J.J. Lane Construction Inc. has a lot of digging to do.
The Liverpool, N.Y., company is responsible for installing a new interceptor sewer, rehabilitating existing sewer lines, and replacing many other sewer lines as part of a $500 million federal environmental cleanup project in Onondaga Lake.
The Harbor Brook Interceptor Replacement and CSO Abatement Project consists of the construction by open trench and trenchless pipe installation methods of approximately 9,500 linear ft. (2,895 m) of combined sewer overflow compliance pipelines and local sewers, ranging in size from 8- to 36-in. (20 to 91 cm). Also included are manhole structures, appurtenances and surface restoration, approximately 860 linear ft. (262 m) of 30-in. (76 cm) sewer lining, cleaning, repair and/or replacement of 2,400 linear ft. (731 m) of the Harbor Brook culvert.
This project, which started Feb. 3, 2010, is taking place in the city of Syracuse near the city zoo. The completion date is scheduled for November 2011.
Valued at $12.2 million, it is the largest project ever tackled by J.J. Lane Construction.
Water, Water Everywhere
One of the biggest challenges of the project is the depth of excavation and presence of ground water, according to J.J. Lane. Underground artesian water pressure is present through much of the construction area near the ground surface and many of the digs required for this project are as deep as 24 ft. (7.3 m). To deal with the large amounts of water just under the surface Lane purchased a WellPoint dewatering system from Godwin Pumps.
The dewatering system involves a series of pipes augured vertically into the ground approximately 25 ft. (7.6 m) deep. These pipes are connected above the ground surface to a series of horizontal pipes, which are then connected to a Godwin water pump. This system dramatically lowers the water table in the excavation area, making it possible for J.J. Lane to excavate.
On the Job
Purchased for this project was a Kobelco 480 with a carrier weight of 110,000 lbs. (49,895 kg). This excavator was purchased from Tracey Road Equipment specifically to have an HMC hydrostatic side grip 100,000 lb. (45,359 kg) pile driver mounted to it.
Two Broce brooms also have been purchased for daily road cleanup and a Speed Shore shoring system was purchased for the installation of the underground utilities, along with some air compressors and light towers.
For this job Lane is using 430,000 cu. yds. (328,758 cu m) of material, of which 300,000 cu. yds. (229,366 cu m) is crushed stone. The material is coming from Kinsella Quarry in nearby Jamesville, N.Y.
Five-hundred thousand sq. ft. (46,451 sq m) of wood and steel sheeting also is being used on the project. This sheeting is used to cut off the artesian ground water pressure.
Whenever possible Lane prefers to use wood sheeting, but due to the depths involved on this project wood is not always a viable option, he said.
J.J. Lane Construction Inc.
J.J. Lane Construction Inc. was started in 1973 by Joseph J. Lane as a municipal sewer and water construction company. Joseph’s son, David, started working with the company in 1981 as a laborer. He took over the reigns of the company in 1997 as president.
J.J. Lane Construction owns a fleet of 16 excavators, nine of which are Kobelco.
Lane purchased its first Kobelco excavator — a model SK250 — in 2000. That machine now has 8,000 hours on it, is still used on a daily basis, and has never had a significant failure, according to David Lane, president of J.J. Lane Construction.
“These Kobelco excavators have been amazingly reliable. All total we have put over 48,000 hours on our Kobelco machines and have never had a major issue with any of them,” Lane said.
“We purchased our first machine from Jerry Tracey, a Trojan wheel loader, back in 1991.”
J.J. Lane Construction has approximately 35 local employees on this project.
For more information, visit www.lake.onondaga.ny.us/ol3.htm.
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