ConstructionProjects

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Southwest Pipeline Project (SWPP) Taylor Elevated Tank is a 400,000-gallon spheroid style elevated potable water storage tank in Taylor, North Dakota. The project was awarded to Bartlett & West in June 2021. It is expected to be completed this September. Architecture and construction companies of the project are Bartlett & West and AECOM, respectively.

As part of the continued growth and expansion of the Southwest Pipeline Project (SWPP), which serves a population of more than 56,000 people in southwest North Dakota, Bartlett & West/AECOM recently assisted SWPP in the design and construction of a new elevated water tank in Taylor, North Dakota.

SWPP and the city of Taylor collaborated during the design phase of this project to include a bid alternate that would increase the size of the tank to accommodate the storage needs of the city in addition to serving rural residents in the area. This option was ultimately awarded with 50,000 gallons of the tank’s 400,000 total storage capacity being allocated for the city.

Ackerman-Estvold has assisted the residents of the Souris River Basin in bringing complete flood protection to the area for the past decade. The scope of the Burlington project covers four counties, multiple cities, hundreds of miles, and impacts thousands of residents.

The team is excited for the first citywide phase of this project, which the company says will be completed within this year’s construction season. By fall the city of Burlington will have full flood protection.

The company said all projects are unique and have their challenges, but this project has some special nuances from an engineering standpoint, which required materials and techniques that are not typically used on projects in the region. The existing soil composition of the sites required additional features to provide the required levee strength and stability; a seepage cutoff wall was the solution. A seepage cutoff wall reduces groundwater mitigation beneath the levee which would lead to instability, which is paramount when constructing flood protection and working with water.

The seepage cutoff wall was constructed utilizing a combination of bentonite, cement, slag, and existing soils to create a less permeable barrier, which would provide the additional strength needed to support the large levee structure and protect from a breach. About 8,500 linear feet of seepage cutoff wall was installed in this project.

The technique used for the seepage cutoff wall was unique, as the cutoff wall that was installed ranged in depth from 30-50 feet into the ground depending on the soil conditions in the area. The method used for installation included utilizing a long reach excavator or one pass trenchers. These machines dig down into the ground, pulling up material and then mixing the materials of bentonite, cement or slag, and feeding back into the trench area. This creates the strength and barrier underground needed to support the levee system.