Services:

Subsurface Investigation
Geotechnical and Structural Engineering
Value Engineering
Settlement, Rebound, and Slope Stability Analyses
Directed Geotechnical Monitoring Program

Owner:

Port Authority of New York & New Jersey (PANY&NJ)

Client :

Trans-Hudson Express (THE) Partnership

Project Cost: $8,500,000,000

Project Cost: $560,000

Project Overview:

NJ TRANSIT, with the support of the PANY&NJ, began a planning effort over a decade ago to expand trans-Hudson capacity. The Mass Transit Tunnel was found to be the most efficient, cost-effective option to relieve traffic congestion and to spur the region’s economic growth.

Distinct Engineering Solutions, Inc. (DESI) was retained by THE Partnership, an engineering tri-venture, to provide geotechnical and structural engineering services. DESI engineers were involved in reviewing the civil engineering design package, evaluating the design from a constructability point of view, and providing recommendations. DESI also assisted the design team with planning the geotechnical and environmental investigation programs; directing the staff performing the subsurface investigations; and preparing Geotechnical and Environmental Investigation Reports.

DESI was involved in geo-environmental aspects of design, especially potential issues with settlement and migration of contaminants from an 80-acre site in Kearny, NJ, a candidate site for a rail yard of THE Tunnel project. DESI engineers were responsible for the stability and settlement analyses of a 30 foot high fill; and surcharge design to manage settlement and stability using a combination of new fill, light-weight fill and geo-synthetic materials. As part of this design evaluation, historic data and new geotechnical instrumentation data from a new 20 foot high in-situ test embankment were used for analysis and prediction. A new analytical method was developed and applied to predict settlement throughout the site at various time periods. Geotechnical computer programs such as Settle3D, FoSSA, Slope/W and Plaxis were used as well. An assessment for migration of contamination resulting from various ground improvement techniques and settlement was also conducted.