Each standard 40-foot-long pipe segment, weighing 35,000 pounds, arrived on site on an 18-wheeler truck. Once the pipe arrived, it was offloaded in a location as close as possible so that the excavator could reach it without having to travel a long distance. To lift and move this pipe, a 70 metric-ton excavator was needed. Harper Brothers Construction used a Hitachi 870, a slightly larger tracked excavator, to perform the double duty of lifting the pipe and excavating a deeper trench. Stabilized construction roads were built within easement areas so that 18-wheelers, dump trucks and other vehicles could enter and exit the job site. Where pipe and materials could not be stored on site, a secondary laydown area was used. “One of the biggest challenges with construction projects in urban or semi-urban settings is the logistics. To overcome the space constraints on site, we had to have a thorough site plan. We staged our materials in a way that allowed for fluid movement of the crew through the line. The key to a successful project is a solid plan,” said Jon Harper, CEO of Harper Brothers Construction, LLC. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck the Houston area in March 2020, quick thinking was needed on the part of the City’s team. Two of the western projects had advertised for bids, but the mandatory pre- construction meeting had not yet been held. There was no room for delay, so the team quickly converted the meetings to a virtual format, and attendees were able to call in by phone or log in through a com-
and repair provide operational flexibility and longevity to the two sys - tems,” said Ramos. Part of the workaround solution included a 1,163-foot tunnel under IH-69 at Aldine Bender Road. The freeway consists of 15 elevated main lanes and eight frontage road lanes at this crossing location. The tunnel alignment stretched between bridge columns, and soil condi- tions included fine sand and silty sand under the groundwater table. Harper Brothers Construction, LLC procured an earth pressure balance machine (EPBM) and successfully completed the tunnel between Janu - ary to March 2020. Another challenging aspect of this large-scale waterline project was construction staging and access within an urbanized area. Easements ranged in width from 50 feet to 90 feet, with many of the parcels on developed land. Existing utilities, surface features such as driveways, parking lots, trees, landscaping, and monument signs were within close proximity to the proposed construction work. Contractors needed ev - ery inch of space for equipment and material staging, and this was a major consideration during the design phase. Design engineers identi - fied conflicts and worked with private utility owners to relocate over - head and buried utilities to make way for construction. Relocations of easement encroachments, such as monument signs, landscaping and fences, were identified by the design engineer and coordinated through the City in advance of construction. The City’s public engagement team’s primary goal is to engage, edu - cate, and inform the community. They conducted community meet- ings to provide information to residents and business owners for the upcoming construction work. The meetings, held after the contractor was selected but before construction work began, allowed attendees to interface directly with the design team and contractor’s representatives. "Transparency is key for any large project like this. Houston Public Works relies on the community's support to ensure success throughout construction and implementation," said Kenya Williams, public engage - ment team for Capital Projects. "Our engagement team made sure to address any challenges and concerns before construction began." 108-inch diameter water line installed by open-cut construction in easements. Photo: LAN
11
June 2021
csengineermag.com
Made with FlippingBook Annual report