BURT – Ballard Underwater Ring Transporter
Underwater Tunnel Lining Car
Project Location
Detroit, Michigan
Project Overview
In 2018 the Great Lakes Water Authority contracted a design-build repair project of the raw water tunnels that supply fresh water to the city of Detroit Michigan. The contract’s purpose was to fix extensive cracking and degradation of the tunnels.Typically, the repair would be build costly and time consuming new tunnels. Ballard and Kelley worked together to create a new method wherein a team of divers partnered with the Kelley designed underwater transporter to install stainless steel liner plates in the existing tunnel while the water flowed, thereby extending the life of the water utility without interruptions to service.
Scope of Supply
Kelley Engineered Equipment (KEE) was engaged Kiewit Ledcor TMEP Partnership (KLTP), the contracting JV, to design and supply unique pipe installation systems to be deployed at each portal. The equipment simultaneously thrusts the 3 ea, 30” dia x 700” long pipes from the Burnaby Portal down grade through the curved tunnel alignment.
