Meridian Idaho — Nix Construction

Meridian+4.jpg — black cat sewer trunk line

**MERIDIAN, IDAHO**

More Crowded Above the Dirt Than Below

Sometimes underground projects are as much about what’s going on above ground as the tunnel itself. This sewer project in Meridian, Idaho presented surface issues that made things a little more challenging than usual. Of course, all the standard underground trials were present, as well. But as always, the Nix crew was up for the challenge...

The city needed 1000’ of sewer line installed along a narrow shoulder of a main thoroughfare highway. The design consisted of a 36” steel casing surrounding a 24” PVC carrier pipe and was planned for 20 feet deep. Varying soil conditions, confined workspace, steep side slope and a busy road made things hectic around the bore pit. Let’s just say it was very cozy. The only way the Nix team could get any elbow room on the site was to take this party underground.

The tunnel layout consisted of two separate bores that were each about 500 feet, and they needed to be precise. The varying soil conditions would make accuracy for bore alignment difficult, so a custom guidance system for the bore rig was deployed to help maintain the precise alignment.

After successfully navigating the tricky soil conditions, both bores were completed on time, target, and budget. With confidence brimming, the customer awarded Nix with an additional 500’ bore at the same site. The bonus-bore turned out to be even more complex than the first two: This time, the bore path approached a creek bottom, presenting a new threat: Wet, sandy soil. Any pause in the boring action would cause the cutter head to sink. Unchecked, this issue would make it impossible to maintain a precise bore line.

After some brainstorming, the cutter-head and auger-bore operators devised a method to synchronize their operations such that the cutter head was prevented from drifting. The final bore path stayed precise and the termination point was spot-on-target.

Thanks to diligent planning and innovative execution, all three bores on this project landed within just a few hundredths of an inch of where they were designed to be. As we all know, ‘precision’ is the name of the Tunnel Game, and the Nix crew nailed this one. Another unique and challenging project, another innovative solution, and another big win for the Nix team.

Give us a call today and we'll come up with a perfect solution for your underground challenge, whatever it may be. Because that’s how we roll....