The Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner (WRC) is undertaking the Middlebelt Transport and Storage Tunnel Project in the Evergreen Farmington Sewage Disposal System to address system bottlenecks and to prevent potential sanitary sewer overflows. The project plan includes a tunnel along Middlebelt Road in Farmington Hills, Michigan to transport and store wet weather flows. Wade Trim Associates is the prime engineer for the project, and NTH Consultants, Ltd. (NTH) was retained as a subconsultant to provide geotechnical expertise and underground design services. Wade Trim and NTH are assisting the WRC with Construction Administration. Ric-Man Construction Inc. has been awarded the contract to construct the project.
The 9-foot inside diameter tunnel will be approximately 7,600 feet long and will extend from the north side of I-696 to 13 Mile Rd. beneath Middlebelt Rd. The tunnel will vary in depth from 40 feet to 80 feet below the ground surface and will have a storage volume of 3.7 million gallons. Several shafts will be built as part of this project including a tunnel launch shaft, recovery shaft, and intermediate shafts for manholes or chambers.
Using the geotechnical information obtained, NTH worked with the project team in selecting the most appropriate tunnel alignment and shaft locations. NTH also used the geotechnical information to analyze the tunnel liner requirements, the type of tunnel boring machine needed, ground stabilization measures and shaft constructability.
In addition, NTH prepared the Geotechnical Baseline Report (GBR) for the project. The GBR is an important tool used in underground construction to properly manage project risks and associated costs by defining the geotechnical baseline conditions for bidders. It provides contractual statements to describe the geotechnical conditions that are anticipated during underground construction.
Construction of the temporary earth retention system for the launch shaft has been completed. The tunnel boring machine (TBM) was lowered in segments into the shaft and the machine is currently being assembled inside the shaft following Onsite, First Time Assembly procedures. The pictures depict the cutterhead as it is lowered into the launch shaft. Based on the current construction schedule, the TBM is expected to start mining later this month.
The 9-foot inside diameter tunnel will be approximately 7,600 feet long and will extend from the north side of I-696 to 13 Mile Rd. beneath Middlebelt Rd. The tunnel will vary in depth from 40 feet to 80 feet below the ground surface and will have a storage volume of 3.7 million gallons. Several shafts will be built as part of this project including a tunnel launch shaft, recovery shaft, and intermediate shafts for manholes or chambers.
Using the geotechnical information obtained, NTH worked with the project team in selecting the most appropriate tunnel alignment and shaft locations. NTH also used the geotechnical information to analyze the tunnel liner requirements, the type of tunnel boring machine needed, ground stabilization measures and shaft constructability.
In addition, NTH prepared the Geotechnical Baseline Report (GBR) for the project. The GBR is an important tool used in underground construction to properly manage project risks and associated costs by defining the geotechnical baseline conditions for bidders. It provides contractual statements to describe the geotechnical conditions that are anticipated during underground construction.
Construction of the temporary earth retention system for the launch shaft has been completed. The tunnel boring machine (TBM) was lowered in segments into the shaft and the machine is currently being assembled inside the shaft following Onsite, First Time Assembly procedures. The pictures depict the cutterhead as it is lowered into the launch shaft. Based on the current construction schedule, the TBM is expected to start mining later this month.
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