General Mechanical

The project was to expand a glass manufacturing facility and install the corresponding above ground and below ground conveyance systems. The below

ground conveyance system required a large amount of excavation and the construction of 250 feet of 12-foot deep tunnel. It all had to be done

without a single shutdown.

The existing concrete was saw cut and demoed, tunnels were excavated, and a base slab was poured. A form system was installed and the concrete walls were poured. Pan decking was installed, shored, and the tunnel lids were poured. The conveyors were aligned and anchored.

The extent of the excavation required the removal of permanent columns and for the structure to be supported by temporary towers with shoring that spanned 50 feet across two bays. The permanent columns were later reinstalled and the temporary shoring removed. General Mechanical revised the shoring plan from that of the engineer and changed the construction sequence to take three weeks off the overall schedule.

The project was completed in just 87 days with no shutdowns to the plant operations. The work was self-performed with GM’s carpenters, ironworkers, millwrights, and pipefitters. At the completion of the project, a fully operational system was given to the owner.