Kleinfelder Wins 2013 ACEC-NH Engineering Excellence Special Projects Award

Online, April 10, 2013 (Newswire.com) - The American Council of Engineering Companies of New Hampshire (ACEC-NH) honored Kleinfelder with the 2013 ACEC-NH Engineering Excellence Award winner in the Special Projects category for the $1.6 million Merrimack River Crossing project.

Initiated by Manchester Water Works (MWW), the Merrimack River Crossing project required the installation of nearly 5,000 feet of 20-inch water main including a 900-foot crossing of the state's largest river, the Merrimack, and an adjacent, active railroad line. The goal of the project was to improve water reliability to thousands of customers.

As MWW's prime consultant, Kleinfelder engineered the most ambitious pipeline project of its kind ever attempted in New Hampshire using horizontal directional drilling (HDD) for the 20-inch pipe. Engineers called for the careful integration of two trenchless technologies into one, which offered a number of advantages. With trenchless technology, construction crews would not have to disturb the river, the surrounding environment or the community that relies on the river for both commercial and recreational purposes.

In response to the railroad owner's concerns, the project team employed pipe ramming to install a 42-inch sleeve in the railroad right of way then directional drilling to thread a 20-inch carrier pipe through the sleeve and beneath the river.

Overall, the project met MWW's goals across the board. Despite the complexity of the project and the construction challenges encountered, the project finished well within budget (construction budget was $1,815,000 and final cost was $1,585,000 and with no change orders.

Completing the river crossing and closing the loop in this critical part of the water distribution system has improved drinking water quality in the city by reducing the potential for nitrification, provided more stable water pressures, provided redundancy in the event of unexpected shutdowns or emergencies, and otherwise improved the overall level of service in this section of the distribution system.