Follow the steps of planning anad testing components pre-construction for filling and closing a water intake tunnel.
A former water intake tunnel extending under the Niagara River in western New York state was contaminated with organic wastes from a nearby landfill. The intake tunnel was to be filled and closed at the request of regulatory authorities. This project presented an unusual opportunity to plan and test components pre-construction.
The six-foot tunnel was nearly one mile long and accessible from just two 80-foot deep vertical shafts, one of which is in the river. Closure of the tunnel presented a unique remediation challenge because of the limited access, considerable volume of the tunnel and because the tunnel was full of potentially contaminated water. A plan was developed and implemented that closed the tunnel by filling it with cementitious grout while simultaneously removing and treating the displaced water. The grout used to fill the tunnel had to meet demanding requirements for both regulatory acceptance and workability.