Over the past several years, Global has been contracted by the Port of Alaska in Anchorage to install pile jackets to repair pilings at their terminal. 30-foot tide swings, zero underwater visibility and a short working season make the job even more challenging. The piles marked for repair are cleaned with a remotely controlled pile cleaning machine, then …
Working with Trinity Construction for the Lake Arrowhead Community Service District in California, Global provided all diving and underwater construction support for the replacement of the community’s aging freshwater intake system. Dive crews performed the sinking and installation of over 500’ of new HDPE conduit PLEM (pipeline end manifold) that branch into three underwater concrete …
Global was contracted by Grant County Public Utility District to perform extensive spillway repairs at Wanapum Dam. The concrete on the apron, ogee and end sill on four of the spillway monoliths had become badly eroded over time. The Dive Supervisor, crane operator and 6 man dive team worked from a barge in the river in front …
Global was selected as a subcontractor to provide diving and marine construction services for the Willow Creek Dam rehabilitation in 2017. The rehabilitation of the dam involves lining the existing intake tunnel with steel liner sections and installing three new hydraulic control gates. The majority of work was designed to take place in a dewatered …
As the cruise service between the Pacific Northwest and Alaska increases so does the need for additional berthing and dock space. To accommodate this growth,Manson Construction was awarded the contract to fabricate and install two new cruise ship terminals in Juneau,Alaska.
The terminals are comprised of 2,331 new steel pilings,after being driven into place each requiring a sacrificial anode welded to the piling. Global was subcontracted to perform this challenging and critical aspect of the project. The anodes,ranging in weight from 216 to 260 pounds,had to be installed in accordance with AWS D3.6 welding standards at various depths,up to 105 feet below the water line.
Global personnel worked hand in hand with Manson’s project staff to minimize the impact on the project schedule. The crew successfully installed all anodes on a complex array of piles,in adverse conditions,without injury while maintaining the tight schedule set by the client.
The Global history is one of perseverance, tenacity, and triumph. So goes the tale of one of Global’s largest-scale projects, a well-known story within the Global company culture. Back in 2007, Global played a major role in saving the New York City water supply. The work done on this project, dubbed “Shaft 6,” is one …
Seattle’s most extensive current civil works project,the Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement tunnel,is being constructed using the world’s largest tunnel boring machine ‘Bertha’. Due to the proximity of the construction site to the waterfront,the dirt and rock spoils from this effort are transported via conveyor belt to Pier 46. From there it is loaded onto barges for further transport.
Progress was recently halted due to an incident involving a spoils barge and a badly damaged pier.
In the early morning hours,the barge being utilized began to list and then capsize. Tunneling operations were halted due to the partially capsized barge at the adjacent pier and an impending rising tide.
The tunnel project personnel called Global’s 24 hour number to request immediate assistance. Global dispatched a Salvage Master who was on scene within 30 minutes of the call.
Following the removal of the unstable barge from underneath the pier,Global commenced a full salvage assessment. This included analysis of the barge’s stability and an underwater survey. The spoils had shifted on the barge causing it to list heavily to one side. Global developed a lightering plan and engaged a crane barge with a clamshell bucket to transfer the loose spoils to another barge.
As a precaution,Global positioned high capacity pumping equipment on location. Draft measurements monitored throughout the lightering indicated the presence of an unbalanced load in the barge. During the operations significant damage to the barge was observed. This information was incorporated into the lightering plan to ensure the safety of the operation. Following the lightering procedure,Global removed the damaged bin rails and prepared the barge for transit through the Ballard Locks.
The pier sustained significant damage to the fender piling from the capsizing barge. Global’s team quickly developed and proposed a repair plan. Following approval,Global removed the damaged piling and drove new steel replacements.
Additionally,it was determined a new fender system was required before loading operations could resume. Global’s team designed and installed an approved fender system allowing the project to continue tunneling operations.
Global provided salvage,environmental,and marine construction services to expedite and safely resolve this unexpected incident.
The project involved anchoring a sectional barge in 250′ of water on an inland lake,and recovering an intake screen weighing over 4 tons to the surface for cleaning and inspection. With the screen off,cleaning pigs (3) were sent through nearly 2 miles of 62″ diameter pipe to clean accumulated quagga and zebra mussels.
There was miscellaneous work at the inshore Heat Exchange Facility building removing and installing large blind flanges to allow the pigging operation to take place. These flanges weighed up to 5700 pounds,with work taking place in a wet well 35′ deep.
We were contracted to preform an underwater concrete repair to the spillway baffle under spill gate 3,and preform an inspection of the spill way and dentate from spillway 2-8 and 9-12. the spillway was separated into two sections by a fish ladder between Bays 8 and 9. The perimeter of the eroded areas were delineated using an U/W track creating a key way,ensuring a minimum depth of repair,throughout the area. Divers used rivet busters to remove concrete from the key cut as well as from under exposed rebar to ensure encapsulation and to allow couplers and new rebar to be added in areas wee eroded. Divers then used a 20k hydro blaster to wash away loose material and marine growth. Once the areas were prepared and cleaned,custom form tops were installed. The forms were made to fit the round side of the baffle that was approx. 18’x20′ and was rock anchored in place. Eight cubic yards of high strength concrete was then pumped into the form. While the concrete cured in the forms,the inspections were carried out of the stilling basin floor. The forms were removed and the project demobilized.
Rock Island Dam is located on the Columbia River,approximately 15 miles south of Wenatchee,WA. The development of a crack in a spillway of Wanapum Dam,downstream of Rock Island Dam necessitated a 25 foot drawdown of the tailrace. This created a significant obstacle for the fish migrating upstream; they would not have access to the original fish ladder. With the arrival of the migrating salmon just a few months away,this project took on a critical path very quickly.
Chelan County PUD,owners of Rock Island Dam,contracted Knight Construction from Spokane to install the emergency fish ladder extensions in three areas,two on the west bank and one on the east. Knight,who handled the fabrication and topside support,turned to Global Diving & Salvage,Inc. to provide the diving support for the project. With the compressed schedule required to complete the project,Global and Knight worked closely on scheduling the arrival of the fabricated items and their installation.
The extensions,similar to the structural components of the original fish ladder structure,consisted of steel boxes and flumes used to create pools and steps. These new boxes and flumes were mounted to the face of the dam and in the case of the east side,were suspended from a pipe that spanned two pier noses. The project involved a wide array of construction techniques,including; core drilling,setting of epoxy and mechanical anchors to secure the boxes and frame work in place,wall sawing to remove sections of the dam to allow access at the lower water levels. The steel sections were bolted and in some cases welded in place.
By all accounts the project has been a great success. According to the Wenatchee World,over 20,000 of the expected record 235,000 Chinook salmon migration have already traveled upstream past Rock Island Dam.
