Kleinfelder completed the engineering design, permitting, contractor procurement, and construction management of a $16-million pipeline replacement under highway SR400 north of Atlanta. As part of the Major Mobility Investment Program, the Georgia Department of Transportation plans on widening highway SR400. This roadway expansion conflicted with a 36-inch diameter liquid petroleum pipeline.

Challenging Urban Site Conditions

Kleinfelder’s multidisciplinary team led the engineering design and permitting to relocate this pipeline using a 1,000-feet horizontal direction drill (HDD). The path started within a residential neighborhood, traveling under the highway, and exiting between multiple apartment buildings. The project presented a combination of challenges considering the density of the suburban area and the inflections in the current pipeline route. The alternatives analysis required many considerations for the drill geometry and pipe pull-back layout.

The drill entry workspace was located on property occupied by six homes and involved removal of a swimming pool and a number of 50-feet and taller trees. The drill exit workspace required the installation of 33 soil stabilization piles and 24-hour vibration monitoring to protect an adjacent apartment building from settlement. The design team used Kleinfelder’s ecosystem of subject matter experts to collaborate on the design of the HDD, geotechnical concerns, and site drainage issues to mitigate the construction risks.

Exceeding Health and Safety Commitments

Kleinfelder’s field team inspected the seven-month-long construction project to help ensure the project was completed safely with zero incidents. Due to the project site’s close proximity to the client’s business operations, it was frequently visited by the client’s team.

The client’s project manager commented that Kleinfelder’s team “exceeded expectations for safety, quality of work, and project management,” and, “Kleinfelder was able to engineer a difficult HDD in a populated area.”

Project Results

Kleinfelder is proud to have contributed to the client’s safety goals. There were zero contractor pipeline strikes, and zero heat-related incidents reported. From client coordination, to design and permitting, and finally construction-phase services, Kleinfelder demonstrated the depth of resources and talent available to bring this project to successful completion.

Project Details

Location:
Georgia
Owner:
Confidential