Scheduled for completion in 2013, the upgrade of the Fields Point Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) will employ the largest integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS) treatment process in the world for biological nutrient removal. The upgrade includes three new buildings and renovations to 12 existing buildings and tank structures, to help protect water quality in the region and reduce the amount of nitrogen flowing into Narragansett Bay.
The Narragansett Bay Commission stipulated the wastewater treatment plant operate at peak efficiency and within required treatment limits throughout the four-year modernization and construction effort. Phased construction impacted the structural design of several buildings and tank structures in order to remain within the constraints of the project.
Kleinfelder provided a detailed construction phasing plan, including recommendations to minimize operating disruptions and optimize construction schedules. Designing the buildings for phased construction eliminated the need to use bypass pumping, which saved the client $1.5 million. Among the buildings Kleinfelder applied its structural engineering expertise on were: a new three-story, 25,000-square-foot operations and administration building; a new single-story, 1,200-square-foot carbon feed building; a new single-story, 4,400-square-foot screening and caustic building; multiple aeration tanks; a replaced screw pump lift station; and a renovated two-story, 2,100-square-foot blower building.
The development of structural designs that phased construction allowed the WWTF to remain fully operational throughout construction. Furthermore, the Fields Point WWTF upgrade is scheduled for completion one year ahead of schedule.
Location:
Providence, Rhode Island
Owner:
Narragansett Bay Commission
