Crux recently concluded an exploration drilling program at a landslide site near Page, Ariz.  The slide occurred on Feb. 20, 2013, causing more than 150 feet of roadway to buckle and temporarily closing a portion of U.S. 89.

Contracted by Kleinfelder, Crux provided emergency core drilling and instrumentation services on the project to locate precisely where the landslide occurred, determine if it was still moving and establish the general stability of the slope.  Seventeen core holes were drilled to depths of between 29 and 250 feet.  The damage to the roadway created access challenges, requiring a combination of track mounted drill rigs and helicopter support.

Continue reading →

Crux has been selected to provide 100 percent design-build foundation services on the Lansing-Harmony 161 kV transmission project in northeast Iowa.  The project entails replacing approximately 120 wood “H” frame structures with steel “H” frame structures along a 50-mile alignment, which traverses rolling hills and private properties.

Teaming with M.J. Electric, Crux will design and construct foundations for one steel “H” frame structure and an adjacent 60-foot by 30-foot steel maintenance platform.  Both structures are located on a 45 degree slope and will require helicopter transport for all materials, equipment and personnel.  Site-specific geotechnical data was not available for these structures because of the challenging location, leading to the selection of micropile foundations.  Micropiles can readily adapt to variable subsurface conditions and are well suited for helicopter transport.  The “H” frame structure will employ bolted steel pile cap connections.  Crux crews will mobilize in early June and expect to be onsite for two weeks.

ITC Midwest commissioned the rebuild to improve the capacity of the electric transmission system in the area, and to meet increasing national reliability requirements.  Construction began in September 2012 and is expected to be completed in June 2013.

Minneapolis – May 15-16 2013

Crux is excited to be attending and exhibiting at DFI’s SuperPile 2013 Conference! Come visit us at Booth 404 to learn about our difficult-access capabilities and deep foundation alternatives.

• Learn more about the SuperPile Conference
• Learn more about micropile foundations for transmission projects

Crux is providing emergency core drilling and instrumentation for the Arizona Department of Transportation on U.S. 89 near Page, AZ.  More than 150 feet of roadway buckled on February 20, and the highway is currently closed.  Core samples and inclinometer installations will help to locate where the landslide occurred and determine the current stability of the ground under the roadway. Crux’s specialized core drill is providing the project with alternative access methods to damaged areas, and core samples that can locate problem areas with higher accuracy than standard auger drills.

Read the full article → …..

Barnard Construction Company, Inc. has selected Crux to participate in the construction phase of the Blue Lake Hydroelectric Expansion Project. Crux provided difficult-access core drilling during the exploration phase of the project in 2009, and will return next month to commence construction activities.

The existing Blue Lake Project is located approximately 5 miles east of Sitka, Alaska, and consists of a dam, a submerged intake structure, a power conduit, three powerhouses and a switchyard. Growing electricity demands in the region have exhausted current resources and necessitated an increase in annual energy output. The expansion will include the addition of a third generating turbine and raising the dam 82 feet (from 164 feet to 246 feet). Once completed, the system’s potential energy output will increase by 27% and relieve Sitka’s dependence on diesel generated power.

Continue reading →

Crux has been selected to provide turnkey micropile foundation services for a portion of Southern California Edison’s (SCE) Eldorado-Ivanpah Transmission Project. Crux will design and construct concrete cap micropile foundations for 20 lattice towers along the 35-mile replacement alignment. This portion of the alignment is located within mountainous terrain and construction is restricted to an eight-week window, requiring unique access methods.

The current 115 kV alignment traverses the southern California-Nevada border near Primm, NV. Several solar-rich resource areas have been identified in the region, and additional infrastructure is required to connect them to the grid. The project includes construction of a new Ivanpah substation and replacement of the existing 115 kV electric transmission line with a double-circuit 220 kV electrical transmission line.

Continue reading →

Crux is in the second of two drilling phases for the South Lake Sammamish Planning Basin Alternatives Analysis Project in Bellevue, Washington.  The project is located within a residential neighborhood, where noise ordinances and traffic control are in effect.  Close proximity to surrounding homes also required additional permitting and has impacted work schedules.  Crux was selected to provide core drilling and sampling services because of the potential for difficult core recovery and the company’s significant experience working within restricted or congested areas.

Crux was contracted by Jacobs Associates to drill and sample nine boreholes in the subsurface conditions.  The longest of these is a recently completed 730-foot borehole that was drilled at 20 degrees from vertical.  Borehole imaging has been completed in a select boring and vibrating wire piezometers are being installed in each hole.  Packer testing is being completed as directed by the contractor.

King County commissioned the work to determine the options for upgrading the County’s wastewater conveyance system served by the Sunset and Heathfield Pump Stations in Bellevue, WA.  An upgrade is necessary to meet the area’s growing wastewater conveyance needs.

Crux will drill a combined total of over 3000 feet and expects to complete drilling activities in February, 2013.

Read the Full Article

ADSC recently featured an article regarding the Tehachapi Renewable Transmission Project (TRTP) in Southern California.  The article, titled Micropile Foundation Design Minimizes Environmental Impact for Southern California Edison, details the decision to utilize micropile foundations for a portion of this project.

Segment 1 of Southern California Edison’s TRTP included upgrading 26.5 miles of 220 kV transmission line connecting the Antelope Substation in Lancaster, CA and the Vincent Substation in Santa Clarita, CA.  Crux provided design-build foundation services for approximately 12 miles of the alignment that crossed through the Angeles National Forest.  A number of restrictions rendered traditional foundation construction unfeasible in this area, and micropile foundations were selected as an alternative.

The article discusses the foundation design selection process, technical challenges encountered and the overall benefits foundation design provided to the project.

Houston – October 16-19 2012

Crux is excited to be attending and exhibiting at DFI’s 37th Annual Conference on Deep Foundations in Houston this October.  Come visit us at Booth 202 to learn about our difficult-access capabilities and micropiles as a deep foundation alternative for transmission structures.

• Learn more about micropile foundations for transmission/distribution projects
• Learn more about the 37th Annual Conference on Deep Foundations

Nick Salisbury, president of Crux Subsurface, and Scott Tunison, vice president of operations, will be presenting at the EUCI Conference titled: “Transmission Siting: Planning, Permitting and Construction for Sensitive Environments” being held in Portland next week. The conference will focus on routing, permitting, design and construction practices for transmission projects located in sensitive environments. Transmission, environmental and regulatory professionals are expected to attend.

Salisbury and Tunison, who are experts in geotechnical drilling, will address the design, construction and benefits of micropile foundations for transmission lines being constructed in environmentally sensitive and limited-access areas. The successful use of micropile foundations for the Sunrise Powerlink project will serve as an illustrative example. Although the Sunrise project faced a variety of environmental mitigation challenges, the alignment was successfully constructed through a variety of terrain, including National Forest Land and other protected habitats.

For more information on the conference, including registration, see Transmission Siting: Planning, Permitting and Construction for Sensitive Environments.