1993 NOVA Awards



1993 NOVA Award Winner
Geopier Intermediate Foundation System The NOVA Award was presented to the Geopier System for innovation in intermediate depth foundations. Geopiers decrease construction time and save the cost of placing deep foundations or of replacing unacceptable soils. On building sites where surface soils are not strong enough to support a building on shallow foundations, such as spread footings, alternatives have been costly in both time and money. The Geopier Intermediate Foundation System is a cost-effective alternative to piles and drilled concrete piers for supporting heavy building loads in weak soils. Geopiers are constructed by building successive layers of densely compacted aggregate in a drilled or excavated shaft. 18-inch thick layers of uniformly graded aggregate are placed in the excavation and compacted with hydraulic rams at pressures which compact the aggregate layer and densify the surrounding soil layer, improving the load resistance of the combined pier-soil system. At grade level, footings or caps are cast on one or more piers to support the building structure. Cost savings result both from the simplicity and low cost of materials and the relatively simple equipment needed to construct these foundations. The Geopier System was developed by Dr. Nathaniel Fox of Lithonia, Georgia with assistance from Dr. Evert C. Lawton at the University of Utah. To date, Geopiers have been used to support structures ranging from commercial greenhouses to a five-story office building located in a seismic zone. The tallest structure constructed using Geopiers are twin 18-story towers built for a hospital expansion in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. Geopiers provide an easily constructed alternative to traditional methods of supporting heavy building loads on poor soils. They are quickly built using low-cost equipment and readily available material. Primarily Responsible: Dr. Nathaniel S. Fox, P.E. Contact: Dr. Nathaniel S. Fox Geopier Foundation Company, Inc. 769 Lake Drive Lithonia, GA 30058 Phone: 770-388-7701
In-Situ Soil Remediation System The NOVA Award was presented to the MecTool Remediation System for innovation in the remediation of contaminated soils. Most EPA-approved methods for treating soils contaminated by hazardous waste involve removing the soils for treatment or burial in an approved site. These methods risk secondary contamination during excavation and transport, and they are limited in the depth and production rate of treatment. The MecTool Method overcomes these limitations by combining several treatment systems that are capable of thorough remediation of most forms of contaminants, in-situ (without requiring excavation), at depths many times greater than existing methods, and at high production rates. The MecTool System employs a drilling and mixing tool carried by a hollow drive shaft (Kelly Bar) powered by a crane-mounted drill platform capable of turning the interchangeable tools with up to 400,000 ft-lb of torque. Tools, up to 14 feet in diameter, have cutting teeth on the leading edge of the blade to break up heavy soils and obstructions. The trailing edge of the blade carries a manifold and ports to inject liquid, gaseous, and semi-solid reagents into the soil mass at pressures up to 300 psi. In use, MecTool drills into the contaminated soils, injecting and mixing reagents, such as chemical grouts, to a high degree of homogeneity that assures effective treatment. A large-diameter shroud seals the drill site and evacuates any off-gassing to a portable air-treatment unit. Tool rotation, reagent injection rate, vertical rate, and other parameters are fully instrumented and documented for quality assurance. The MecTool system is capable of delivering advanced remediation agents to depths of 100 feet and can achieve highly uniform results at production rates much higher than conventional methods. Primarily Responsible: Roger H. Kappler; V. Dennis Millgard Contact: Roger H. Kappler Millgard Environmental Corporation 12900 Stark Road P.O. Box 2708 Livonia, MI 48151 Phone: 734-261-9760
Self-Propelling Trench Shoring Machine The NOVA Award was presented to the Self-Propelling Trench Shoring Machine for innovation in deep trench excavation and safety. Deep trenches for pipelines must be shored to protect workers from cave-ins and loss of life to workers. The Self-Propelling Trench Shoring Machine provides a significant advantage over traditional systems by providing a safe and clear work area in trenches up to 30 feet deep, while propelling itself as pipeline work progresses. The system is composed of steel panels that are stacked to create sidewalls of the necessary depth. In use, a pair of sidewalls, one on each side of the trench and 10 feet long, form the front half of the shoring. Another pair form the rear half. The front and rear halves are connected by a series of hydraulic travel jacks in-line with the axis of the trench. The sidewalls are kept apart by hydraulic struts spanning the width of the trench. The system of modular panels positioned by hydraulic struts makes the system adjustable for a wide range of trench sizes. Forward movement is enabled by relaxing the spanning struts separating the front sidewalls, while maintaining pressure in the rear section. With the rear sidewalls serving as a thrust pad, the travel jacks are extended, pushing the front sidewalls ahead up to 8 inches. The front spanning struts are then extended to anchor the front section, the rear struts are relaxed, and the travel jacks pull the rear section into place with the front section. The self-propelling capability of this system allows the pipeline crew to be more productive by eliminating the need to reposition fixed barriers. It also allows trench cuts to be narrower, saving excavation and backfill time and costs. The Self-Propelling Trench Shoring system greatly reduces the amount of excavation required for deep trenching. This speeds work and contrbutes to the safety of below-grade workers. Primarily Responsible: Louis A. Orfei Contact: Louis A. Orfei Orfei Construction Company 1419 Lake Street Melrose Park, IL 60160 Phone: 708-344-4342
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