Greenville, SC – In order to meet the demands of continued growth in the Upstate area, our client is constructing an approximately 11-foot diameter gravity sewer tunnel beneath downtown Greenville, South Carolina. The tunnel will be constructed in hard rock, approximately 100 feet below ground surface, and will extend for a distance of 1.2 miles.

BLE has, and will continue to provide comprehensive geotechnical engineering, environmental consulting, and construction materials testing services through to the completion of this project. Construction on this $33 million project began in Spring 2018 and will continue for approximately 2½ years.

Geotechnical exploration has included soil test borings, vertical and angled rock coring, Packer testing, and piezometer installation. Supplemental exploration activities included seismic refraction testing, optical televiewer, and acoustic televiewer. A detailed laboratory testing program was conducted using our in-house laboratory as well as two additional university laboratories. The laboratory testing was geared toward evaluating bit wear and power requirements for the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM). In addition to geotechnical exploration, BLE has also performed baseline monitoring of sound, vibration, and particulates prior to construction and will provide similar services once construction begins. BLE is also performing preconstruction condition surveys on approximately 40 properties prior to construction.

The scope of services provided for this project shows our unique capabilities to meet clients’ needs using our project-team approach across multiple departments.