Industrial

Underground Construction has worked in industrial plants and refineries for over fifty years. During that time, we have continued to modify many process facilities with all types of above and below-ground piping systems. We have designed and installed deep-shored excavations for the construction of massive below-ground concrete structures, moved thousands of yards of earth for construction of dams and holding ponds, and more.

Completed Projects

Completed Projects List:

Project: Alviso Tower Repair; Alviso, CA.

Owner: Pacific Gas and Electric

The scope of work on this project was to restore two failing concrete tower footings and to pour a reinforced concrete beam around the base of the tower all while working off of barges and within a large cofferdam in the Guadalupe Slough located near Alviso, CA. The restoration of the tower foundations required the installation and removal of one 45 foot square cofferdam, continuous dewatering, excavating the mud around the columns to expose the pile caps, the removal of dilapidated and spalling concrete around the existing columns, inspection of the existing reinforcing steel and wooden piles and finally to extend the existing columns and construct new beams with corrosion inhibiting concrete. An existing barge was modified and outfitted with a portable batch plant and enough material to mix 100 CY of concrete on the water at the site allowing us to pour the beams monolithically.

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Project: Napa River Tower Replacement in Vallejo, CA

Owner: Pacific Gas and Electric

The overall project involved the removal and reconstruction of two 246 foot tall high voltage transmission towers, and restoration of two aging concrete tower foundations (built in the 1920’s), all while working off of barges and within large cofferdams in the Napa River. The restoration of the tower foundations required the installation and removal of two 60 foot square cofferdams, continuous dewatering, excavating the mud around the columns to expose the pile caps, the removal of dilapidated and spalling concrete around the existing columns and beams, inspection / repair and/or replacement of the existing reinforcing steel and “I” beams and finally to re-encapsulate the existing columns and beams with new corrosion inhibiting concrete. An existing barge was modified and outfitted with a portable batch plant and enough material to mix 100 CY of concrete on the water at the site allowing us to pour each tower monolithically.

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Project: Clean Fuels, Shell Oil Refinery, Martinez

Owner: Bechtel, Parsons, Shell

As part of the $1.1 billion Clean Fuels project Bechtel signed with Shell Oil, Underground Construction Co. Inc. fulfilled many diverse industrial projects as part of this job, including: new compressor pads, hundreds of drilled piers for pipeways, new roads, a new 36” drain pipe system, a new dam and renovation of Lake Slobodnik to help with wastewater containment which involved moving over 250,000 yards of dirt, pads and setting of eight 160’ diameter tanks, a new complete storm water segregation system, several miles of fuel and other pipelines varying in size from 4” to 36”, new retention ponds and effluent treatment areas, and reclaiming and backfilling ponds to set new tanks.

During this project, Underground won the prestigious award for safest contractor in the refinery – working over 68,000 hours without a recordable injury (this was part of a year in which Underground Construction Co. Inc. was awarded the #1 Safety Award of Excellence by the AGC of California). Our ongoing commitment to safety and quality has ensured that the company has a lasting presence at the Shell Oil Refinery to this day.

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Project: Richmond Refinery Stormwater Segregation Project

Owner: Chevron USA

Construction involved installations through critical process piping facilities and Hazwoper environment. Underground Construction, Co. Inc. responded with fastrack construction of critical support facilities (heavy haul roads, utilities protection, and parking facilities) for the reconstruction of fire damaged plant. We also constructed 1,000 feet of ground water extraction trench. Repair of existing cooling tower support piles was required, while providing temporary support, hand excavation, and shoring systems.

Installation of several thousand feet of various sizes of Ductile Iron pipe, Reinforced Concrete pipe, and Spirolite pipe, deep excavation and shoring and the construction of underground stormwater diverson structures were completed on-time and on-budget.

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Project: Westbound Day Tanks in Belen, NM

Owner: Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad (BNSF)

The rail yard in Belen is the busiest train yard in the western US and all of our construction activities to install a new fuel storage facility had to be performed without any impacts to the existing facility.  The site is situated between the active fueling tracks and aerial 12kV high voltage lines so we were very limited in our construction means and methods.  Add in a very aggressive construction schedule and our challenges were very clear.

The project included demolition to clean and ready the site, installation of Geopiers (rammed stone columns) to stabilize the tanks foundations, the tank ringwalls and concrete containment basin, the site electrical, a structural steel catwalk for the fueling platform, the two 2ea 30 foot diameter by 36 foot high aboveground diesel storage tanks and the associated fuel piping and valves.

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