Contract P200.258 Slope Stabilization and Shoulder Restoration

Work began on this emergency slope repair contract in September, 2011. The exit ramp that connects Rt.440 and Smith Street to Garden State Parkway SB in Woodbridge Township, suffered damage from the extremely wet summer and fall seasons. The ramp shoulder and sloped embankment was settling, requiring partial closure of the ramp. Despite the Authorities attempt to design and bid this repair work under normal circumstances, the damaged areas continued to settle rapidly forcing the Authority to find and hire a contractor to begin the repair work immediately.

Within minutes of meeting with the Authority, emergency utility mark-outs were called in, survey work was scheduled, and only days later, GHCCI was mobilizing equipment, installing a detour route and clearing the site. The repairs included closing one of the two lanes, modifying existing drainage structures, installing temporary sheeting, installing a new permanent stone drainage system, reconstructing the roadway lighting, and restoring the existing slope. Repairing the stability of the slope was extensive and included installing a heavy “King Pile” and sheeting system within the failed embankment. This system involved installation of 17 drilled shafts, 54” in diameter and approximately 30 feet deep. The 48 foot long steel King Piles were then installed in self- consolidating shaft concrete and extended 18 feet above top of shaft. The interlocking steel sheeting was then driven between the piles, completing the rigid steel system. Once the king pile system was backfilled to grade, the final element was constructing a reinforced concrete coping atop the sheeting which is partially exposed at grade.

One slight advantage of this repair contract was having design drawings partially prepared by the Authority’s design engineer, Hatch Mott MacDonald. This allowed us to immediately size and locate materials such as the King Piles and sheeting and also allowed us to develop construction methods quickly to get the repairs started in a timely fashion. Overall completion of this emergency contract will be February 2012.