Crux engineers were in Australia’s Gold Coast this week to present case studies and participate in expert panel discussions at the 14th International Workshop for Micropiles.

The workshops are held every 1-3 years and attended by industry experts from around the globe.  They provide an opportunity for members to meet, present and exchange data, and share experiences and developments on a relatively informal basis. Workshops include technical presentations covering regional states-of-practice; advancements of micropile construction, materials, research and development; and educational/promotional activities.

This is the third consecutive workshop Crux has attended, with previous workshops including Kraków, Poland in 2014 and Vancouver, Canada in 2017, which Crux had the privilege of hosting.

Crux is proud to be recognized by the International Association of Foundation Drilling (ADSC) for another outstanding safety year in 2018.

The company is among a handful of others that recorded between 100,000 and 300,000 man hours in 2018 and achieved an incidence rate below the specialty contractors industry average.

Crux has been recognized by ADSC in the past in this category, as well as for zero lost time in a calendar year and for implementing an outstanding safety program.

Hawaiian Electric Co.’s transmission structure replacement efforts were featured in T&D World this month.

Increasing power demands and aging infrastructure on the island of Oahu have led the utility to begin replacing existing structures.  The projects are facing a number of challenges, including unpredictable weather, environmentally and culturally protected sites, a wide variety of structure types to accommodate the varying topography, and access challenges due to the topography and site protections.

Crux provided micropile design and construction for 13 particularly challenging structures.  The rugged, remote terrain and unpredictable weather events at these locations required all equipment, materials and personnel to be transported by helicopter.

Read the full article here.

DFI’s Electric Power Systems Foundations Committee is working to standardize foundation design practices within electric transmission.

The industry-wide committee, co-chaired by Quanta Subsurface Senior VP, Steve Davidow, was established in 2013 to address issues related to deep foundation design and construction.

Read the full article in DFI’s July-August 2018 issue →  

Crews recently wrapped up work on Minnesota Power’s Great Northern Transmission Line (GNTL), installing micropiles and grouted anchors in frozen ground and extreme temperatures.

All work was successfully completed, with client Hooper/Wilson commenting “Crux did a good job of adjusting to unanticipated and ever-changing soil conditions.  The knowledge and skill set they brought to the project was integral to the on-time successful completion of the foundation work.”

Helical piles were planned for all structures, but required an alternative at some locations after geotechnical investigations revealed shallow bedrock.  Micropiles were selected as this alternative, and Crux installed a total of 22 micropiles and 28 grouted anchors to support 6 guyed foundations and 1 self-supporting lattice tower.

Micropile installation took place during the winter months, involving frozen ground conditions and working temperatures around -25°F.  Located within wetland habitat, drilling also had to comply with strict environmental requirements, entailing cuttings removal and isolation of grout water to avoid contamination.

The GNTL is intended to deliver hydropower generated by Manitoba Hydro to customers in the United States.  The line is expected to be in service by 2020.

Crux’s work on the California High Speed Rail project is featured in the October 2017 issue of GeoDrilling International.

The highly sensitive drilling program was completed within the Angeles National Forest, and involved coring though complex geology and potentially active faults.

Read the article →

August 11 marked 365 days for Crux without a recordable safety incident.

This is the second time in three years employees have reached this benchmark, following a 702-day stretch in 2016. The commitment to safe operations has been recognized across the industry, earning Crux awards from both the International Association of Foundation Drilling (ADSC-IAFD) and the Inland Northwest Associated General Contractors (NWAGC).

“We’re proud and excited for everyone in the organization whose hard work helped Crux achieve these accolades. We plan to continue our focus on the health and safety of our greatest assets – our people,” Safety Director, Jackson Menke, said. “These awards truly belong to our people in our shops and in the field, and I want to thank them for their dedication.”

Recipients of the NWAGC “Excellence in Safety Award” must have completed 365 days recordable-incident free, have an incident rate of zero, and an active safety plan that includes training, program innovation and management commitment. The ADSC-IAFD Safety Award recognizes companies that possess proactive and dynamic safety programs that prevent injuries and accidents throughout the year. The award is presented to companies who have completed 365 days without a recordable incident and indicator statistics below the industry average.

Crux has been selected by Kleinfelder to participate in a geotechnical investigation on the San Jose to Merced section of the California High-Speed Rail (HSR).  The investigation will collect information on ground conditions and feasibility for a transportation tunnel through the Diablo Mountain Range.

Utilizing track-mounted equipment, crews have begun deep core drilling and sampling along State Route 152.  Instrument installation and packer testing are being completed to collect various data, including groundwater levels and horizontal earth pressure data.  Teaming up with Kleinfelder and the California HSR Authority, Crux plans to drill up to approximately 4600 linear feet by the end of August.

This is the third phase of geotechnical drilling for Crux on the HSR project.  Previous work has included in-situ-testing, hydro-fracking, and performing drilling operations within Angeles National Forest, a protected and environmentally sensitive area.  Crux successfully completed all borings while meeting the client’s request and complying with United States Forest Service regulations.

The California HSR intends to be the first high-speed rail in North America, connecting the mega-regions of California.  Initial proposals plan for the rail to run from San Francisco to the Los Angeles Basin, with eventual expansion to Sacramento and San Diego.  Once complete, the rail is anticipated to span 800 miles, with up to 24 stations across the state.