
the University of Tennessee, where
she was awarded the Herbert and
Lillian Duggan scholarship.
MPA ║ A licensed professional
engineer and hydrogeologist, Frank
Pita, PE, LHG, steps into his new
role as JA Principal equipped with
more than 30 years of geotechnical
and civil experience. An expert in
railroad repair and slope stability,
Frank has published over 20 technical papers on geoenvironmental
and hydrogeological subjects,
and geotechnical engineering. He
holds two MS degrees, one in Civil
Engineering from Oregon State
University, and another in Geology
from the University of Tulsa. He
earned his BA in Geology from the
State University of New York.
Stephen Njoloma joined our
Seattle group as Staff Engineer
in February. He brings over five
years of civil engineering experience with a focus on geotechnical engineering. Since 2001
MPA ║ Senior Engineer Carol
Ravano, PE, brings more than
16 years of geotechnical and civil
experience to JA. She has played
leading design roles on the Union
Pacific Railroad Tunnel Clearance
Frank Pita, PE, LHG
Project, and the Caltrain Seismic
Upgrade. Carol has a MS and BS
in Civil Engineering, both from the
University of California, Berkeley.
MPA ║ Project Engineer Joe
Schrank, PE, has 7 years of experience conducting geotechnical
investigations, with an emphasis
on horizontal directional drilling
(HDD) pipeline installations and
rock slope stability. He holds an
MEng in Mining Engineering, with
a specialization in rock mechanics
and geotechnics, and a BASc in
Geological Engineering, both from
the University of British Columbia.
Joe has professional engineering
licenses in Washington and
British Columbia.
MPA ║ Senior Engineer Margaret
Stoffel, PE, GE, brings more than
20 years of experience in civil
engineering, hazardous waste, and
geotechnical projects. Margaret
attended Cornell University for
her ME and BS, both in Civil and
Environmental Engineering. Upon
graduating she spent three years
with the U.S. Peace Corps in
Malaysia, where she helped engineer irrigation for 30,000 acres of
paddy land.
Michael Torsiello joined our
Pasadena ranks as Staff Engineer
in February. Michael attended
Tufts University for his MS in
Geotechnical Engineering, as well
as BS in Civil Engineering. He wrote
his Master’s thesis on 'The Effect
of Particle Shape on the Undrained
Behavior of Ottawa Sand.' As a
graduate student, Michael won the
Earle Littleton Scholarship in Civil
Engineering. Former employers
include Parsons, Haley & Aldrich,
and GZA Geoenvironmental.
Senior Structural Engineer Andrew
McGlenn contributed a 'From the
Board' column titled 'Our Future
Engineers – What Role Will You
Play?' for the Seattle chapter of
Structural Engineers Association of
Washington (SEAW). Follow this link
for the full article, on the second
page: seaw.associationsonline.
com/documents/Equilibrium_
April%202007.pdf.
Senior Associate John Stolz shared
his views on the differing site
conditions (DSC) clause language
with the San Diego Chapter of the
American Society of Professional
Estimators in May. While the underground construction industry has
long endorsed the use of the DSC
clause, it has largely ignored the
clause language itself, which sometimes conflicts with other contract
language and may actually increase
rather than reduce bid contingency.
For the second year in a row, Senior
Engineer Sarah H. Wilson lectured
on the Claremont Tunnel Seismic
Upgrade for Professor Nick Sitar’s
Engineering Geology class at the
University of California, Berkeley,
in April.
JA Offices
465 California Street, Suite 1000
San Francisco, CA
94104
415.434.1822
415.956.8502 (Fax)
67 S. Bedford Street, Suite 400 W.
Burlington, MA
01803
781.229.5820
781.229.5821 (Fax)
3430 E. Russell Road, Suite 307
Las Vegas, NV
89120
702.214.4375
702.214.4376 (Fax)
221 E. Walnut Street, Suite 220
Pasadena, CA
91101
626.737.6520
626.737.6530 (Fax)
101 S.W. Main Street, Suite 320
Portland, OR
97204
503.227.1800
503.227.1821 (Fax)
1843 Hotel Circle S., Suite 350
San Diego, CA
92108
619.260.5570
619.688.0958 (Fax)
811 1st Avenue, Suite 407
Seattle, WA
98104
206.682.0081
206.682.0092 (Fax)
www.jacobssf.com
FINAL LINER
Masthead
Executive Editor ║ Paula Goodwin
Managing Editor, Designer ║
Elizabeth Deters
Editor ║ Lisa Rode
Comments? Corrections? Mail the
editors: [email protected].