HATCH MOTT.
qxd:Layout 1 1/19/09 10:30 AM Page 194
UPPER NORTHWEST INTERCEPTOR SECTIONS 1 AND 2 TUNNEL PROJECT
Sacramento’s Tunnel Vision
The Upper Northwest Interceptor Sections 1 and 2 Tunnel in Sacramento will provide the final 3.6 miles
of a 20-mile wastewater pipeline project serving California communities.
By Kate Burrows
W hen San Francisco-based engineering firm URS
Corp. commenced work on the Upper North-
west Interceptor Sections 1 and 2 Tunnel proj-
ect, even the most experienced professionals in the industry
were intrigued by its unique design. The 3.6-mile-long tunnel
will become the first tunnel of its kind to feature concrete
segments with integral PVC corrosion protection.
According to URS Project Geotechnical Engineer Sam
Gambino, employing a PVC liner significantly reduces risk
for the client. “When we first began the design of the proj-
ect, it was conceived that it would be constructed with pipe
jacking, which would require the con-
Upper Northwest Interceptor struction of multiple shafts adjacent to a
Sections 1 and nearby levee,” Gambino explains. “Since
2 Tunnel project this method would increase the client’s
www.srcsd.com/prj-unwi-1-
2.php risk on the project, we looked at alterna-
Project value: $100 million tive methods of construction.”
Location: Sacramento, Calif. The tunnel will require only one work-
Employees at peak: 100
Patrick Doig: “We’ve had a great ing shaft at each end, rather than multiple
team on this project.” shafts along the way. “URS proposed a
194 ■ WWW.CONSTRUCTION-TODAY.COM ■ FEBRUARY 2009
The Upper Northwest Interceptor
Sections 1 and 2 Tunnel project
features PVC liner inside each
segment, providing significant
cost savings for the owner.
unique solution using segmental pipe lined with PVC on
the interior face of each segment,” Gambino continues.
Using PVC will help ensure the project is completed on
time and within budget, URS Regional Tunnel Practice
Manager Galen Klein says. Traditional tunneling projects pro-
vide corrosion protection by first constructing the tunnel
with a temporary lining and then installing a pipe that
already includes some form of corrosion protection within
the tunnel.
“This process would require the tunnel to be larger,” Klein
says. “It would require a second stage of construction to
install the pipe and provide the backfill grouting, which
is much more expensive. Using PVC on segments has been a
huge benefit to the client.”
Achieving its Goals
Although the project is on its way to meeting its expected
completion date in 2010, maintaining scheduling goals has
not been easy.
The project team encountered a number of environmen-
tal challenges that required adjustments to the schedule.