EMERGENCY IN THE ONION CREEK TUNNEL

Alberto Rodriguez; Randy Pohren; James Clark

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EMERGENCY IN THE ONION CREEK TUNNEL

Abstract

Failure of a HDPE liner within the Onion Creek Tunnel created an emergency situation for the City of Austin, TX. The dislodged liner threatened to completely block the tunnel and create massive overflows of sanitary sewage. The City, therefore, needed to rapidly extract this obstructing material, determine the cause of the liner failure, and assess the condition of concrete tunnel walls which had been in service for 14 years. The contractor developed an innovative underground work station that featured an effective means of communicating with a Topside Control Center. Confined Space safety measures were of paramount importance. The work was completed without injury and well ahead of schedule.

Failure of a HDPE liner within the Onion Creek Tunnel created an emergency situation for the City of Austin, TX. The dislodged liner threatened to completely block the tunnel and create massive overflows of sanitary sewage. The City, therefore, needed to rapidly extract this obstructing material, determine the cause of the liner failure, and assess the condition of concrete tunnel walls which had...

Author(s)

Alberto RodriguezRandy PohrenJames Clark

SourceProceedings of the Water Environment Federation

SubjectSession 56: Collection Systems: Rehabilitation

Document typeConference Paper

PublisherWater Environment Federation

Print publication date Jan, 2005

ISSN1938-6478

SICI1938-6478(20050101)2005:11L.4659;1-

DOI10.2175/193864705783866414

Volume / Issue2005 / 11

Content sourceWEFTEC