ECI – Engineers Construction

ECI’s Middlebury Tunnel Project was highlighted in the May 2018 edition of Trenchless Technology.  This early work package contract included construction of the deep stormwater conveyance tunnels for the upcoming railroad tunnel project.  The three 60-inch-diameter tunnels in rock  conditions were launched from a 40-ft-dia by 35-ft-deep launch shaft constructed in the heart of busy downtown Middlebury.  The drives ranged from 140 to 152 feet long.  The rock consisted of marble with an unconfined compressive strength of up to 20,000 psi.  The third drive extended through the hard rock and into a mixed face and then a soft clay over the last 20 feet.  ECI used a Robbins Motorized Small Boring Unit (SBU) tunneling machine with hard-rock disc-cutter tooling.  The SBU is mounted at the front of steel casings which are jacked forward with an auger boring machine from inside the launch pit.  The electrically motorized SBU head rotates as the steel casing transfers the applied jacking force from the auger boring machine system.  The operator is inside the SBU-M and uses a laser-guided target to stay on line and grade.  Steering is achieved by slight adjustments to the articulated forward shield.  The tunnel is permanently lined by the trailing steel casing connected with permalok snap-on joints.  This project used a 42-in-dia polypropylene corrugated steel pipe as the main carrier with annular grout fill.

Trenchless Technology Magazine:  https://trenchlesstechnology.com/eci-robbins-sbu-m-three-hard-rock-crossings-vermont/prettyPhoto/0/

ECI’s involvement in the project will continue into the next phase of the railroad tunnel construction anticipated to start up this summer and completion in 2020.

VTrans Project Website:  https://vtrans.vermont.gov/projects/middlebury

Robbins Company SBU-M Bochure:  https://www.therobbinscompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/SBU-M-spec-sheet-2009_metric.pdf

ECI recently presented a technical paper at the No-Dig 2019 yearly conference for the North American Society of Trenchless Technology in Chicago.

In addition, the project presented by ECI was used as the cover article in the Spring 2019 edition of “Trenchless International,” a publication of the International Society of Trenchless Technology.

Mr. Tom Loyer of ECI co-authored and presented the case history technical paper on a Vermont Agency of Transportation project involving three culvert replacements below the Vermont Railway in Ferrisburg and New Haven, Vermont.  The culverts were installed by pneumatic driving of 72-in-dia steel casings aligned by guided bore technology.  The casings were subsequently lined with corrugated polymer coated pipes.  The work was completed on schedule without any delays to the operating railroad above.

We are proud to announce that our employees have collectively donated $12,150 which was divided evenly between the following local charities:

• Camp Ta Kump Ta  http://www.takumta.org/
• Vermont National Guard Charitable Foundation  https://www.facebook.com/Vermont-National-Guard-Charitable-Foundation-185255287247/
• Mike Loyer Foundation https://www.theclassicmikeloyer.org/about-us/

ECI employees have a history of making charitable contributions during the holiday season and this is the largest contribution by its employees to date – exceeding last years contribution of $11,400.

All three charities attended our Christmas barbecue at ECI’s shop to receive their donation.

Engineers Construction recently completed the 3rd and final drive for the drainage tunnels on the Middlebury Railroad Tunnel Project.  The three drives were each 60-in-diameter cased bores in mixed-face and mostly rock conditions using a motorized small boring unit system provided by Robbins.  The drive lengths were 135, 152, and 137 feet each with a cut opening of 62.5 inches.  ECI used PermaLok steel casing for an outer liner and an American Augers 60-1200 for a jacking system and spoil removal.  The steerable and manned tunnel boring machine used a laser grade system to maintain line and grade.  Each drive was installed to within tolerances and within 1 inch of line and grade.

The rock consisted of limestone with a maximum unconfined compressive strength of around 19,000 psi.

The remaining work on this early work package contract is to finish contact grouting (outside casing grout fill), install the final carrier pipe inside of the casings, install the new precast concrete storm drain manholes, and backfill the launch and receiving shafts.  Once this drainage work is complete, the main railroad tunnel work will commence.

The launch shaft consisted of a 40-ft-diameter shaft excavated to a depth of 38 feet.  The launch and the receiving shafts were all located immediately adjacent to the tracks of the Vermont Railway.

ECI is a subcontractor to Kubricky Construction (Wilton, NY).  The Owner is the Vermont Agency of Transportation.  The project is located in Middlebury, Vermont.  More information on the Middlebury Tunnel is available on the VTrans project website: https://vtrans.vermont.gov/projects/middlebury/about.  And, the weekly blog by Mr.  Jim Gish (Middlebury Tunnel Public Liason):  https://www.middleburybridges.org/single-post/2018/11/15/2018-Update-57?utm_campaign=de0383ab-4151-4c4a-ab64-3c08df5fb02f&utm_source=so.

VTrans has also posted a youtube drone video:

The May 4th, 2018 storm that created high wind and waves on Lake Champlain caused significant damage to the causeway that connects Colchester Point to the southern tip of South Hero.  Damage was so severe that Town officials closed the popular bicycling trail.  The Causeway, served by a bike ferry to provide thru access, is a popular tourist and bicycling destination for the region, particularly in the summer tourist season.  Soon after the damaging storm, Governor Phil Scott prioritized an effort to repair and reopen the Causeway in time for the July 4th holiday.

The project was bid on June 14th and Engineers Construction, Inc. (ECI) was the selected as the contractor to make the repairs.   ECI mobilized on the first business day after the contract was awarded.  In total, ECI placed over 3,500 tons of stone fill, crushed stone, and fine surface topping material.  The challenges of the project included transporting the materials out onto the narrow one-lane 2 mile Causeway.  From the Colchester end, dump trucks were able to back out and pass other trucks a few wider passing areas.  From the South Hero end, the materials were reloaded into off-road rubber track dump trucks.

The work was completed by Friday June 29th just prior to the start of the July 4th week.  The Causeway was officially reopened at a 1PM ceremony held at the Bike Ferry on the South Hero side.  The ceremony was attended by Governor Phil Scott, Representative Missy Johnson, State Senator Dick Mazza, officials from both South Hero, Colchester, Vermont Agency of Transportation, Vermont Fish & Wildlife, Local-Motion, ECI, and local cyclists.

https://vermontbiz.com/news/2018/june/29/island-line-rail-trail-opens-ahead-july-4th-bike-ferry-resume

https://www.mychamplainvalley.com/news/ribbon-cutting-marks-reopening-of-colchester-causeway-and-bike-ferry/1274463094

ECI is the recipient of the 2017 AGC-VT Best Builder Award in the category of Intermodal Transportation & Rail for the Pittsford Bridge Rehabilitation & Strengthening Project.

Bridge #219 is a two-span Vermont Railway Systems (VRS) railroad bridge over the Otter Creek in Florence (Town of Pittsford), VT.  The bridge was constructed in 1900 and originally consisted of a 133-ft-long truss span and a 73-ft-long girder span with stone abutments and middle pier within the river.  The center pier, which is on a 22-degree skew, had experienced settlement and deterioration throughout the years and required periodic heavy maintenance and shimming of the bridge and tracks to maintain adequate track alignment.  This projected involved replacing the center pier with a new concrete pier cap supported by drilled shafts on each side of the existing stone pier.  Only two weekend-long railroad shutdowns were allowed and therefore a majority of the work was to be completed under normal rail traffic. This bridge is along the VTR’s busiest section of track.  Engineers Construction, Inc. (ECI) completed the challenge by segmenting the new pier cap into 3-sections, with a 200,000-pound center precast section that was installed (temporarily) on top of the partially-demolished stone pier during one of the weekend-long shutdowns.  This required unloading of the center pier with temporary shoring of the truss span and complete removal of the 73-ft long girder span by crane lift.  The precast section of the new pier cap, which included new bearings and bearing pedestals, was designed to be temporarily supported on the remaining section of the existing center stone pier. The new precast section was later integrated with the adjacent 6-foot diameter drilled shafts with cast-in-place  infills placed after the shutdown.

ECI, among other distinguished contractors, consultants, and the City of Burlington, was recognized with the Vermont Public Places Merit Award for the Burlington Bike Path Rehabilitation Project.  ECI was the contractor for Phase 1a, the section from the Vermont Railway Yard to the Urban Reserve.

The bike path was originally constructed nearly 30 years ago and was one of the first in New England.  However, recreational path standards have evolved significantly since then.  This improvement project is meant to bring the bike path up to current standards and to re-route it around the special event areas on the Waterfront Great Lawn.

The Burlington Waterfront is a huge asset to Burlington and all Vermonters should visit this special place to experience the views of Lake Champlain.