Soo Channel Deepening Study
Conceptual Review
Client: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Location: Sault Ste. Marie, MI
Prime Consultant: NTH / WTA Joint Venture
Estimated Construction Cost: $16,000,000
NTH / WTA JV Project Budget:$169,750
Start Date: May 2002
Completion Date: November 2004
Overview: The NTH / WTA JV was retained by the Detroit District Army Corps of Engineers to provide a study for conceptual review of channel deepening of the North Canal in the Soo Locks. The JV provided valuable information and options for deepening the channel, which is composed of silt, rock overburden and bedrock.
Conceptual Review
Client: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Location: Sault Ste. Marie, MI
Prime Consultant: NTH / WTA Joint Venture
Estimated Construction Cost: $16,000,000
NTH / WTA JV Project Budget:$169,750
Start Date: May 2002
Completion Date: November 2004
Overview: The NTH / WTA JV was retained by the Detroit District Army Corps of Engineers to provide a study for conceptual review of channel deepening of the North Canal in the Soo Locks. The JV provided valuable information and options for deepening the channel, which is composed of silt, rock overburden and bedrock.
The US Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District, was planning and designing a replacement lock in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. The lock was to replace the existing Davis and Sabin Locks and required the deepening of the existing North Canal. This deepening was necessary for the approaches to the new lock and had to be deepened full width and depth, by up to eight feet through silt, rock overburden and bedrock. The new lock was designed to accommodate 1000-foot long Great Lakes freighters, as well as a variety of smaller crafts. In April 2002, the Detroit District retained the NTH/WTA Joint Venture (JV) to perform this study for the conceptual review of the required channel deepening. The project involved the excavation of over 300,000 cubic yards of Jacobsville Sandstone.
Technical tasks to complete this study included the following:
The JV performed a conceptual review of options available to perform the channel deepening, identified critical structures that may be affected by the deepening, met with representatives of the International Highway Bridge and the CN Railroad bascule bridge (both of which cross over the proposed project area into Canada), and developed finite element and distinct element computer models. In addition, the JV evaluated state-of-the-art dredging practices and methods, and determined appropriate methods and constraints for the final design.
Technical tasks to complete this study included the following:
- Historical research of Corps of Engineer archives on-site and at the Detroit District Office
- Development of eight cross sections that combined all of the available historical information, to provide representation of the various canal side wall combinations, hydrologic conditions, geotechnical conditions and adjacent structures
- Evaluation of these representative cross sections using finite element and distinct element analyses to estimate the potential impacts of blast-induced vibration on the channel side walls and on adjacent sensitive structures
- Evaluation of the representative cross sections to estimate short term and long term stability of the completed/dredged cross sections
- Research and evaluation of state-of-the-art dredging practices to determine the probable cost effective and practical dredging approaches
- Development of recommendations for an additional test-blast program
The JV performed a conceptual review of options available to perform the channel deepening, identified critical structures that may be affected by the deepening, met with representatives of the International Highway Bridge and the CN Railroad bascule bridge (both of which cross over the proposed project area into Canada), and developed finite element and distinct element computer models. In addition, the JV evaluated state-of-the-art dredging practices and methods, and determined appropriate methods and constraints for the final design.