
Penn Tunnel Fire Protection / 7th Ave Waterline
The Brayman Team was contacted in late 2020 about installing shoring to support an excavation used to install new utility lines for the Allegheny County Port Authority Penn Tunnel Fire Protection Project in Downtown Pittsburgh. The shoring was to be installed in the middle of busy 7th avenue which would have closed traffic lanes and significantly impacted traffic in the area. Team Brayman presented our customer, Wheels Mechanical, an innovative solution in lieu of installing shoring and excavating the street. We proposed boring 13-3/8” diameter steel casing from the existing street level and through the concrete abutment for the new lines to pass through. Once the lines were installed, the annulus between the new lines and the casing was sealed with grout.
The value engineering proposal was approved by the Port Authority.
After hydro excavation exposed the existing utility connections, the team surveyed entry and exit elevation of the pipe to determine the correct angle for casing installation. The casing was drilled from street level, down to the concrete abutment. Once the casing was seated into the concrete, the team was able to core drill the remaining distance with standard tooling. The borehole exited the abutment on the targeted location at the receiving pit below, which allowed for the customer to install 8” diameter ductile iron pipe. Upon successful pressure testing of the pipe, Brayman grouted it into place. Team Brayman appreciated the opportunity to provide the customer with a safety-minded, cost and time saving solution that allowed the connection to the street level utilities to be completed in just a few days, instead of weeks or months and reducing the traffic impacts on a busy downtown street.
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