Project 522-24
Avon Lake, OH
Notice to Proceed Issued: April 4, 2024, Project Duration 730 Calendar Days
On April 4, 2024, The Great Lakes Construction Co. (Great Lakes) received the Notice to Proceed (NTP) for the Avon Lake Regional Water (ALRW) Water Filtration Plant Improvements Project, located at 33370 Lake Road in the City of Avon Lake, Ohio (Lorain County). The existing Water Filtration Plant is a legacy facility, originally constructed around 1926 and periodically modernized throughout its nearly 100-year history. The facility has a capacity of 2 million gallons per day (MGD). While this project will not increase the capacity, its goal is to optimize the production of potable water around the clock.
ALRW provides vital water services to over 200,000 residents across a seven-county region surrounding Avon Lake, and sanitary sewer services to approximately 30,000 residents in Avon Lake and parts of Lorain County.
This $26 million capital improvement project includes:
Filter Building Expansion – An addition to the existing filter building, incorporating underground piping, civil site work, structural and architectural upgrades, along with process and electrical system integration.
New Chemical Building – Construction of a standalone structure to house chemical systems, including all associated underground piping, civil, structural, architectural, process, and electrical work.
Chemical Feed Station – A new station for storage and feed of fluorosilicic acid, involving underground utilities, site work, and structural, architectural, process, and electrical systems.
Hydrated Lime System – Installation of a new hydrated lime system within the existing chemical and control building.
Demolition – Safe removal of the existing chemical systems following successful installation, start-up, and commissioning of the new systems.
From the outset, the challenges of working within a century-old facility became apparent. The project team encountered numerous unknown and undocumented underground utilities. To ensure safety and minimize disruption to active systems, the initial phase of construction progressed cautiously, with extensive hydro-excavation employed to identify tie-in points and confirm existing utility locations in accordance with the contract documents.
One significant challenge arose during excavation for the new chemical building, where a previously unidentified, large underground electrical duct bank was discovered. In response, Great Lakes’ engineering team designed a robust shoring system, which was safely installed by the Great Lakes’ field operations crew. This system was essential to support the duct bank and enable continued excavation and installation of the chemical building foundation and underground process piping, which ran nearly parallel to the duct bank.
In addition to the many challenges encountered underground at the outset of the project, the scope of work for the filter building changed significantly when 57 stone (loose, crushed aggregate) was discovered beneath the existing structure. Great Lakes coordinated closely with the Design Engineer and Owner, demonstrating effective collaboration in overcoming a major challenge during active construction. One of the defining successes to date has been the strong partnership and teamwork among all stakeholders.
At the new chemical building, Great Lakes utilized EFCO shoring and formwork system to support and construct the elevated roof slab at elevation 631.00. The system was engineered and installed to ensure both safety and structural integrity throughout the operation. Great Lakes’ field operations team executed the formwork installation with precision and efficiency, adhering to all project safety and quality standards. In total, approximately 775 cubic yards of concrete were placed at the chemical building, encompassing the elevated slabs as well as the reinforced concrete foundations for all process chemical storage tanks located within the building envelope. Working closely with the Owner and Design Engineer, Great Lakes played a key role in developing a critical solution – integrating a precast flow metering and chemical inject vault beneath the new chemical building foundation to avoid conflicts with the existing utilities.
At the filter building, Great Lakes installed approximately 350 linear feet underground steel piping, with diameters ranging from 16 to 48 inches. These installations required close coordination with ALRW, as all new piping systems were tied into existing, active utility services. In addition to the underground work, Great Lakes installed approximately 360 linear feet of interior steel piping, ranging from 16 to 42 inches in diameter. With most of the steel pipe joints requiring welded connections, Great Lakes has successfully performed nearly 6,000 linear inches of field welding.
Great Lakes’ collaborative approach, technical expertise, and problem-solving mindset have been key to driving progress and overcoming challenges throughout this complex project. These critical upgrades and improvements will ultimately help deliver reliable, high-quality water to the residents for years to come.
