GEI Consultants announces six new projects

 BOSTON, MASS. — GEI Consultants Inc. announced six new projects awarded to the company that are reflective of its technical and geographic diversity.

1) GEI was selected for a $5 million, Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract to provide irrigation, power and safety of dams (IPSOD) engineering services to the Department of Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs Division (BIA). The IPSOD program is responsible for the management of all irrigation, dam, and power facilities owned by BIA. GEI’s professional engineering contract with the BIA encompasses planning and feasibility studies; dam rehabilitation design; geotechnical and civil/structural engineering; hydrology/hydraulics; construction management; value engineering; and seismic analysis services for Native American irrigation and dam facilities nationwide. GEI will provide specialized irrigation and dam engineering expertise to BIA regions and project offices assisting them with the operation, maintenance, and asset management of BIA-owned irrigation and power projects, as well as the maintenance, rehabilitation, and safety inspections of dams and reservoirs on Indian land. BIA currently provides services to approximately 1.9 million American Indians and Alaska Natives on 55 million acres of tribal land in the United States.

2) GEI is providing geotechnical and environmental consulting services for design and construction of an 11-story mixed-use commercial/residential building located in downtown Boston. The building, which will be located across from the TD Banknorth Garden, will be constructed partially over the I-93 southbound tunnel and MBTA Orange line tunnel. Because the site is located in a congested area of downtown Boston, the building is able to derive support from the Central Artery’s southbound tunnel west slurry wall and tunnel roof, the MBTA’s Orange Line east slurry wall, and drilled high-capacity mini-piles. GEI has performed geotechnical field investigations consisting of test pits, in situ field density tests, and laboratory testing. In addition, the firm has performed environmental pre-characterization of onsite soils to streamline offsite disposal during construction. During the Central Artery/Third Harbor Tunnel project in 1991, GEI drilled borings at this same location and was able to utilize that data for this assignment, enabling the client to save time and money.

3) GEI was selected to perform geotechnical engineering services for the city of Kent, Wash., in support of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Accreditation for the Green River Levee. GEI will evaluate a 2.8-mile-long reach extending from SR 516 to S 231 Way. The city initiated an engineering evaluation and certification process for the levee along the right bank of the Green River with an overall objective of obtaining accreditation in its Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) for the area. The Green River Levee protects land uses ranging from residential developments to commercial and industrial properties. GEI will perform subsurface explorations, survey coordination, engineering evaluations, compile an operations and maintenance manual, prepare conceptual designs to address deficiencies, and prepare a FEMA accreditation report.

4) GEI was retained by the United Water Conservation District (UWCD) to perform seismic analyses on the intake tower and penstock outlet pipe for the Santa Felicia Dam in Ventura County, Calif. Constructed in 1955 and located on Piru Creek near the Los Padres National Forest, the Santa Felicia Dam is 213 feet high and stores more than 88,000 acre-feet of winter runoff from the Piru Creek watershed. This runoff replenishes underground aquifers and is made available to local municipalities for industry and agriculture. GEI will be responsible for a review of existing reports and drawings; planning and conducting an inspection; identifying and selecting seismic evaluation parameters; determining the structural adequacy of the facility components; assessing the seismic retrofit options; preparing a final report and assisting with the regulatory review with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and Division of Safety of Dams (DSOD).

5) GEI was engaged by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) to perform a subsurface investigation and liquefaction evaluation for the replacement of two bridges located at Route 2 over Route 140 in central Massachusetts. Areas of the site are underlain with loose granular soils located beneath the water table. GEI conducted a subsurface investigation consisting of soil borings; cone penetration tests; prepared geotechnical reports delineating areas susceptible to liquefaction; and proposed methods for remediating the liquefiable zones. The project is currently under construction and ground improvement consisting of compaction grouting and vibrated stone columns is being used to treat the liquefiable zones identified in the subsurface investigation. GEI is engaged for the construction phase to review construction-related documents, periodically observe installation of the grout and stone columns, and to observe verification testing of pre- and post-treated areas. The project is scheduled for completion in 2011.

6) GEI was engaged by Integrys Group, a Wisconsin-based utility, to investigate the cause of seepage beneath the Boney Falls Dam on the Escanaba River in Michigan. Due to the findings of GEI’s extensive investigation, as well as data collected previously at the dam, several leakage pathways were verified and likely remediation scenarios were proposed. GEI will design a cut-off technology for the east embankment of the dam, and will provide updated risk analysis.