Typical Projects
UNDERSLAB BARRIER SYSTEMS
SECONDARY CONTAINMENT
CONCRETE STRUCTURES
CONCRETE DOMES AND DIGESTERS
LINED PONDS AND LAGOONS
REPAIR AND REHABILITATION OF ALREADY-LINED PROJECTS
NEW CAMPUS CENTER
UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS
Columbia Point, Boston MA
ABSTRACT: Columbia Point on Boston´s shore is a 50 year-old landfill that is now being converted into the expanded campus for Umass. While the landfill is old, it still contains VOC´s and emits methane from which any building on the site must be protected. Gaussan associates provided all the technical field design, training and inspection for the coating and membrane system that seals the pile caps and slabs of this 450,000 s.f. building.
pile caps had to be sealed The University of Massachusetts at Boston has long occupied an area in the city called Columbia Point, site of several housing projects and the University. While Boston is essentially built on landfill - soil and rock was brought in from the west and south of the city in the 1800's to fill in the large tidal basin of salt marshes and fens that form the land we know today, some areas were used as dumping grounds for the city's trash. One of the areas was Columbia Point, which was used as a dump from 1940 - 1960. While the trash settled and gave off its characteristic smell, it eventually settled and digested enough to allow building on the site.
Almost all large buildings in Boston are founded on piles - long concrete, steel or wood (in the old building) posts that are driven into the clays underlying the landscape to support the weight of each building. These piles were essential, as the saturated landfill underlying much of the city simply cannot support the weight of a building on its own. The buildings at Columbia Point were constructed on piles so that further settlement of the underlying trash would not affect the stability of the building.
The first buildings
constructed at the
University of
Massachusetts campus some 20 years ago had unprotected
slabs, as it was assumed that the trash had become benign
and had ceased to produce noxious gasses. This turned out
not to be the case, not just with these buildings, but with many
buildings built on former dumps in the Boston area. These
buildings were classified as "sick" buildings, with inhabitants
complaining of respiratory and other physical distress. Additionally, it was discovered that the gasses
from the landfills actually degraded the concrete and reinforcing steel in the slabs that sat directly
over the underlying soils.
exterior walls lined and connected to
interior lining Because of the settlement of the trash under these buildings, it was proving difficult to provide some type of protection for the concrete and the building itself...some sort of barrier system that would not allow the gasses to penetrate into the slab yet be able to withstand the settlement of the very soils that would support such a barrier. With the advent of concrete protective liners (CPL), at least the problem of providing something that would remain attached to the underside of the slab was solved. CPL's have integral anchors that lock into the concrete securely and completely, and so the settlement issue was addressed.
When the New Campus Center was being designed, the Architect on
the project, Kallman McKinnell and Wood (KMW) hired Haley and
Aldrich (H&A), one of Boston's premier geotechnical consulting firms,
to address several issues, among which was the barrier system which
was to be integrated into the walls and slabs of the building. H&A
provided a design that not only recognized the complexity of the
building foundation and the 200+ pile caps upon which the building
sat, but also the intent that the system be constructible with a
minimum amount of inconvenience and time delays to the General
Contractor and other trades.
After the project was bid it was discovered that the low bidder on the membrane portion of the project had neither the experience nor the expertise in all aspects of deploying, detailing and welding such a membrane system or its interface with the various coatings used in the subgrade structure. While the bidder, Premier Caulking of Derry, New Hampshire, had years of experience in waterproofing membranes, nothing they had done even remotely resembled the GSE StudLiner system chosen for gas membrane application or the work required to interface liquid applied membranes with roll produced membrane systems. As part of the qualification package, Clark Gunness and Kevin Poeltl, currently of Gaussan Inc. were included as the training and testing authority approved by GSE and the State of Massachusetts for the StudLiner and the coating system. They spent the next year and a half working with the subcontractor, the General Contractor, Suffolk Construction, the architect, the engineers and the State of Massachusetts to detail, implement, and test, first the pile cap and wall membrane applications, then the body of the project, which sealed the lower level of the entire building.
multiple elements poured with the
lining into the slab Gunness and Poeltl provided qualified independent personnel, and trained and certified Premier's technicians on all aspects of welding, detailing and testing the membranes and coatings that were applied. Because of the urgent nature of the work, all training was done on the site during the actual application of the system. They also provided on-the-fly design and construction advice to all parties involved in the project which kept the membrane system installation on schedule.
STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND (SAC) BASE
Goose Bay, Labrador, Newfoundland, Canada
ABSTRACT: Leaking tank bottoms polluted the groundwater at Goose Bay. 20 million liters of jet fuel was spilled over time, and the remediation required new tank bottoms and cleanup of the jet fuel in the groundwater. The tanks received XR-5 flexible membrane lining (FML) as the secondary bottom in the tanks, and the surrounding containment areas received HDPE lining. The tanks are still in use today.
The Strategic Air Command base (SAC) in Goose Bay, Labrador, Newfoundland, Canada started its
operations in 1957, although the base has been active since 1941. The base continued its expansion
for three decades until SAC discontinued operations in the late 1980's.
Because of the vast amount of military aircraft flying continuously in and out of the base, the storage of jet fuel became a priority and many very large storage tanks were built over the years. Because the tanks were built without any below-floor sampling or cathodic protection of the steel, the floors of the tanks began to rust soon after they were built which eventually allowed jet fuel to leak into the groundwater.
By the time the problem was addressed, approximately 20,000,000 liters of jet fuel had escaped into the environment which polluted a large area surrounding the tank facility. Tank rehabilitation and site cleanup began in 1990 and was phased to take 5 years. The tank bottoms were to be replaced and the pollution in the groundwater was to be abated.
Clark Gunness and Alan Lippincott, currently associates with Gaussan Protective Membranes, were asked to provide two types of secondary containment for this rehabilitation and cleanup: A special lining under the replacement tank bottoms which would provide a secure space for proactive leak detection and cathodic protection, thus guarding against future leakage. Additional lining was installed on the surrounding bermed containment areas, which included sealing to sampling and cleanup wells, culverts and pipe ways.
The tank bottoms were lined with XR-5 by Seaman Corporation, one of the only liners capable of withstanding continuous contact with jet fuels in a contained space. The design called for sealing the lining to the existing tank walls by stud welding and bolting the lining to these walls with special Several large tanks behind the base gasketing. Approximately 1 foot (300mm) of sand was then placed on top of the lining system along with the cathodic protection. Then the new tank floors were installed. The XR-5 lining offered the advantages of ease of installation without large equipment outlays. The materials were prefabricated in one of the empty hangars during inclement weather so that the installation of the steel tank bottoms would not be delayed. The XR-5 was completely tested with simple equipment, as the vacuum box or the air lance which ran off of a portable compressor. Both types of testing on the XR-5 provided complete certainty that the liner had no leaks before it was buried in the sand.
Personnel were on site during this entire process to make sure that the liner was not breached or damaged in anyway, and to ensure that all liner installation was complete and built to specification.
Concurrent with the tank bottom reconstruction, the bermed containment areas surrounding the tanks were being lined with 80 mil (2mm) high density polyethylene geomembrane. While more equipment and labor intensive than the XR-5, the HDPE was chosen by government engineers.
Several large tanks behind the base The initial design was based on plans provided by the government, which included connecting the liner to the tank ring walls by expansion bolts and bar. The lining was going to be sealed to culverts and pipes under the many roadways around the tanks. As the work progressed, however, it became clear that the drawings did not include many elements which affected the application and placement of the lining. Since the groundwater was only a few feet below the surface, several of the original containment areas for the tanks were literally wetlands. As work continued, uncharted pipes, trenches, conduits, pump pads etc. were discovered. In addition, drainage grades did not work according to the plans. As a result, new flow designs and new pipeways were devised on the spot, all the while making sure that the lining protected all potential new spill sources.
In some instances, the lining contractor was directed to prefabricate a portion of the secondary liner to be prefabricated on dry land, tested for leak tightness and flanged with pipe fittings, etc., and then sunk into an excavation at or below the water table so that the water could flow in the proper direction. These "drop and treat" linings were invaluable in these instances. Lippincott was on site for all 5 years of the construction, working with the base management, engineering and design firms, and various contractors. Approximately 4,000,000 square feet of lining was required on this project. The secondary containment systems designed and implemented by them continue to protect the groundwater and surrounding areas.
KLINELINE FLOW STRUCTURES AND WETWELL
Vancouver, Washington
ABSTRACT: Normally used to protect concrete from corrosion, this Corr-Tite® CPMS application was to protect the concrete from abrasion (and corrosion) stemming a rapid final influent flow. The Corr-Tite® CPMS system had to be integrated into the mechanical elements of the structure, and had to have a tight interface with the coating above the flow channel.
Corr-Tite® HDPE Concrete Protective Membrane Systems (CPMS) have been used on several
wastewater structures in the Salmon Creek water shed of Vancouver, Washington, to protect against
corrosion of the concrete by the hydrogen sulfide gas generated by the wastewater. The lining has
shown itself to be particularly suitable for the different types and shapes of structures designed
primarily by the Portland, Oregon office of Brown and Caldwell Engineers.
Construction, like the pig retrieval structure shown left, required the application of special protection plates (seen as white strips) so that the large baskets which catch the pipe cleaning pigs do not damage the primary lining. The Corr-Tite® CPMS conformed to the shapes and angles of this structure, in addition to being compatible with very tough protective HDPE plate. Welding the protective plates on the surface of the lining was the only option, as any bolting would have caused potential leakage, limiting the life of the structure.
This dual corrosion/abrasion resistance carried over to the flow
structures down the line, in which the lining would act primarily as
a protection medium for the concrete in a high flow application.
This time, the Corr-Tite® CPMS was placed on the lower portion of
the structure, which is unusual. The upper portion of the structure
was coated to make it corrosion resistant. The challenge was to
provide a watertight seal
for recessed pipe entry
points and to be able to
interface with the coating
above the lining so that a
seamless, or at least, gas
and watertight, long-lasting
seal, was produced where
the Corr-Tite® CPMS
stopped and the coating
started.
Clark Gunness, currently of Gaussan Inc., designed a solution
to both problems. The Corr-Tite® CPMS was formed into a
cone to match the depression formed in the concrete at the
pipe recess so that the Corr-Tite® CPMS could be used as
part of the gasket system in the compression flange which
was fastened to the pipe. This made a watertight and gas-tight
seal.
Since Corr-Tite® CPMS HDPE and LLDPE liners are not
compatible with coatings, mostly because coatings cannot
bond to these very inert materials, Gunness also asked the
coating supplier for a compatible, flexible material which could
be clamped into the stainless steel bar system designed to
terminate the Corr-Tite® CPMS lining at the top of the sluice.
This would allow a mechanical interface from the Corr-Tite®
CPMS to the coating, assuring a completely tight seal.
The project was welded and tested by Gaussan personnel
over a period of two months in 2007.
New England Aquarium Penguin Tray Rehabilitation
Boston, Massachusetts
ABSTRACT: Repairs to the severely corroded concrete walls and piers surrounding the penguin tray required the 25-year-old HDPE lining to be removed and possibly replaced. In addition, the floor slab had subsided and buckled, further stressing the lining. Gaussan implemented new designs and repairs to the existing lining such that the concrete floor would probably never have to be replaced, and the tray was returned to service in better than new condition.
Penguin Tray before renovation The 40 year-old New England Aquarium is built on landfill dating back over 100 years, as is much of Boston. As with every building in Boston, the fill soils would not hold the building by itself, and extensive piles were placed for the foundation. Piles were not included under the slab of what is known as the Penguin Tray, a 5,000 s.f. open tank, home to 80 penguins and surrounded by the building. The slab was to float on the fill, and some settlement was expected.
The slab started settling immediately after construction, moving more than 12"downward in places. While the joints between the moving slab and the static building were packed with a flexible elastomer to allow some movement, such a large amount was not anticipated. Finally, in 1983, when repacking the joints failed, and leakage from the movement and cracking of the slab became unmanageable, an HDPE liner was installed over the entire slab and up the walls, essentially creating a flexible box which sealed the tray and allowed it to hold water.
After installation of the lining, the slab continued to settle
another 6 - 8 inches on portions of the edges while the
center of the tray had sunk over 24 inches. Because
settlement at the edges of the tray was finally stopped by
contact with the pile caps, further settlement in the center
caused the slab to buckle, creating jagged 1 - 2 inch steps
in the floor and cracks up to 1 inch
wide. 25 years later, despite all
this, and with the constant daily
foot traffic and aggressive
scrubbing of all liner surfaces, the liner was still holding the 5 feet of water.
Early this year, it was discovered that the concrete walls around the tray
had experienced some corrosion from the salt water and needed repair, and
so the lining was removed from the walls to allow this to take place. The
Aquarium contacted Clark Gunness of Gaussan, Inc., an expert in lining
materials and design, to ask how much of the lining could be salvaged.
Could Gunness make the lining last a few more years until the Aquarium
could raise the funds to replace the slab, at a projected cost of $2m?
Gunness asked the Aquarium to allow him to test the material and then informed them that the existing lining could be reinstalled and would last another 25 years without the Aquarium ever having to replace or repair the slab. He informed them that the lining would continue to bridge the cracks and withstand all the mechanical abuse the staff could throw at it, and that it could be repaired or modified over those years as necessary.
Final repairs involved manufacturing new, compatible lining to replace areas which were destroyed
by the concrete repair activities, and repositioning the lining in areas of greatest subsidence, so that
bridging was minimized. Mechanical seals around drains, pipes and lights were also redesigned and
rebuilt for another 25 years in service. The entire repair process took 8 weeks.
Ultimately, the Aquarium made the decision to spend more on the lining in exchange for a huge savings on what would have been a major construction project on their premier exhibit, which would have shut the penguin tray down for at least 6 months.
UNDERSLAB BARRIER SYSTEMS
SECONDARY CONTAINMENT
CONCRETE STRUCTURES
CONCRETE DOMES AND DIGESTERS
LINED PONDS AND LAGOONS
REPAIR AND REHABILITATION OF ALREADY-LINED PROJECTS
UNDERSLAB BARRIERS SYSTEMS
NEW CAMPUS CENTER
UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS
Columbia Point, Boston MA
ABSTRACT: Columbia Point on Boston´s shore is a 50 year-old landfill that is now being converted into the expanded campus for Umass. While the landfill is old, it still contains VOC´s and emits methane from which any building on the site must be protected. Gaussan associates provided all the technical field design, training and inspection for the coating and membrane system that seals the pile caps and slabs of this 450,000 s.f. building.
pile caps had to be sealed The University of Massachusetts at Boston has long occupied an area in the city called Columbia Point, site of several housing projects and the University. While Boston is essentially built on landfill - soil and rock was brought in from the west and south of the city in the 1800's to fill in the large tidal basin of salt marshes and fens that form the land we know today, some areas were used as dumping grounds for the city's trash. One of the areas was Columbia Point, which was used as a dump from 1940 - 1960. While the trash settled and gave off its characteristic smell, it eventually settled and digested enough to allow building on the site.
Almost all large buildings in Boston are founded on piles - long concrete, steel or wood (in the old building) posts that are driven into the clays underlying the landscape to support the weight of each building. These piles were essential, as the saturated landfill underlying much of the city simply cannot support the weight of a building on its own. The buildings at Columbia Point were constructed on piles so that further settlement of the underlying trash would not affect the stability of the building.
The first buildings
constructed at the
University of
Massachusetts campus some 20 years ago had unprotected
slabs, as it was assumed that the trash had become benign
and had ceased to produce noxious gasses. This turned out
not to be the case, not just with these buildings, but with many
buildings built on former dumps in the Boston area. These
buildings were classified as "sick" buildings, with inhabitants
complaining of respiratory and other physical distress. Additionally, it was discovered that the gasses
from the landfills actually degraded the concrete and reinforcing steel in the slabs that sat directly
over the underlying soils.
exterior walls lined and connected to
interior lining Because of the settlement of the trash under these buildings, it was proving difficult to provide some type of protection for the concrete and the building itself...some sort of barrier system that would not allow the gasses to penetrate into the slab yet be able to withstand the settlement of the very soils that would support such a barrier. With the advent of concrete protective liners (CPL), at least the problem of providing something that would remain attached to the underside of the slab was solved. CPL's have integral anchors that lock into the concrete securely and completely, and so the settlement issue was addressed.
When the New Campus Center was being designed, the Architect on
the project, Kallman McKinnell and Wood (KMW) hired Haley and
Aldrich (H&A), one of Boston's premier geotechnical consulting firms,
to address several issues, among which was the barrier system which
was to be integrated into the walls and slabs of the building. H&A
provided a design that not only recognized the complexity of the
building foundation and the 200+ pile caps upon which the building
sat, but also the intent that the system be constructible with a
minimum amount of inconvenience and time delays to the General
Contractor and other trades.
After the project was bid it was discovered that the low bidder on the membrane portion of the project had neither the experience nor the expertise in all aspects of deploying, detailing and welding such a membrane system or its interface with the various coatings used in the subgrade structure. While the bidder, Premier Caulking of Derry, New Hampshire, had years of experience in waterproofing membranes, nothing they had done even remotely resembled the GSE StudLiner system chosen for gas membrane application or the work required to interface liquid applied membranes with roll produced membrane systems. As part of the qualification package, Clark Gunness and Kevin Poeltl, currently of Gaussan Inc. were included as the training and testing authority approved by GSE and the State of Massachusetts for the StudLiner and the coating system. They spent the next year and a half working with the subcontractor, the General Contractor, Suffolk Construction, the architect, the engineers and the State of Massachusetts to detail, implement, and test, first the pile cap and wall membrane applications, then the body of the project, which sealed the lower level of the entire building.
multiple elements poured with the
lining into the slab Gunness and Poeltl provided qualified independent personnel, and trained and certified Premier's technicians on all aspects of welding, detailing and testing the membranes and coatings that were applied. Because of the urgent nature of the work, all training was done on the site during the actual application of the system. They also provided on-the-fly design and construction advice to all parties involved in the project which kept the membrane system installation on schedule.
SECONDARY CONTAINMENT
STRATEGIC AIR COMMAND (SAC) BASE
Goose Bay, Labrador, Newfoundland, Canada
ABSTRACT: Leaking tank bottoms polluted the groundwater at Goose Bay. 20 million liters of jet fuel was spilled over time, and the remediation required new tank bottoms and cleanup of the jet fuel in the groundwater. The tanks received XR-5 flexible membrane lining (FML) as the secondary bottom in the tanks, and the surrounding containment areas received HDPE lining. The tanks are still in use today.
The Strategic Air Command base (SAC) in Goose Bay, Labrador, Newfoundland, Canada started its
operations in 1957, although the base has been active since 1941. The base continued its expansion
for three decades until SAC discontinued operations in the late 1980's.Because of the vast amount of military aircraft flying continuously in and out of the base, the storage of jet fuel became a priority and many very large storage tanks were built over the years. Because the tanks were built without any below-floor sampling or cathodic protection of the steel, the floors of the tanks began to rust soon after they were built which eventually allowed jet fuel to leak into the groundwater.
By the time the problem was addressed, approximately 20,000,000 liters of jet fuel had escaped into the environment which polluted a large area surrounding the tank facility. Tank rehabilitation and site cleanup began in 1990 and was phased to take 5 years. The tank bottoms were to be replaced and the pollution in the groundwater was to be abated.
Clark Gunness and Alan Lippincott, currently associates with Gaussan Protective Membranes, were asked to provide two types of secondary containment for this rehabilitation and cleanup: A special lining under the replacement tank bottoms which would provide a secure space for proactive leak detection and cathodic protection, thus guarding against future leakage. Additional lining was installed on the surrounding bermed containment areas, which included sealing to sampling and cleanup wells, culverts and pipe ways.
SECONDARY CONTAINMENT FOR TANK BOTTOMS
The tank bottoms were lined with XR-5 by Seaman Corporation, one of the only liners capable of withstanding continuous contact with jet fuels in a contained space. The design called for sealing the lining to the existing tank walls by stud welding and bolting the lining to these walls with special Several large tanks behind the base gasketing. Approximately 1 foot (300mm) of sand was then placed on top of the lining system along with the cathodic protection. Then the new tank floors were installed. The XR-5 lining offered the advantages of ease of installation without large equipment outlays. The materials were prefabricated in one of the empty hangars during inclement weather so that the installation of the steel tank bottoms would not be delayed. The XR-5 was completely tested with simple equipment, as the vacuum box or the air lance which ran off of a portable compressor. Both types of testing on the XR-5 provided complete certainty that the liner had no leaks before it was buried in the sand.
Personnel were on site during this entire process to make sure that the liner was not breached or damaged in anyway, and to ensure that all liner installation was complete and built to specification.
SECONDARY CONTAINMENT FOR AREAS AROUND TANKS
Concurrent with the tank bottom reconstruction, the bermed containment areas surrounding the tanks were being lined with 80 mil (2mm) high density polyethylene geomembrane. While more equipment and labor intensive than the XR-5, the HDPE was chosen by government engineers.
Several large tanks behind the base The initial design was based on plans provided by the government, which included connecting the liner to the tank ring walls by expansion bolts and bar. The lining was going to be sealed to culverts and pipes under the many roadways around the tanks. As the work progressed, however, it became clear that the drawings did not include many elements which affected the application and placement of the lining. Since the groundwater was only a few feet below the surface, several of the original containment areas for the tanks were literally wetlands. As work continued, uncharted pipes, trenches, conduits, pump pads etc. were discovered. In addition, drainage grades did not work according to the plans. As a result, new flow designs and new pipeways were devised on the spot, all the while making sure that the lining protected all potential new spill sources.
In some instances, the lining contractor was directed to prefabricate a portion of the secondary liner to be prefabricated on dry land, tested for leak tightness and flanged with pipe fittings, etc., and then sunk into an excavation at or below the water table so that the water could flow in the proper direction. These "drop and treat" linings were invaluable in these instances. Lippincott was on site for all 5 years of the construction, working with the base management, engineering and design firms, and various contractors. Approximately 4,000,000 square feet of lining was required on this project. The secondary containment systems designed and implemented by them continue to protect the groundwater and surrounding areas.
CONCRETE STRUCTURES
KLINELINE FLOW STRUCTURES AND WETWELL
Vancouver, Washington
ABSTRACT: Normally used to protect concrete from corrosion, this Corr-Tite® CPMS application was to protect the concrete from abrasion (and corrosion) stemming a rapid final influent flow. The Corr-Tite® CPMS system had to be integrated into the mechanical elements of the structure, and had to have a tight interface with the coating above the flow channel.
Corr-Tite® HDPE Concrete Protective Membrane Systems (CPMS) have been used on several
wastewater structures in the Salmon Creek water shed of Vancouver, Washington, to protect against
corrosion of the concrete by the hydrogen sulfide gas generated by the wastewater. The lining has
shown itself to be particularly suitable for the different types and shapes of structures designed
primarily by the Portland, Oregon office of Brown and Caldwell Engineers.Construction, like the pig retrieval structure shown left, required the application of special protection plates (seen as white strips) so that the large baskets which catch the pipe cleaning pigs do not damage the primary lining. The Corr-Tite® CPMS conformed to the shapes and angles of this structure, in addition to being compatible with very tough protective HDPE plate. Welding the protective plates on the surface of the lining was the only option, as any bolting would have caused potential leakage, limiting the life of the structure.
This dual corrosion/abrasion resistance carried over to the flow
structures down the line, in which the lining would act primarily as
a protection medium for the concrete in a high flow application.
This time, the Corr-Tite® CPMS was placed on the lower portion of
the structure, which is unusual. The upper portion of the structure
was coated to make it corrosion resistant. The challenge was to
provide a watertight seal
for recessed pipe entry
points and to be able to
interface with the coating
above the lining so that a
seamless, or at least, gas
and watertight, long-lasting
seal, was produced where
the Corr-Tite® CPMS
stopped and the coating
started.
Clark Gunness, currently of Gaussan Inc., designed a solution
to both problems. The Corr-Tite® CPMS was formed into a
cone to match the depression formed in the concrete at the
pipe recess so that the Corr-Tite® CPMS could be used as
part of the gasket system in the compression flange which
was fastened to the pipe. This made a watertight and gas-tight
seal.
Since Corr-Tite® CPMS HDPE and LLDPE liners are not
compatible with coatings, mostly because coatings cannot
bond to these very inert materials, Gunness also asked the
coating supplier for a compatible, flexible material which could
be clamped into the stainless steel bar system designed to
terminate the Corr-Tite® CPMS lining at the top of the sluice.
This would allow a mechanical interface from the Corr-Tite®
CPMS to the coating, assuring a completely tight seal.
The project was welded and tested by Gaussan personnel
over a period of two months in 2007.
CONCRETE DOMES AND DIGESTERS
LINED PONDS AND LAGOONS
SPECIAL PROJECTS
New England Aquarium Penguin Tray Rehabilitation
Boston, Massachusetts
ABSTRACT: Repairs to the severely corroded concrete walls and piers surrounding the penguin tray required the 25-year-old HDPE lining to be removed and possibly replaced. In addition, the floor slab had subsided and buckled, further stressing the lining. Gaussan implemented new designs and repairs to the existing lining such that the concrete floor would probably never have to be replaced, and the tray was returned to service in better than new condition.
Penguin Tray before renovation The 40 year-old New England Aquarium is built on landfill dating back over 100 years, as is much of Boston. As with every building in Boston, the fill soils would not hold the building by itself, and extensive piles were placed for the foundation. Piles were not included under the slab of what is known as the Penguin Tray, a 5,000 s.f. open tank, home to 80 penguins and surrounded by the building. The slab was to float on the fill, and some settlement was expected.
The slab started settling immediately after construction, moving more than 12"downward in places. While the joints between the moving slab and the static building were packed with a flexible elastomer to allow some movement, such a large amount was not anticipated. Finally, in 1983, when repacking the joints failed, and leakage from the movement and cracking of the slab became unmanageable, an HDPE liner was installed over the entire slab and up the walls, essentially creating a flexible box which sealed the tray and allowed it to hold water.
After installation of the lining, the slab continued to settle
another 6 - 8 inches on portions of the edges while the
center of the tray had sunk over 24 inches. Because
settlement at the edges of the tray was finally stopped by
contact with the pile caps, further settlement in the center
caused the slab to buckle, creating jagged 1 - 2 inch steps
in the floor and cracks up to 1 inch
wide. 25 years later, despite all
this, and with the constant daily
foot traffic and aggressive
scrubbing of all liner surfaces, the liner was still holding the 5 feet of water.
Early this year, it was discovered that the concrete walls around the tray
had experienced some corrosion from the salt water and needed repair, and
so the lining was removed from the walls to allow this to take place. The
Aquarium contacted Clark Gunness of Gaussan, Inc., an expert in lining
materials and design, to ask how much of the lining could be salvaged.
Could Gunness make the lining last a few more years until the Aquarium
could raise the funds to replace the slab, at a projected cost of $2m?
Gunness asked the Aquarium to allow him to test the material and then informed them that the existing lining could be reinstalled and would last another 25 years without the Aquarium ever having to replace or repair the slab. He informed them that the lining would continue to bridge the cracks and withstand all the mechanical abuse the staff could throw at it, and that it could be repaired or modified over those years as necessary.
Final repairs involved manufacturing new, compatible lining to replace areas which were destroyed
by the concrete repair activities, and repositioning the lining in areas of greatest subsidence, so that
bridging was minimized. Mechanical seals around drains, pipes and lights were also redesigned and
rebuilt for another 25 years in service. The entire repair process took 8 weeks.
Ultimately, the Aquarium made the decision to spend more on the lining in exchange for a huge savings on what would have been a major construction project on their premier exhibit, which would have shut the penguin tray down for at least 6 months.