ALLIANCE REGIONAL WATER AUTHORITY PHASE 1B TREATMENT CONDUCT (SEGMENTS A and B)
Lockhart, Texas
Merit Award
Sent by: Garney Construction
OWNER Regional Water Authority of the Alliance
RESPONSIBLE DESIGN COMPANIES Lockwood, Andrews & Newman Inc. (Segment A); K. Friese & Associates Inc. (Segment B)
GENERAL CONTRACTOR Garney Construction
OWNER’S COUNCIL Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc.
SUBCONTRACTORS Precision Boring Technology Inc.; J7 Services; Texcon Utilities; Chapman Engineering
This $92 million effort included the installation of several pipe segments in a large water supply project for the Alliance Regional Water Authority in Central Texas.
With segments A and B complete and three more under construction, this system will provide treated water to growing communities such as Kyle, Buda and San Marcos upon completion. Segment A will carry water from the ARWA water treatment plant to Lockhart with nearly 17 miles of 42-in. and 48 inches. pipeline across the country and connect to Segment B, which spans another 17.4 miles. The project also includes 30 miles of fiber optic installation.
At the Plum Creek Crossing of Section A, crews discovered groundwater and bedrock conditions when excavating the shaft for the microtunnel. As a solution, the team worked with the landowners to extend a temporary easement that allowed them to successfully excavate in better ground conditions before coordinating with the landowner and engineer to adjust the tunnel alignment to more favorable ground conditions.
The installation of a 775 linear foot tunnel under SH 130 in Segment B required non-stop installation and 24/7 operation to prevent settlement. Crews used a labor-intensive manual extraction approach to create space for the tunnel under the freeway. Rain and fire disrupted the process, with wet ground causing problems with deliveries and a nearby brush fire damaging some pipes. To avoid delays, the team moved to a similar pipe from another area of the project to continue the installation.
