WorldWide Drilling Resource®

CUSTOM SPECIALTY WINCHES FOR WELL DRILLING AND PUMP HOIST TRUCKS Manufactured with your specifications in mind BLOOM MANUFACTURING, INC. Custom Engineering Solutions Since 1910 Independence, IA 50644 USA www.bloommfg.com P: +1 319-827-1139 P: 800-394-1139 F: +1 319-827-1140 DESIGNED FOR OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE & SAFETY MAINLINE WINCHES 3000 to 35,000 pounds Up to 130 feet per minute SANDLINE WINCHES 1800 to 8000 pounds Up to 800 feet per minute WINCHES 20 JULY 2020 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Overcoming Hurdles to Dewater Sabine River Pipeline Tunnel Sites Adapted from Information by Rose Public Relations The Sabine River Authority (SRA) received a $75 million loan from the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT) program in 2016, to improve the water system by constructing an 85 million-gallon-per-day raw water pump station along the river, along with several miles of water conveyance pipeline to serve its customers. TerraFirma Earth Technologies prepared the way for the seven-mile pipeline project by dewatering the bore and jack pits at three locations utilizing closely spaced, deep dewatering wells. The 66-inch-diameter pipeline had to be tunnelled underneath an active railroad (143 feet in length), a set of active gas pipelines (110 feet in length), and a highway (161 feet in length). Due to very heavy rains just before construction began, as well as during construction, the river rose ten feet, causing a rise in the water table, making the already difficult to access low-lying, swampy sites even more difficult to reach. Creative solutions were in order. “There were definitely some hurdles we encountered that required spe- cial equipment and changes to the original dewatering plan,” said David Giles, president of TerraFirma. “We were charged with dewatering three tunnel crossings - one beneath Highway 12, one beneath an existing set of gas lines, and another beneath the active Kansas City Southern railroad. We had to dewater 160 linear feet from entry shaft to exit shaft beneath Highway 12, while it was in use. Access to the low-lying, swampy areas was our biggest challenge. It was necessary to rent special equipment to just get out there. TerraFirma crews installed well groupings on each side of the crossing to surround the access shafts. The shafts had to be large enough to facilitate the massive boring machine, and extended up to 20 feet deep, well below the groundwater level. First we had to dewater the shafts, then came the job of dewatering the 66-inch-diameter water pipeline between the two shafts, which required lowering the water table from both sides of the road even further. The traffic didn’t even know we were there.” According to David Burkhart, director of Central Pipe Operations at Garney Construction, even Tropical Storm Imelda, which landed during the already challenging dewatering process, didn’t stop TerraFirma. “Their equipment, performance, and installation exceeded our expectations, providing dry trench conditions in very difficult soils surrounded by swamp.” TerraFirma built a stable platform for workers and equipment, necessary due to unworkable water and mud conditions during Imelda, using multiple layers of mats so the bucket auger drill rig could operate safely. Photo: TFEarth.com C&G

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