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Tunneling News

  • Super Excavators, Inc. was the successful low bidder on a $35 million project to Microtunnel 14,000 lineal feet of 60” Hobas Pipe in Marysville, OH. Project should start late spring 2007.

  • Thank you to the American Society of Civil Engineers(ASCE), Indiana Section for Awarding Super X the “Project of the Year Award” for our 144” Precast Segmented Tunnel built in Indianapolis, Indiana completed in 2006.

  • Super Excavators, Inc. purchased a SL60 MTBM for the Warnimont Avenue Relief Sewer project and recently launched the MTBM in March 2007.

  • Super Excavators, Inc. purchased a LOVAT 167” TBM in April 2006 to construct 1,640 lineal feet of 144” I.D. segmented tunnel liner in Indianapolis, IN. This TBM just holed out on its first drive March 13th, 2006.

  • Super Excavators, Inc. purchased a LOVAT 102” TBM in June 2006 to construct 2,300 lineal feet of 84” Reinforced Concrete Jacking Pipe in the Menomonee Valley of Milwaukee, WI.

  • Super Excavators, Inc. recently purchased an Akkerman Microtunnel Machine to Bore 84” HOBAS pipe in an area with potentially gassy organic soils. The 700 lineal feet of microtunneling was completed quickly and safely using this unmanned tunneling method controlled by a computer/guidance system up on the surface.

  • Super Excavators, Inc. used its LOVAT 129” EPB TBM to complete 1,235 lineal feet of tunnel under Michigan Street in Milwaukee WI. This tunnel was constructed of 120” Ribs and Boards and was completed in Fall of 2005.

Warnimont Avenue Relief Sewer
Location: Milwaukee, WI |Owner: MMSD – Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District
Started November 2006

Super Excavators, Inc. was awarded this Microtunnel project in September 2006.  Project entails the hand mining of 500 lineal feet of 48” Concrete Jacking Pipe, 5,500 lineal feet of 48” Concrete Jacking Pipe, 8 shaft locations with cast-in-place manholes, and two diversion structures.  Project lies in the near South East side of Milwaukee and in a quiet residential neighborhood with narrow streets.  Super Excavators, Inc. had to set up a very compact system in order to allow traffic to pass along while tunneling commences.  Soils consist of dense glacial till.

Indianapolis CSO 034 & 035 Tunnel
Location: Indianapolis, IN | Owner: Indianapolis Public Works

Super Excavators, Inc. has broken through on its first drive of 640 lineal feet with our new LOVAT 167” EPB Tunnel Boring Machine. We are in the process of turning the TBM around and setting up for the next drive of 1,000 lineal feet. The liner was precast by CSI-Hanson and is 144” inside diameter segmented tunnel liner. This is the first tunnel completed for the City of Indianapolis, who has been a great partner throughout the construction process. This project will lower the flood plain and improve water quality on the East Side of Downtown Indianapolis when completed.

Elm Road Generating Station
Location: Oak Creek, WI | Owner: WE Energies

We are working as a subcontractor, laying approximately 5,000 feet of 132” diameter prestressed concrete cylinder pipe for a new coal generated power station. Pipe ranges 15 to 25 feet deep, in soil conditions ranging from saturated sand to moist silts and clay. We are employing a Manitowoc 2250 crane, a Koerhing 1266D backhoe, and many other pieces of support equipment. The pipe weigh approximately 73,000 pounds each and are 16 feet long.

Menomonee Special West Interceptor Sewer
Location: Milwaukee, WI | Owner: Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District

Super Excavators, Inc. assumed this project from a bonding company whose client had gone out of business. This project was approximately 20% complete upon our take over. The project includes 670 lineal feet of 84” HOBAS jacking pipe using a 90 inch Akkerman Microtunnel machine, mining through organic estuarine deposits with very low blow counts, laden with methane gas. In addition, 2,300 lineal feet of 84” RCP will be jacked in place using a LOVAT 102” TBM mining through post glacial deposits including sands, silts, and clays of varying degrees. Several shafts will be constructed varying in size from 24 feet through 40 feet in diameter and depths ranging from 30 to 50 feet. Also, 30 inch RCP will be microtunneled in place using an Akkerman machine. There is also several thousand feet of open cut work of varying sizes from 12” through 84” diameter pipe.

Clybourn West MIS Relocation
Interceptor Sewer | Owner: Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District

Super Excavators, Inc. also assumed this project from a bonding company whose client had gone out of business. The previous contractor was attempting to jack 72” RCP through saturated sands and silts. We found their tunnel boring machine stuck approximated 400 feet out of the shaft. We decided to abandon this alignment, grouted the machine and pipe full, and redesigned the pipe alignment differently. We proceeded to mine 1,235 feet of 120” rib and lagging tunnel and placed 72 inch RCP in the tunnel and grouted the annular space. As part of the redesign, we slip lined 1,400 feet of existing 72” sewer with 48 inch HOBAS and extended the life of this sewer by many years. This project was more than a year behind schedule and was impacting the progress of the work on the Marquette Interchange road work when we took it on. The redesign work allowed us to complete the project in a few months, and allowed the adjacent road work to continue uninterrupted.

Hart Park
Location: Wauwatosa, WI | Owner: Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District

Super Excavators, Inc. was the successful bidder on a 22 million dollar watercourse project in Wauwatosa Wisconsin. The project entails mass grading, river bank revetment, both earthen and concrete levee wall construction, as well as an extensive storm sewer system. The storm system consists of 18,000 feet of pipe up to 96” diameter. The project required the crossing of the Canadian Pacific Railroad track 4 times. Two crossings were tunneled with a 90” LOVAT TBM and the other two by driving a 70” casing in place with a Vermeer Hammer.

Oak Creek Interceptor
Location: Oak Creek, WI | Owner: Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District

Super Excavators, Inc. embarked on its largest Microtunnel project to date when we completed 6,600 lineal feet of 30” Reinforced Concrete tunnel. The longest single drive on this project was 620 lineal feet. Soil conditions changed often throughout the project encountering Clay, Sands and Silt, boulders, and low blow count soils. This project was completed in May of 2005 and is a relief sewer that will serve future development in the Oak Creek area as well as eliminating the need for the existing Lift Station. This trenchless technology helped prevent disturbance to the existing wetland and caused little surface disruption.

MMSD - Clybourn Street Slip Lining Project
We have been awarded a $10 million project with the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District to rehabilitate the existing MIS in Clybourn Street from the Marquette Campus to 35th Street. Located in the heart of Milwaukee this project brings "Trenchless Technology" to the forefront. The project involves slip lining of an existing sewer ranging in depths from 30-70' deep. This method allows Clybourn to be open to traffic during construction decreasing the impact of construction on neighboring businesses. This project entails slip-lining an existing brick sewer with 72" HOBAS Pipe, shaft construction, pipe installation, grouting, and miscellaneous reinforced concrete construction.

HARTFORD - Wacker Drive Interceptor
We completed work on one of the deepest sewers in Hartford! Using our 1266 Koehring excavator we are installing 12-16" sanitary interceptor sewers up to 42' deep!

University of Illinois Champaign/Urbana - Chilled Water System
We completed a $4 Million project on the Champaign/Urbana campus. The chilled water system expansion included installation of 42" PCCP chilled water line, 12" HDPE, and 2" air lines. The project was completed on schedule.

RACINE WWTP - Sanitary Sewer and Outfall Structure
We completed this $3.9 Million project to install the sanitary sewer outfall for the expansion of the Racine WWTP. The project included 72"-96" HOBAS pipe installation, steel sheeting, contaminated spoil removal, abandonment of utilities, shaft construction, and reinforced concrete work.

MMSD - Lincoln Creek Utility Relocations
We have completed work on a $5.2 million project with the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District related to the current Lincoln Creek Rehabilitation! The project entailed relocation of utilities to facilitate the reconstruction of the creek bed.

Becher Street Tunnel Project
We were awarded this $13.7 million relief sewer project in December 1999. The project is 100% complete and the tunneling went well. We completed 5100' of 108" diameter precast segment lined tunnel through mixed face conditions using a Lovat EPB mining machine.

MMSD - Deep Tunnel Inspection Project
This project was performed in winter during the low flow periods. Teamed up with Earth Tech and Quality Videos we Inspected 17,000 Lineal Feet of the 300' deep Inline Storage System (a.k.a. The Deep Tunnel) in Milwaukee, WI.