First Quarter 2013 - Jacobs Associates

VolUME 31
first QUARTER
2013
Project update by Bhaskar Thapa, PhD, PE
Tunneling Completed on Caldecott
The Caldecott Improvement Project achieved
a significant construction milestone with the
completion of tunnel excavation in September
2012 after almost two years of tunneling. The final
lining installation, involving 69 lifts starting
from the west portal, was completed in October
2012. Remaining work items include roadway
paving, completion of the tunnel structure at the
east portal, and the installation, configuration,
and integration of electrical, drainage, and ventilation
systems. The completed tunnel is scheduled
to open to traffic in late 2013.
Jacobs Associates is providing design support
during construction. During the design phase
as part of the Parsons team, we led the technical
design for the tunnel structure and also
coordinated the technical design for the tunnel
systems and fire life safety systems. Our
detailed design work included geomechanical
characterization; design of initial tunnel
support, final lining, and portal excavation
support; seismic analysis; and cost estimating.
Tutor Saliba Corporation and FoxFire Constructors
are the construction contractors.
Installation of waterproofing membrane.
The Caldecott Improvement Project is a
partnership of the Federal Highway Administration,
the California Department of Transportation,
the Metropolitan Transportation
Commission, the Contra Costa Transportation
Authority, and the Alameda County Transportation
Commission.
Bhaskar is a lead associate in the San Francisco
office. He has been directly involved in the design
of the Fourth Bore and is the NATM design
representative on the Caldecott Construction
Management Team.
Project win
Australian Win: Narrows Crossing
Overview of Curtis Island site.
Jacobs Associates is providing tunnel design to
Thiess Tunnelling on the Narrows Marine Crossing
Project. This 4.4-kilometer-long (2.7 mi),
3.4-meter-inside-diameter (11 ft) tunnel will
be constructed under a body of water known as
“The Narrows.” It will connect the Australian
mainland near Gladstone to Curtis Island, where
the Santos Gladstone liquid natural gas plant is
located. The tunnel will house the Santos GLNG
gas transmission pipeline.
Thiess Tunnelling was
awarded a $134 million AUD
contract by Saipem Australia,
the national arm of worldwide
pipeline specialist Saipem, to
construct the tunnel for the
Santos GLNG project in Gladstone,
Queensland. Thiess
purchased one of the earth pressure balance tunnel
boring machines used to construct the Northern
Sewerage Project
(NSP) in Melbourne,
which was completed
last year, and plans to
use the refurbished
machine to construct
the Narrows Crossing.
Mobilization to
the site began in September 2012, and tunneling
activities are expected to begin early in 2013.
Jacobs Associates provides practical, cost-effective, and innovative
solutions for difficult underground projects and excels in the water,
wastewater, and transportation sectors. With an emphasis on tunnels
and shafts, we offer a full range of design and construction management
capabilities. We also offer the broader heavy civil construction
industry a robust package of claims and dispute resolution services.
more news inside
• Principal’s Message
• Drill and Blast
• A Proactive CM Approach
• James Wilton Award
• Chase Challenge
• Northgate Link Extension
• Triple Hydropower Win
• Muck Bucket
• Oahu’s Sewer Tunnel Project
• Passive Icing System
• Norbert Tracy Scholarship
• Brisbane Airport Tunnel Opens
• Midwest Expansion
• Larger Linings for Larger Tunnels

Principal’s message by Isabelle Lamb, LG
Secrets to a Successful Owner/Designer Relationship
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While Jacobs Associates is known for technical
solutions, it may be our working relationships
with our project owners and teaming partners
that make the biggest difference in that success.
The most productive working relationships are
based on trust, and for public agencies with large
projects, it’s how they relate to their design consultant
that is the key to the overall success of the
project design. This proves especially true when
project funding is limited, necessitating the most
cost-effective design solutions. So how do trustbased
working relationships develop between
owners and designers when the budget is the
controlling factor The Jacobs Associates answer
is: collaboration, consistency, communication,
and effective subconsultant management.
We have found that interactive, collaborative
work environments, where designer and
owner cooperate, yield the best solutions in the
shortest time. Listening and being responsive
allow us to address project needs with the right
expertise and level of effort.
The secret to providing the right design solution
is an organic, mutually coherent understanding
of these overall project needs. For
larger efforts, this is best accomplished by an
integrated work environment such as can be
offered by collocation, where the designers are
available to the owner, and vice versa, for effective
communication, decision making, and
alternatives evaluation.
Once trust is established, the challenge becomes
maintaining consistency in the design
and across disciplines. For example, multifaceted
projects, such as light rail involving both
tunnels and stations, engage many designers
from numerous and diverse disciplines and
companies. In these complex work environments,
it is even more critical to maintain
integrated consistency project wide through
effective team management.
To enhance our project and team management
expertise, Jacobs Associates conducts regular
in-house project management training. The
graduates from these courses are well-versed
in topics ranging from planning to risk management
and working with and managing
different personalities and disciplines. The
program teaches the fundamentals critical to
success of our clients’ complex infrastructure
projects. It’s these Jacobs Associates people
who are making the difference in the way we
do business—at all levels of management.
To further assist in fully
understanding the complexities
of such projects,
Jacobs Associates
has introduced virtual
design and construction
(VDC) tools, which improve
visualization and
provide a platform for
integration and coordination
between engineering
disciplines. The
Based out of Seattle,
Isabelle is project
manager for the
Northgate Link Extension
Light Rail project
and project manager
for the University Link
Light Rail project.
models generated prevent errors by identifying
conflicts during design, when changes are easiest
and most cost effective to make.
While technology aids in coordination, the
prime design consultant provides direction to
the overall design team, and maintains the focus
and energy essential to complete the design. The
owner’s investment in the project is just beginning
with the design phase, and our role as the
prime design consultant is to maintain the momentum—keeping
the process moving efficiently
and effectively at all levels—to present the best
solutions on schedule and on budget.
just answers by Dwayne Easterling
Drill and Blast
Blasting. People have heard that this will be
taking place in their neighborhood during the
construction of a new tunnel. How concerned
should they be Will it be like the special effects
for a Sylvester Stallone movie
Blasters have been in business excavating rock
for generations. And with all of that experience,
engineers have been able to set industry
standards that protect neighboring property
from both vibration and noise.
Here is a quick thumbnail of how the contractor
controls the blast. For each job, a blast plan
is created by an engineer. The plan is based on
the type of rock being blasted and the distance
to any structures or utilities. Two-inch-diameter
holes (50 mm) are drilled into the rock,
6 to 8 feet deep (1.8–2.7 m), hence the term
“drill and blast.” The holes are in a concentric
circular pattern. Each hole is then packed with
a prescribed amount of powder explosive.
Now, here’s the trick. The blaster cannot set off
all the powder at the same time. In the center
of the face, a 6-inch (150 mm) hole is drilled
but not filled with powder. This is the “burn”
hole. A time delay is built into each hole via
the blasting cap. These millisecond delays are
wired together to make only one or a few holes
go off at the same time.
Rock wants to move just like
water. Water finds the easiest
path to flow, and so
does rock. The blaster
provides the “easiest
path” for the rock
through the burn
hole. Contrary to
what you might
think, blasting rock
is not the same as
smashing it. With
each blast, the rock
is wedged apart
with hot expanding
gases. Taking the
easiest path, the
broken pieces move
Sequence of blast, from light to dark, center to outside.
towards the cavity produced by the burn hole.
Each concentric circle of loaded holes then
follows suit. The perimeter is the final circle
that is blasted. This area has smaller drill holes
packed with smaller loads of powder. Usually
these trim holes have just enough powder to
break the rock facing the burn hole. That is how
the blaster controls the perimeter and
shape of the excavated area.
Don’t worry. Sylvester Stallone
types will not be
controlling the blasts.
Unless of course, they
take all the classes and
tests required and then
obtain a Blaster-in-
Charge License.
Dwayne is the chief
inspector for Jacobs
Associates’ deep rock
South Cobb Tunnel,
located in Austell,
Georgia.

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just answers by Shimi Tzobery, PE
A Proactive CM Approach
Jacobs Associates continues to take a construction manager role
on large high-profile tunneling projects, including the Alaska Way
Viaduct Project in Seattle and the San Francisco Central Subway
Project. This is a good opportunity, therefore, to reexamine the
importance of a proactive construction management (CM) approach
to challenging projects.
The success of a construction project is typically judged by whether
it meets safety, cost, and schedule objectives. As recognized, cooperative
relationships among the construction parties are essential
in order for these project goals to be achieved and for a project to
be considered successful. In the role of liaison, the CM and its team
should encourage open communication, fairness, and trust among
the owner, designer, contractor, and other project shareholders.
Ideally, the CM assists the contractor in its efforts to achieve the
project requirements, while also administrating the contract and
its specifications. By proactively inspiring the project teams to work
together toward the common project targets, the CM helps the parties
to bridge their differences, resulting in a high level of performance,
rapid troubleshooting, and effective conflict resolution.
On tunneling projects, however, the CM is more than a liaison since
uncertainty and risk are predominant on these projects. On such
complicated, high-cost projects the CM team is routinely required
to provide work directions (ground support, water control, ground
treatments, etc.), as determined by the actual encountered ground
conditions. This contractually assigned task may result in conflicts
and disputes between the owner and contractor. Therefore, the CM
should become intimately involved in the project partnering process
so as to diffuse potential frictions between the parties.
The following principles are suggested for tunnel construction
managers in their proactive partnering approach:
• Partnering is not a slogan. Engage in the partnering process
every day.
• Make teamwork and open communication a way of life throughout
construction.
• Never use the contract to enforce, unless engineering (and common
sense) has failed to convince.
• “Bring the contractor to the table” to jointly address key challenges.
• Develop a Conflict Resolution Ladder while encouraging the team
members to resolve issues at the lowest level.
• Earn the trust of the owner, designer, and contractor through your
ability to fairly negotiate a middle ground.
• Educate the owner on the benefits of risk sharing.
Tunneling projects are challenging, and the multifaceted role of the
CM is critical to success. A well-selected CM will find the golden path
to proactively assist the contractor without compromising any of the
contract requirements or final product quality. It may not ultimately
eliminate disputes, but such methodology can establish a solid and
trusted ground for addressing them rapidly and fairly, resulting in
the satisfaction of all involved parties and shareholders.
Shimi is an associate in the Pasadena office and has nearly 20 years
of experience in the design, coordination, and management of complex
underground construction projects.
Sam Swartz Receives
James Wilton Award
The principals at Jacobs Associates are pleased
to announce that Sam Swartz, an associate in the
Seattle office, is the 2012 recipient of the James
Wilton Award. This is an employee award that
honors the memory of James Wilton, former principal
and president of Jacobs Associates.
This award recognizes the accomplishments and contributions
made by Jacobs Associates employees. It provides an opportunity
to acknowledge their innovations, implemented into either a Jacobs
Associates project or our business operations and demonstrating
an individual’s commitment to quality and excellence at the firm. A
person receiving this award shares the
traits that made Jim an “engineer’s engineer”—innovative,
hardworking, practical,
and meticulous.
Jacobs Associates principals presented
Sam with the James Wilton Award at the
2012 management meeting in Lafayette,
California, in November. Sam has almost 15 years of engineering
experience on major tunnel design projects. He holds an MS in
Civil Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and a
BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Michigan. Sam also is a
registered professional engineer in California and Washington. He is
currently providing design support services during construction for
Sound Transit’s University Link Light Rail project as well as acting as
senior reviewer on Sound Transit’s final design of the Northgate Link
Extension, both located in Seattle, Washington.
Employees Take the Challenge!
On Wednesday, September 13, 2012, the San Francisco and Walnut
Creek offices participated in the 2012 San Francisco JPMorgan
Chase Corporate Challenge. This event was a 3.5-mile (5.6 km) race
at AT&T Park’s McCovey Cove. It was a gorgeous night for running,
one of the warmest in recent years, and there was a sold-out crowd
of 10,000 participants from 367 companies. This is the largest turnout
in the San Francisco Corporate Challenge’s 28-year history.
Principal Mike McRae led the team with the fastest time of 22.42 minutes.
A record number of 34 Jacobs Associates employees took on
the challenge.
Part of the proceeds of the race was donated to Larkin Street Youth
Services, an internationally recognized leader providing innovative,
effective housing, medical, social, and educational services to at-risk,
homeless, and runaway youth.

Project update by Steve Dekleva, PE
Northgate Link Extension N112 Gets Underway
4
The Northgate Link Extension N112 contract
broke ground in August 2012. N112 is the
first of ten contracts to be awarded by Sound
Transit for the construction of the Northgate
Link Extension Light Rail Project, which will
connect the University Link Light Rail segment
to the Northgate business/retail center in
Seattle, Washington. The N112 contract was
awarded to Titan Earthwork and includes demolition,
environmental remediation, and site
preparation for the U District and Roosevelt
Station sites. Upon the completion of the N112
The groundbreaking ceremony.
effort, the prepared sites will be taken over
by the N125 contract, which is for the station
excavation and tunneling operations, and then
subsequently by the N140 and N150 Station
build-out and finishes contracts.
At the U District Station, several structures are
being demolished, including a two-story bank
building, an underground parking structure
adjacent to the bank, a classroom building, and a
residential structure and garage. Environmental
conditions and hazardous building materials
surveys were completed for
each property, and abatement
work based on the findings
will be carried out before or in
conjunction with demolition
of the structures. The project
budget covers the possibility of
encountering unknown contamination
throughout execution
of the work. The concrete basement
walls of the underground
parking structure, classroom
building, and residence will be
left in place and the basements
filled with a controlled density
fill (CDF) backfill. The backfill
will stabilize the basement walls
and allow for removal of the structure above.
The basement walls can then be removed, either
during the N125 contract or after the stations
are completed if needed. The classroom building
demolition will be challenging as the north exterior
wall is built tight against a historic theatre.
Removal procedures will be closely monitored
throughout demolition.
A similar approach is being taken at the Roosevelt
Station site. Buildings being demolished
include a grocery store, two commercial buildings,
and two small residential structures. To
reduce demolition debris totals, four townhouse
structures were permanently moved to a site
three blocks away. The grocery store has a basement
that will be filled in with CDF backfill. The
aboveground portion of the basement wall will
be supported by soil nails to allow it to remain
after the building is demolished.
After demolition, site restoration will occur
at both sites, including construction of drainage
structures, grading, surface treatments,
and fencing.
Steve is a project engineer in Jacobs Associates’
Seattle office and the project manager for the
Northgate Link Extension N112 contract.
Triple Hydropower Win!
Jacobs Associates continues to expand its hydropower and dams portfolio
with three strategic wins: the Allison Lake Hydropower project in
Valdez, Alaska; the Lower Baker Dam Flood Wall Project in Concrete,
Washington; and the Tri-Dam Radial Gate Inspection in Pine Crest, California.
Each of these is an example of leveraging our expertise toward
a focused expansion in offerings that go beyond tunnels.
Allison Lake Hydroelectric Project
Located east of Anchorage in the southeast part of Alaska, Copper Valley
Electric Association’s Allison Lake Hydroelectric project includes construction
of a new 5-megawatt powerhouse
and a 7,500-foot-long
(2,290 m), 42-inch-diameter
(1,065 mm) steel penstock and
diversion intake structure. Jacobs
Associates, as a subconsultant to
McMillen LLC, will be providing
geological and geotechnical engineering for penstock alignment and
powerhouse siting evaluation; and design of the penstock, a diversion
intake structure, and powerhouse excavation and foundation. We also
will provide engineering services during construction of the project.
Staff Recognition
At the annual Colorado
School of Mines Tunneling
Short Course in September,
Glenn Boyce, PhD, PE, taught
“Shaft Design and Construction,”
while Michael McRae,
DEng, PE, GE, taught “NATM
Design and Construction.”
The Tunneling Short Course is
a three-day, intensive course
presented by a panel of international
experts.
Mark Havekost, PE, gave a
talk titled “Design and Construction
Methodologies for
Challenging Geotechnical
Conditions on the Lower Baker
Unit 4 Powerhouse Project” at
the Vancouver Tunnelling Association
of Canada (TAC) Conference
on September 11, 2012. He
also gave a presentation titled
“Shaft Design and Construction
Methodologies” at a Tunneling
Technology and Emerging
Trends and Technology Symposium
for the City of Portland,
Oregon on June 21, 2012.
In October, Shawn Paroline
moderated a discussion panel at
the Construction Management
Association of America (CMAA)
Boyce McRae Havekost Paroline Pawlik
National Conference, held in
Chicago, Illinois. The discussion
panel presented a white paper
titled “Survival Guide for Managing
Public Works Construction
under Institutional Constraints.”
Isabelle Pawlik, PE, Sarah Wilson,
PE, and Julie Labonte from the San
Francisco Public Utilities Commission
(SFPUC) gave a presentation
titled “Water Supply Reliability:
Critical Tunnel Infrastructures in
San Francisco” in October at the
American Society of Civil Engineers
(ASCE) 142nd Annual Civil
Engineering Conference in Montreal,
Quebec. The presentation
featured three SFPUC projects—
the Bay Tunnel, the New Irvington
Tunnel, and the New Crystal
Springs Bypass Tunnel.
Jamie Schick, CEG, LEG, LHG,
gave a presentation titled “Using
HDD Technology to Successfully
Wilson Schick
Navigate the Urban Environment”
to a Municipal Forum on
Trenchless Technology for water
and sewer municipalities in the
greater Portland area. The talk
highlighted Jacobs Associates’
successful completion of five horizontal
directional drilling (HDD)
projects for the Tualatin Valley
Water District. The forum was
held in October and organized
by the Louisiana Tech Trenchless
Technology Center.

5 6 7
Project update by Tom Pennington, PE
Oahu’s Sewer Tunnel Project
Like many US cities, the City and County of
Honolulu is embarking on an ambitious plan to
increase the reliability of its wastewater collection,
treatment, and disposal systems. Planning
and design for improvements are underway for
facilities conveying wastewater flows by gravity
on the windward side of Oahu, from the existing
Kaneohe Wastewater Pretreatment Facility
(KWPTF) to the Kailua Regional Wastewater
Treatment Plant (KRWWTP). These improvements
will replace the existing pump station
and force main system. Improvements include
an approximately 16,337-foot-long (4,980 m),
120-inch-diameter (3,050 mm) wastewater storage
and conveyance tunnel; a 36 million gallon
per day (136 million liter) capacity pump station;
two drop shafts; a deep intermediate access
shaft; and near-surface pipelines and related
improvements at the KWPTF and KRWWTP.
Jacobs Associates, as a subconsultant to Wilson
Okamoto Corporation, is providing design services
for the tunnel and deep shafts.
The tunnel will extend beneath the Oneawa
Hills on the north side of Oahu. These hills are a
topographic expression of a former caldera and
shield volcano (Koo’lau Volcano) that helped
form the island nearly 3 million years ago. Geologic
conditions along the tunnel are expected to
consist of basalt lava flows, breccias, and numerous
dikes, all of which have undergone varying
degrees of hydrothermal alteration due to their
formation within the former volcano. Most of
the tunnel will be mined in hard rock. At both
ends of the tunnel, short sections of the alignment
will encounter residual soils and weak
Lagoonal and Alluvium deposits. Some of the
soils have low strength and will require ground
stabilization prior to tunnel excavation. Presently,
over 20,000 cubic
yards (15,300 3 m) of jet
grouting are planned.
A key design consideration
is the use of glass
fiber-reinforced thermosetting
resin pipe
(GFRP), or fiberglass
pipe, as the tunnel final
lining. The proposed
tunnel diameter of 120
inches (3,050 mm) is
near the limit of manufacturing
capabilities
for GFRP. In addition,
the pipe must be capable
of withstanding
internal corrosion and
significant external hydrostatic pressure. Construction
of the tunnel and shafts is expected to
take 34 months and begin in late 2013. Contractors
must have a current Hawaii Contractor’s
License when they submit their qualifications for
the project.
Tom is a senior project engineer in the San Francisco
office and provides engineering design
support on the Kaneohe/Kailua Project.
Geotechnical investigations along tunnel alignment.
Lower Baker Dam Flood Wall
Again as a subconsultant to McMillen LLC,
Jacobs Associates will be providing geotechnical
and rock engineering on the design-build
Lower Baker Dam Flood Wall project for Puget
Sound Energy. The project, located in Concrete,
Washington, consists of an 18-foot-high (5.5 m)
dam raise to contain a probable maximum flood.
Our services include site investigation, rock
mapping, kinematic analyses, rock scour evaluations,
FERC coordination, and field inspection
during construction.
Tri-Dam Radial Gate Inspection
Jacobs Associates was selected to perform the Owner’s Dam Safety Evaluation
of Tri-Dam Project’s 16 radial arm gates across three locations near
Pine Crest, California. We will visually inspect the radial gates and hoisting
systems at Donnells Dam (a double curvature concrete arch dam), Beardsley
Dam (an embankment dam), and Tulloch Dam (a concrete gravity
dam). Tulloch Dam is classified as a High Hazard dam, and Donnells and
Beardsley dams are classified as Significant Hazard dams. Our team, consisting
of Jacobs Associates and Black & Veatch engineers, will provide the
civil/structural and mechanical engineering skills necessary to fully assess
the operability and reliability of the dams’ spillway gates. The inspections
and condition assessment are planned for completion prior to spring 2013.
New Hires
Jose Aguilar was hired as a Staff
Engineer in August, and works in
the Vancouver office. Jose has
experience as a geotechnical laboratory
technician and as an assistant
engineer on the construction
of a subway station and tunnel in
Spain. He holds a BA in Geological
Engineering from the University of
British Columbia.
The Seattle office welcomed Katy
Beaudreau, who started as an
Administrative Assistant in August.
Katy has more than eight years of
administrative experience.
Christopher Caruso joined the
Boston office in November as a
Senior Staff Engineer. His three
years of experience include tunnel
and trenchless design and rehabilitation
techniques for steel and
unreinforced concrete structures,
unreinforced rock excavations,
and utility pipelines. Christopher
received his MS in Structural Engineering
from the University of
California at Berkeley and his BS
in Engineering from Swarthmore
College in Pennsylvania.
Daniel Ebin joined the New
York office as a Staff Engineer in
August. His educational background
is in both geotechnical
and structural engineering, and he
completed his Master’s research
by modeling offshore wind turbine
monopile foundations using Plaxis
3D. He holds MS and BS degrees
in Civil Engineering from Tufts
University in Medford, MA.
In January, the Cleveland office
welcomed Charles Huse as
a Staff Engineer. His experience
includes geotechnical and
environmental services. He has
assessed residential structures for
earthquake and mine subsidence
damage, and conducted Phase I
Environmental site investigations
for commercial and industrial properties.
Charles has a BS in Civil
Engineering from Valparaiso University
in Indiana.
Vinnie Hung was hired in August
as a Senior Staff Engineer and
works in the San Francisco office.
Vinnie has three years of experience
in construction, geotechnical
instrumentation engineering, and
hydraulic groundwater modeling
for a variety of transit tunnel
projects. She holds an MEng in
Civil Engineering from the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology
and a BS in Civil Engineering from
Cooper Union in New York, NY.
In November, the Portland office
welcomed Lori Lyons-Lachman as
a Project Consultant in the Claims
Department. Lori has more than
20 years of experience in construction
claims consulting and
paralegal work, specializing in
litigation graphics and document
review/analysis. She holds a BA in
Architecture from the University
of California at Berkeley.

Project update by Phaidra Campbell
Passive Icing System on Allegheny and Moffat Tunnels
4 5 6
Tunnels take abuse. In railway systems, this
abuse comes from a variety of sources, including
the vibrations of passing heavy freight trains,
seismic activity, exhaust exposure, and extreme
weather conditions. Tunnels therefore require
constant attention and innovative rehabilitation
measures to prolong their lifespan, maintain
safe passage, and counteract the forces
of nature. In areas of heavy water infiltration
and cold temperatures, water icing is an often
dangerous and frequent occurrence. Two tunnel
systems in two different parts of the country
recently required installation of passive icing
Installing steel sets and channel lagging for the
passive icing shields in Moffat Tunnel in Colorado.
Tri-Dam Project is a joint venture between
the Oakdale Irrigation District and
the South San Joaquin Irrigation District.
Together they developed, operate, and
maintain the Beardsley, Donnells, and
Tulloch projects, including dams, tunnels,
penstocks, powerhouses, communications
systems, and general offices.
These facilities are located on the Middle
Fork of the Stanislaus River in Tuolumne
County, California.
systems to counteract cold weather: the Allegheny
Tunnel in central Pennsylvania, which
received a retrofit of an existing system; and the
Moffat Tunnel in Colorado.
The 3,600-foot-long (1,100 m) Allegheny Tunnel,
originally constructed between 1851 and
1854, was enlarged from single-track to a
double track/double stack in the mid-1990s. As
a part of this enlargement, passive icing shields
were installed for approximately 335 linear feet
(102 m). However, after 15 years, many of the
panels are seriously deteriorated because of
locomotive exhaust blasts and rusting of rock
bolt hangers. This deterioration, along with
extreme conditions in the winter of 2009/2010,
proliferated the growth of large icicles, which
required removal by Norfolk Southern Railway
(NSR) crews every other day.
To remedy these issues, NSR hired Jacobs Associates
to design a retrofit/replacement of
the existing icing shields that would fit in the
clearance envelope and be constructed in 2- to
6-hour work windows. After a site visit, Jacobs
Associates determined a new passive icing system
would be the best solution to control the
icing issues. The new system consists of steel
sets spaced evenly or centered into the existing
Placing final shotcrete layer
on the passive icing shields.
concrete footings; between the steel sets is a
layered arrangement of components. This arrangement,
going from the field side to the track
side, consists of a drainage mat and two layers of
insulation planks. The track side of the steel sets
and the insulation planks are covered with galvanized
metal Stay-Form ® and a 2-inch (50 mm)
layer of fiber-reinforced microsilica shotcrete.
A passive icing system also was installed in
Union Pacific Railroad’s Moffat Tunnel from
October 2012 to December 2012. Moffat Tunnel
is located on the Continental Divide in Winter
Park, Colorado. Approximately 70 linear feet (21
m) was installed midway through the tunnel in a
severe icing zone. In addition to the icing shield
materials, a waterproofing membrane (Masterseal)
was used on the steel sets for an extra
layer of protection from freezing water. Similar
designs have been used in Washington State
Parks’ Iron Horse Tunnels.
By fully understanding the issues specific to the
Allegheny and Moffat tunnels, Jacobs Associates’
engineers tailored a proven rehabilitation
method to reduce winter icing, decrease intervention
of railroad crews, and allow safe passage
of heavy freight trains.
Phaidra is a project engineer in the San Francisco
office and provided design and construction
management services on the Allegheny Ice
Shield Replacement Project and design services
on the Moffat Tunnel Icing Project.
transfers
Babs Marquis recently joined
Jacobs Associates as a Senior
Project Consultant in the Boston
Office. Babs will be involved on
NBC Combined Sewer Abatement
Program Phase II in Rhode Island
and DC Water. Babs received his
BS degree from Wentworth Institute
of Technology in Boston and
has more than 20 years of experience
in the industry.
The Seattle office hired JR Meksavanh
as a Claims Technician
in September. JR holds a BA in
Geography from the University of
Washington.
The San Francisco office welcomed
Staff Engineer Roozbeh Geraili
Mikola in August. Roozbeh recently
earned his PhD in geotechnical
engineering from the University
of California, Berkeley. His areas
of expertise include earthquake
engineering, rock mechanics and
rock engineering, geotechnical
engineering, numerical modeling,
and ground support in mining and
underground construction.
In December, the San Francisco
office welcomed Audie Reynolds
as an Inspector on the Central Subway
Project. Audie has 21 years
of experience in the construction
industry, including heavy rail construction,
light rail construction,
tunnel mining foundations, and
water treatment facilities. Audie is a
Certified Licensed Gas Tester and
Certified Licensed Underground
Safety Representative.
Pamela “PJ” Roscoe, CPSM,
joined the Boston office in
December as a Marketing Manager.
She has more than 10 years
of AEC industry experience,
which includes proposal development,
graphic design, and
market research. PJ holds a BA in
Business Administration from Lesley
University in Cambridge, MA.
Katerina Sakarova, CEng, was
hired in October by the Vancouver
office as a project engineer.
She has six years of experience
in design and construction of tunnels,
shafts, and underground
structures, specializing in the
design of sprayed concrete linings
and cast-in-situ concrete
linings in hard rock. She holds
an MS in Building and Structural
Engineering from Czech Technical
University in Prague.
Senior Associate Keith Abey,
SE, Project Engineer Phaidra
Campbell, and Senior Inspector
Bill Hawk all transferred to the
San Francisco office in September.
Keith continues to support
the Seattle Northgate Link Extension
project, and also is working
on expanding the firm’s structural
engineering services in California.
Phaidra continues to work on Seattle
City Light’s Gorge 2nd Hydropower
Tunnel project as well as on
the Kaneohe/Kailua Sewer Tunnel
project in Honolulu, HI and various
railroad projects throughout

7
Project update by Karl Assi, MIEAust, CPEng
Brisbane Airport Tunnel Opens
On July 25, 2012, Brisbane’s new Airport Link
Tunnel opened to traffic. The ambitious project
is known for many firsts. It is Australia’s longest
road tunnel (at 6.7 kilometers, or almost 4.2 miles)
and biggest privately funded road infrastructure
project ($4.8 billion AUD). Airport Link runs under
densely populated inner-city Brisbane and the
northern suburbs. It connects the city’s central
business district and recently completed northsouth
bypass tunnel (the Clem7) to the East-West
Arterial Road and to the Brisbane Airport.
Construction started in November 2008, and
completed on July 15, 2012. Two earth pressure
balance tunnel boring machines (TBMs)
were used to mine the 2.4-kilometer-long (1.5
mi) twin bore section of the tunnel. The TBMs
were custom-made for the project, and at 12.48
meters (40.94 ft) in diameter, are the largest to
The completed tunnel.
have ever operated in Australia. The remainder
of the tunnel was mined by roadheader
and drill-and-blast methods. At the peak of
construction, over 15 of the world’s largest
roadheaders and the two TBMs were operating
simultaneously. The project saw the installation
of 125,000 tonnes (335 million pounds) of
reinforced steel, and the application of 807,000
cubic meters (28.5 million cubic feet) of concrete.
During its peak, Airport Link employed
4,500 people.
The mined portion of Airport Link includes twin
three-lane mainline tunnels; 5 one- to three-lane,
on- and off-ramp tunnels; and a two-lane busway
tunnel. The finished span of the mainline tunnels
is approximately 15 meters (49 ft), and the spans
of the caverns at the ramp tunnel intersections
are up to 26 meters (85 feet).
BrisConnections, a public-private partnership,
contracted with Theiss – John Holland to construct
the project. The Parsons Brinckerhoff
Arup Joint Venture provided comprehensive
engineering services. Jacobs Associates was
engaged by the JV to provide design services,
which consisted of input during development
of the project-wide geologic report, final lining
design for all the mined tunnels, and designing
the initial support systems for sections of the
ramp tunnels and caverns. We also provided
design services during construction.
Airport Link is part of an integrated transport
solution that includes the Northern Busway and
the Airport Roundabout Upgrade. Although a
toll-road tunnel, for the first three months of operation,
Airport Link was toll free to all motorists.
Karl is a lead associate and manages Jacobs
Associates’ Melbourne office. He was technical
lead for design of the final concrete linings for
the Airport Link Project, and provided engineering
support during construction.
Norbert Tracy Scholarship
Greg Rogoff, a graduate student in the
GeoEngineering Program
at the University of California,
Berkeley, was recently
awarded the Norbert A.
Tracy Scholarship. This
scholarship, funded entirely
by Jacobs Associates, is the firm’s way of
honoring the memory of our former partner,
Norbert Tracy, and supporting UC Berkeley’s
GeoEngineering graduate program,
of which many at Jacobs Associates are
alumni. Gregg worked at Jacobs Associates
as an intern after completing his undergraduate
degree at UC Berkeley.
papers presented
the United States. Bill recently
worked on Maryland’s Bi-County
Water Tunnel project and is now
serving as an inspector on the
Central Subway Project in downtown
San Francisco.
Project Engineer Rusty Arend,
PE, transferred from the Seattle
office to the Walnut Creek office
at the beginning of October. He is
working on a variety of projects,
with a primary focus on those
utilizing trenchless technology.
Senior Staff Engineer Stephanie
Fekete transferred from the
Ontario project office to the Vancouver
office in September. In
Vancouver, Stephanie is working
on various projects for hydropower
and mining industry clients.
Associate John Murray, PE, and
Project Engineer Bade Sozer, PE,
both transferred from the Ontario
project office back to the New
York office in September. John
is working on the Rondout-West
Branch Bypass Tunnel project
and continues to support the
Ottawa Light Rail Transit project.
Bade also is supporting the Rondout-West
project.
Senior Staff Engineer Heather
Stewart, PE, transferred from the
San Francisco office to the Seattle
office in September. Heather is
wrapping up work associated
with her San Francisco projects
as she takes on her new duties in
Seattle.
AMERICAN RAILWAY ENGINeer-
ING AND MAINTENANCE-OF-
WAY ASSOCIATION (AREMA)
CONFERENCE (September 16–19,
2012) Passive Icing Shields for
Railroad Tunnel in Gallitzen, PA.
Phaidra Campbell and Joseph
Schrank (Jacobs Associates); Ruth
Brown (Norfolk Southern Railway).
TUNNELLING ASSOCIATION OF
CANADA (TAC) CONFERENCE
(October 17–20, 2012) Evaluation
of Overstressing of Deep Hard
Rock TBM Excavated Tunnels in
BC. Dean Brox (Jacobs Associates).
TUNNELLING ASSOCIATION
OF CANADA (October 17–20,
2012) Construction of the
Sunnydale Auxiliary Sewer:
Solving Unique Crossing
Constraints using Multiple
Excavation Methods. Renée
Fippin and Heather Stewart
(Jacobs Associates); Gregg
Rehak (Super Excavators, Inc.);
and Louis Douglas (San Francisco
Department of Public Works).

8
project win
Putting Down Roots in the Midwest
In September 2012, Jacobs Associates kicked
off work on the City of Akron’s $220 million
Ohio Canal Interceptor (OCI) Tunnel Project,
our first big project win since opening a permanent
office in the Midwest. The key feature
of the project is a proposed 27-foot-insidediameter
(8.2 m), 6,150-foot-long (or equivalent
volume to provide approximately 25.6
million gallons), combined sewer overflow
(CSO) storage and conveyance tunnel in
soil, rock, and mixed face ground conditions
through downtown Akron, Ohio.
The OCI Tunnel Project is part of a long-term
CSO control plan that includes a number of
sewer separation projects, storage tanks, treatment
facility upgrades, and tunnels. The OCI
Tunnel is expected to reduce CSOs at nine locations
along the Ohio and Erie Canal and Little
Cuyahoga River, improving water quality of
the river and contributing to the overall health
of the downstream Cuyahoga River and Lake
Erie. The Cuyahoga River flows through the
Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
As a subconsultant to the prime designer, DLZ,
Jacobs Associates is lead tunnel designer of
the OCI Tunnel. As part of our scope of work,
we are providing review of the preliminary
engineering and design work completed by the
Program Management Team led by AECOM.
We also are participating in risk management
Downtown Akron, future location of OCI Tunnel.
meetings and a value engineering study, evaluating
and presenting alternate design concepts
for tunnels and shafts, and assisting with
development of the geotechnical investigation
program in preparation for final design of the
OCI Tunnel. In addition, Jacobs Associates will
provide engineering support services during
construction, which, per the proposed consent
decree, is scheduled to start in April 2014.
just answers by Shannon Goff, PE
Designing Larger Linings for Larger Tunnels
Increasing demand for multiuse tunnels in
order to optimize underground space and improvements
in tunnel boring machine (TBM)
technology have led to a worldwide increase
in bored tunnel diameters. The list of successful
projects with diameters greater than 14
meters (46 ft) is growing. The largest TBM to
date, with an outside diameter of 17.48 meters
(57.35 ft), has been manufactured for the
Alaska Way Viaduct Program. Consequently,
this trend towards larger diameter tunnels is
driving the need for the design of larger diameter
segmental linings.
In addition to the standard design considerations
for all segmental linings such as grouting
requirements, watertightness, durability,
fire resistance, and installation tolerances,
larger diameter linings present some new
design challenges. There is an increased
importance on development of practical geotechnical
parameters for large-diameter tunnels.
The structural capacity requirements of
the ring are driven by the assumed ground
loading with an increased dependency on the
lateral earth pressure coefficient. Even minor
deviations of this coefficient have a dramatic
effect on the loads in the lining. Additionally,
the stability of the ring depends on the
bedding provided by the grout and ground
behind the ring.
We appreciate your feedback.
finalliner@jacobssf.com
The trade-off between flexibility and strength
becomes more critical. This trade-off must be
considered when selecting the number of segments
per ring, the thickness of the ring, the
type of reinforcement, and the type of joints.
All of these compounds have significant constructability
implications. A more flexible ring
that uses more segments, a thinner section,
lighter reinforcement, and uncoupled joints results
in lower bending moment requirements
but higher, potentially unacceptable, deformations.
The deformations are smaller for a rigid
ring; however, the bending moments can be
incredibly high for large rings, and it can be
difficult to design for them.
The design basis of a segmental lining is an
articulated ring, where the longitudinal joints
provide the required flexibility. As ring flexibility
becomes a more important design
parameter, so too does the designer’s understanding
of ring behavior. It is generally agreed
that bending moment is transferred across the
longitudinal joints because of the thrust forces
in the ring, but there are various theories on
the amount of moment transferred. Similarly,
there are various theories on the behavior of the
circumferential joints in terms of ring coupling
effects. Ring coupling, due to friction between
rings or shear connectors such as shear bicones
or cam-and-pocket systems, can serve to stiffen
Visit us at www.jacobssf.com
or call us at 800.842.3794
Large-diameter segmentally lined tunnel.
a segmental lining. However, this effect is difficult
to quantify. The major benefit from shear
connectors is seen during ring build, when they
act as centralizers and help restrict relative
deformation between rings. However, construction
tolerances and the shear connectors’ longterm
behavior must be considered in order to
avoid damage to segments.
These are just some of the design challenges
for large-diameter segmental linings. Recent
advances in TBM technology are pushing the
envelope, with tunnels larger than previously
thought possible and under more critical loading
conditions than ever before. Similar advancements
in segmental lining design are required to
continue this successful and exciting trend.
Shannon is a project engineer in the Auckland
office and is currently working on the Waterview
Project.
Executive Editor Victor Romero, PE, CPEng
Managing Editor Rebecca Anicich, CPSM
Contributing Editors Lauren Curley; LE McCutcheon,
CPSM; Julie McCullough; Carl Williams
Designer Seth McGinnis
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