Intake tunnels play a crucial role in supplying service water to a Northwest Indiana steel manufacturing facility. Two 108” tunnels run thousands of feet from Lake Michigan to the pump well within the facility. Over time, these tunnels fill with debris that inhibit water flow from the lake. To safely clean the tunnels, it is necessary to isolate water flow with a sluice gate at the pump well. Divers then access the tunnel and remove debris to restore original flow rates.
Because the entire process had to be executed underwater, it introduced an additional degree of difficulty. Our client brought this complex challenge to Superior Engineering looking for a custom solution.
The client wanted to utilize a Sluice Gate from one of their other facilities, but the provided gate was not compatible with the existing pump well, requiring custom modifications. S/E provided the detailed engineering to fabricate a custom-designed frame, along with valve modifications in order to implement the existing gate. In the end, the gate was successfully installed with minimal downtime and cost, allowing for safe clean-out and maintenance of the service water tunnels.
Services Provided
- Civil/Structural
- Mechanical
- Project Management