Cleveland Avenue Combined Sewer & Storm Water Improvements

Overview

Ribway provided professional engineering and construction administration services for the Cleveland Avenue Combined Sewer and Storm Water Improvements project. This initiative involved constructing new sewer infrastructure to address significant defects in the existing system and improve stormwater and wastewater management in a dense urban area.

Project Scope

• Storm Sewer Construction: Installation of approximately 1,100 linear feet of 48-inch and 54-inch diameter storm sewers along Cleveland Avenue.
• Combined Sewer Construction: Installation of 2,000 linear feet of 30-inch diameter combined sewers along Cleveland and Mount Vernon Avenues.
• Additional Sewer Work: Installation of 900 linear feet of miscellaneous sanitary and storm sewers ranging from 8-inch to 24-inch diameters, including associated manholes and catch basins.

Objectives

The project represented the first phase of a major sewer separation initiative in the downtown area. The existing sewer system exhibited extensive structural defects, including cracked sections, missing pieces, voids, and separated joints. Rehabilitation using cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) techniques was deemed not cost-effective due to the number and severity of defects, leading to the recommendation for full replacement.

Design and Construction Challenges

Significant challenges included:

• Traffic Maintenance: Ensuring minimal disruption in a highly populated college campus area.
• Utility Relocations: Coordinating the relocation of utilities to accommodate new sewer alignments.
• Bypass Pumping: Managing temporary flows during sewer construction.
• Branch Sewer Connections: Reconnecting existing branch sewers to the new system.
• Construction Sequencing: Strategically planning construction activities to minimize disruption to residents and businesses.

Construction Administration

Ribway’s construction administration services included:

• Attending the preconstruction conference.
• Coordinating and reviewing contractor submittals, including shop drawings.
• Responding to contractor requests for information (RFIs) and providing clarifications.

Timeline

• Design Completion: January 2000.
• Construction Completion: November 2001.

Results

The Cleveland Avenue Combined Sewer and Storm Water Improvements project successfully replaced aging and defective infrastructure, significantly enhancing the sewer system’s reliability and capacity. This phase laid the foundation for subsequent phases of the sewer separation initiative, contributing to improved stormwater management and reduced overflows in the area.