Carson Corporation’s latest project, Governors Island Potable Water Source and Distribution Phase I is recognized in Local Blog:
Blog by: govislandblog.com / J. Hand
At approximately 11:00AM last Wednesday, our drilling contractor broke ground on Governors Island… except they did it from the ground up!
Horizontal Directional Drill.
Is that a submarine poking out in front of the old commissary? No, it’s a horizontal directional drill seeing daylight for the first time in weeks after burrowing underneath the Harbor, all the way from Red Hook, Brooklyn.
This “peek-a-boo” moment marks an exciting milestone in our effort to restore potable water to Governors Island. By the end of this year, over 2300 linear feet of new water pipe will be installed beneath the Buttermilk Channel. In 2014, our dedicated crew will continue to expand the potable water network throughout the north portion of the Island, as well as to the newly constructed park and public space. There’s more work to be done, but we are on schedule to ensure that potable water is fully restored by the end of next year. Future tenants and visitors can look forward to taking a sip of delicious Brooklyn water!
A new DD440T right off the American Augers production line was added to Carson’s rig line-up this spring. This rig was purchased to handle Carson’s burgeoning work load. Carson Corporation is now the new name for what used to be known as Carson & Roberts Site Construction and Engineering, Inc. Carson Corporation is focused on Horizontal Drilling and Civil Construction. This new name helps separate the Corporation from outfits which are ill-equipped to complete large scale projects that include Horizontal Directional Drilling and engineered construction projects. “The advantage customers have when utilizing Carson Corporation is we can not only handle single drill projects, but also jobs that include large scale civil construction designs that also have HDD’s specified within the scope of that design”, claimed Bob Carson, VP of Business Development. “Over 70 pieces of heavy equipment and scores of support vehicles allows Carson Corporation to pursue this new market.” The addition of the DD440T compliments Carson Corporation’s ability to service both segments of these markets. The New DD440T was delivered right to a pipeline extension outside of Williamsport, PA. Carson Corporation drilled a 1,193 ft shot of 12″ Gas Pipe for Meridian Energy, LLC.
Owner: PVR Marcellus Gas Gathering, LLC
Consulting Engineer: McTish, Kunkel & Associates, Pittsburgh, Pa
Project: Wistar Pipeline Extension Natural Gas Pipeline
Location: Lycoming County, PA
Pipeline Contractor: Meridian Energy, LLC, Randolph, NY
HDD Contractor: Carson Corporation, Lafayette, NJ
Pipe Supplier: By Owner
Pipe Size/Length: Wistar Pipeline Ext. 12” Steel Pipeline, 1,193 lf
Installation: Horizontal Directional Drill
Steering Contractor: Horizontal Technologies, Houston, TX
Bob Carson-VP of Business Development (201) 230-4686,
[email protected]
Tim Monk, Carson Corporation’s HDD Supervisor, was pleased with the DD440T’s performance. Relatively few issues were experienced and set up problems did not occur. Additionally Meridian Energy’s pipeline construction personnel were easy to work with. All this led to another drill completed on schedule.
The Piscataqua River is a 12-mile long tidal estuary formed by the confluence of Salmon Falls and Cocheo River. The river runs along the border of New Hampshire and Maine emptying into the Atlantic Ocean. Spanning the Piscataqua River from Newington to Dover is the newly constructed New Hampshire Department of Transportation’s (NHDOT) Spaulding Turnpike, Little Bay Bridge (RT 4). Rather than attaching a vital Unitil (Granite State Gas) gas main to this new bridge the trenchless technology method of horizontal directional drilling (HDD) was selected to install the gas main under the Piscataqua River.
Unitil (AKA, Granite State Gas Transmission, Inc.) selected Carson Corporation as the preferred HDD contractor after a extensive prequalification and competitive bidding process.
Despite having to work through the harsh New Hampshire winter and drilling over 2,500 l.f. in 30,000 psi granite Carson Corporation completed this project on time as mandated by the New Hampshire Department of Fish and Game.
Guided by the latest gyroscope steering technology and a redundant traditional wire line, Carson Corporation drilled a “rifle barrel” of a bore hole that never deviated more than 2’ from the intended horizontal and vertical alignment.
In addition to the HDD, Carson Corporation was also responsible for welding, coating, x-raying, hydrostatically testing and pigging the pipeline in strict accordance with Unitil’s PLS-101 Pipeline Construction Specification.
Having drilled in New Hampshire previously, provided Carson Corporation with knowledge and expertise to successfully complete this challenging drill with ease.
Owner: Unitil, Hampton, New Hampshire
Consulting Engineer: JD Hair, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Pipeline Designer: BL Companies, Meridian, Connecticut
Project: NHDOT Relocation Spaulding Turnpike, Little Bay Bridge Gas Pipeline
Location: Newington to Dover, New Hampshire
HDD Contractor: Carson Corporation, Lafayette, New Jersey
Pipe Supplier: Pipe by Owner
Pipe Size/Length: Piscataqua River Crossing, 2,500′ 10″ steel gas pipe
Installation: Horizontal Directional Drill
Steering Contractor: Horizontal Technologies, Houston, TX
Bob Carson-VP of Business Development (201) 230-4686,
[email protected]
Aqua Pennsylvania was founded as the Springfield Water Company on January 4, 1886, when a group of Swarthmore College professors received a charter to supply water to the residents of Springfield Township, Delaware County. From there the Group has grown through acquisition and expansion. Recently Aqua Pennsylvania’s water system in Bensalem was enhanced by Horizontal Directional Drilling under the Neshaminy Creek and under roadways and within restricted right of ways. Carson & Roberts was contracted to complete two drills. The first drill, beneath the Neshaminy Creek was completed by drilling through 20,000 psi rock and a buried debris field.
This debris field played havoc with Carson & Roberts guidance system. Despite this unexpected guidance interference Carson & Roberts was able to stay within the restricted right of way with the pilot hole. Not an easy task. Finally two ream passes and pullback completed this difficult drill. The Turnpike Crossing Drill was next. Similar rock to the first drill was piloted and a single ream pass expedited completion of this drill and pullback. Carson & Roberts was able to turn over completed operational water lines to Aqua, Pa as contracted.
Owner: Aqua Pennsylvania, Byrn Mawr, PA
Consulting Engineer: STV Incorporated, Douglassville, PA
Project: Neshaminy Crossing & PA Turnpike Crossing
Location: Bensalem, PA
HDD Contractor: Carson & Roberts, Lafayette, NJ
Pipe Supplier: Underground Solutions Inc, San Diego, Ca
Pipe Size/Length: Neshaminy Creek Crossing 1000′ of fPVC 24″ / Turnpike Crossing 1600′ of fPVC 16″
Installation: Horizontal Directional Drill
Steering Contractor: Horizontal Technologies, Houston, TX
Bob Carson-VP of Business Development (201) 230-4686,
[email protected]
Dan Carson, President of Carson & Roberts and Operations Manager said, “the 20,000 psi rock required the correct combination of reamer sizes and ream passes. Once the combination was selected and the pilot was complete the drills were straight forward.”Mike Perez supervisor of Carson & Robert’s American Auger DD1100 maxi rig dedicated himself and his crew to getting thru the hard rock. Dan Carson gave high praise to their efforts.
The Mighty Susquehanna River has a reputation for giving fits to Horizontal Directional Drilling contractors. Carson & Roberts has completed many river crossings and some of the more significant projects are the Red River on the Texas/Oklahoma border, the Shark River in New Jersey and the Susquehanna River in Oswego, New York. These projects give Carson & Roberts a wealth of knowledge when it comes to drilling a large river project. The US Army Corps of Engineers demands professional support to process and detail all aspects of a project under their authority. This was exactly the case with this Horizontal Directional Drilling project. Fortunately Carson & Roberts support staff is used to this increased scrutiny as our Site Division recently completed the US Army Corps of Engineers Motor Pool Relocation Project in West Point NY.
Owner: Towanda Municipal Authority, Towanda, PA, Wysox Borough, Wysox, PA
Engineering Authority: US Army Corps of Engineers USACE District, Baltimore, MD
Consulting Engineer: Stiffler, McCraw, Holidaysburg, PA
Project: Towanda-Wysox Waterline Extension Project
Location: Towanda Borough, Bradford County, PA
HDD Contractor: Carson & Roberts, Lafayette, NJ
Pipe Supplier: Lee Supply, Charleroi, PA
Pipe Size/Length: 1600′ of 14″ DR11 HDPE DIPS
Installation: Horizontal Directional Drill
Steering Contractor: Horizontal Technologies, Houston, TX
Bob Carson-VP of Business Development (201) 230-4686,
[email protected]
The Towanda-Wysox Waterline Extension project required Horizontal Directional Drilling under the mighty Susquehanna River. Towanda is on the western shore and Wysox begins on the eastern shore. The project began with casing being driven on the Towanda entrance side through the unstable shoreline and cobble. Casing was also driven in on the Wysox exit side as specified. 1600′ of DR11 14″ HDPE pipe was utilized for this project because the tight radius on the exit side tail string required its flexible attributes. Unstable cobble offered up by the river’s shorelines was no match for our American Auger DD1100. The drill was continued after boring through the changing conditions of clay and shale. This straightforward HDD was completed successfully and to the satisfaction of Towanda Municipal Authority, Wysox Borough and the US Army Corps of Engineers.
April 2012
After rolling off two Horizontal Directional Drills for Talisman/Precision Pipeline / OZ Directional Drilling in the Marcellus Shale Region, Carson & Roberts DD140 crew moved their rig to Brooklyn, PA for their next project.
Owner: Southwestern Energy Company – Houston, TX
Consulting Engineer: URS Corporation – Fort Washington, PA
Project: Martins Creek Water Conveyance Line
Location: Martins Creek – Brooklyn Township, Susquehanna County, PA
HDD Contractor: Carson & Roberts, Lafayette, NJ
Pipe Supplier: Crestwood Tubular – St. Louis, MO
Pipe Size/Length: 1,210 ft of internally and externally coated 8″ steel water pipe in accordance with AWWA specifications
Installation: Horizontal Directional Drill
Bob Carson-VP of Business Development (201) 230-4686,
[email protected]
Martins Creek was significant to Carson & Roberts because the Marketing, Engineering and Operations cycle was completed in step with our client’s requirements. Southwestern Energy Company is a client of URS. URS reached out to Carson & Roberts Business Development which led to several site visits. The purpose of these site visits was to determine entrance and exit locations and drill path while considering right of way and geography restrictions. Soon it was appropriate to have Carson & Roberts VP of Engineering, Scott Murray take over and work directly with the consulting engineers to develop the best method to complete this project utilizing our expertise and specialized equipment resulting in a plan meeting Southwestern Energy’s expectations. At this point Dan Carson, President of Carson & Roberts, got involved and visited the site adjusting and confirming the best methods to complete the project. Finally, a formal bid process was undertaken and fortunately Carson & Roberts was awarded the project. Martins Creek Project’s obstacles were the restricted entrance and exit operation areas, large, layered shale formation which was counter directional to the drill path and steep elevation. Ground water was also problematic. Dan Carson stated, “It seemed like a horizontal water well… so much water was released off the mountain after our pilot hole was completed.” The excess water was dealt with as planned and reaming process began. The pipe was welded by Carson & Roberts Welding crew and pulled back with relative ease from the exit side through the shale, cobble and casing under the creek at the entrance hole. Jamie Coffman of URS stated, “Thanks for the solid, practical engineering, open and helpful communication, and skilled and knowledgeable field crew that Carson & Roberts provided to the Martins Creek HDD waterline project.”
For information detailing URS Corporation contact and capabilities information please refer to their website:
http://www.urscorp.com/Offices/index.php?showDetail=2&mnuByState=Pennsylvania
For information detailing Southwestern Energy’s importance to gas exploration and production in the region please refer to their website: http://www.swn.com/operations/Pages/marcellusshale.aspx
Installed over a century ago, the two 36” diameter cast iron sewerage force mains transporting all of the sanitary waste out of Atlantic City, NJ, were quickly becoming a problem for their owner, Atlantic City Sewerage Company (ACSC). The ACSC made the decision to replace both aging force mains and retained Buchart-Horn to prepare the construction documents. Carson & Roberts, successfully won the contract to horizontal directional drill the replacements force main under marsh lands and the Penrose Canal in Atlantic City, NJ.
In March 2011, Carson & Roberts mobilized our million pound rig to the job site and by July 2011, successfully drilled and installed two parallel 42” diameter HDPE DR 11 force mains over 2,200 linear feet each.
Horizontal Directionally Drilling a 2,200 linear foot shot of 42” diameter O.D. is not uncommon these days; however, accomplishing it with over a 71 degrees horizontal bend in it and repeating it within 25’ of the first drill has made it the most complex drill Carson & Roberts has completed to date.
The most challenging aspect of this project was not encroaching on a property corner directly in-line of the ideal drill path. To avoid having the new force mains on someone else’s property, a path and profile was designed with an 800’ compound radius. With Horizontal Technologies providing their steering services, the pilot hole never deviated more than 2’ from the intended plan. From there, we proceeded to pull a 36” reamer down hole, followed by a 60” ream pass. After a few passes with a 48” ball, the entire 2,200 l.f. of 42” O.D. HDPE was pulled into the hole over a 12 hour period. The same process was repeated for the second drill and it was completed within a three week period.
Pushing the envelope for drilling was an understatement according to one of our most experienced drill superintendents. “The most I ever bent a drill was 60 degrees. At 71 degress, we were all walking on egg shells until we saw the pipe come out of the hole. And having to do it all over again is truly a remarkable feat.”
Such an extreme horizontal radius would not have been possible without suitable ground conditions, stated Scott Murray, P.E., Senior Vice President for Carson & Roberts Trenchless Division. At 50’ deep, the organic over burden of the marsh land and channel quickly turned into a cohansey sand layer that provided enough stability to steer the pilot. However, we did install a 12” conductor barrel through the organic layer to serve as bearing support for the drill steel. Fortunately, we had enough room to fuse and stage the entire 2,200 l.f. of product pipe prior to pullback. With the pipe filled with water, the pullback force never exceeded 150,000 pounds!
Owner: Atlantic City Sewerage Company, Atlantic City, NJ
Project: St. James and New York Forcemain Replacements
Location: Atlantic City, Atlantic County, NJ
Prime Contractor: Carson & Roberts, Lafayette, NJ
Engineer/Designer: Buchart-Horn, Inc.
Steering Contractor: Horizontal Technologies, Houston, TX
Pipe Size/Length: 42″ O.D. HDPE DR11
Installation: Horizontal Directional Drill
Bob Carson-VP of Business Developement (201) 230-4686,
[email protected]
2/1/12 – Carson and Roberts continues work at the Brick Landfill located in Brick Township N.J. The project commenced in August of 2011 and will be complete by August of 2012.
Work includes:
Carson and Roberts is working hand in hand with Birdsall Engineering to manage the construction and control costs while meeting the required deadline. Several value engineering alternatives have been presented to Birdsall by Carson and Roberts which have resulted in time and money savings for the Township.
The Township expected the closure of the landfill to cost in the vicinity of $12 million. Carson and Roberts’ contract is for approximately $11.3 million and by instituting the value engineering options it is likely the final contract will be substantially less. The Council authorized up to $15 million in bonds.
French’s Landfill is a 42-acre site that is situated between the Garden State Parkway and Sally Ike Road. It was operated for over 30 years. The Township of Brick bought the site in December 1973. It last accepted waste in April 1979. In 1983, the landfill was placed on the Superfund National Priorities List. For more than 25 years, the site has been the subject of extensive testing and monitoring.
The township is now working on a plan to construct a solar panel field at the site that would be capable of producing anywhere from $2.5 million to $4.5 million a year in revenue for the taxpayers.
“We are looking at the best use for the site and which use would provide the best return for our taxpayers,” said Mayor Acropolis. “The solar panel field is an exciting plan and will provide millions of dollars of much needed revenue. Plus, it would have the benefit of turning a brownfield into a greenfield, which is being encouraged throughout the state and our nation.”
January 2012 – Another drill for New Jersey American Water was added to Carson & Roberts growing list of successful Horizontal Directional Drills. Contracted by Pioneer Pipe Contractors out of Pitman, New Jersey, Carson & Roberts completed the Raccoon Creek Water Main project in Logan Township in just 2 1/2 weeks, start to finish. Raccoon Creek is an environmentally sensitive tributary to the Delaware River so Carson & Roberts standard procedures of over protecting the drill site came under scrutiny as did site restoration. After demobilization was complete Matt Boeh of Underground Solutions, Inc. stated “it looked as though C&R was never there.” 1,555 lf of 16″ PVC pipe was pulled back after successful pilot and ream passes.
Owner: New Jersey American Water, Holmdel, NJ
Project: Raccoon Creek Crossing
Location: Logan Township, Gloucester County, NJ
Design Engineer: Buchart Horn, Marlton, NJ
Pipeline Contractor: Pioneer Pipe Contractors, Sewell, NJ
HDD Contractor: Carson & Roberts, Lafayette, NJ
Steering Contractor: Horizontal Technologies, Houston, TX
Pipe Supplier: Underground Solutions Inc. San Diego CA
Pipe Length/Size: 1,555 lf of 16″ DR 21 PVC pipe
Installation: Horizontal Directional Drill
Bob Carson -VP of Business Development (201) 230-4686
[email protected]
Carson & Roberts DD140 drill crew used fly cutters on two separate ream passes of 16″ and 24″ to prepare the hole. For the final swab pass a customized 20″ ball head cleaned up the hole easily. New Jersey American Water’s John Travaglini first exposure to a PVC HDD “went fast and very well!”
November 2011 – Carson & Roberts completed two mid sized Horizontal Directional Drills in swift fashion this fall. Contracted by Pioneer Pipe Contractors/ New Jersey American Water and J. Fletcher Creamer and Sons/PSEG on projects with similar brief completion requirements Carson&Roberts DD140 drill crew was up for the challenge. 1400 lf of pipe was pulled in November on these two separate jobs. Not that big of a deal if not for the mobilization, set up, pipe fusion, breakdown and clean up that were also performed.
Project One consisted of Installation in MIddletown Water Main: This job was significant because Ferguson Pipe’s Bill Coon jumped through hoops to get the specified HDPE pipe on site on short notice allowing Carson&Roberts to start and complete the project in 10 working days. The swift completion of this project limited Pioneer Pipe Contractor’s support exposure keeping their project costs down.
Owner: New Jersey American Water, Holmdel, NJ
Project: Middletown Water Transmission Main
Location: Middletown Township, Monmouth County, NJ
Pipeline Contractor: Pioneer Pipe Contractors, Sewell, NJ
HDD Contractor: Carson & Roberts, Lafayette, NJ
Steering Contractor: Horizontal Technologies, Houston, TX
Pipe Supplier: Ferguson Pipe
Pipe Length/Size: 550 lf of 28″ HDPE
Installation: Horizontal Directional Drill
Bob Carson, (201) 230-4686, [email protected]
In order to move through this drill quickly and get onto the next project, Carson&Roberts DD140 drill crew used a 9 7/8″ jetting assembly and two separate ream passes of 24″ and 38″ to prepare the hole. Additionally Carson&Roberts fused the 28″ HDPE pipe with its McElroy Trackstar 900 controlling the fusion process and keeping contract costs down thus allowing for the swift completion of this project.
For a map of this project please refer to New Jersey American Water’s Website link
Project two presented a myriad of obstacles that were also no match for Carson&Roberts DD140 drill crew. 850LF of 1900 era gas line was replaced with 12 inch steel pipe. The drill rig was set up in Riverside and exited in the heavy residential area of Buttonwood St in Delanco, NJ. This project was significant because Carson&Roberts steered by 2 water mains, 2 gas mains, numerous residential laterals while dodging a low overhead electric line and installing 850 lf of 12 in steel gas pipe 25 feet under the Rancocas Creek in 8 days.
Owner: PSEG, Newark, NJ
Project: Rancocas Creek Gas Main
Location: Riverside/Delanco, NJ
Pipeline Contractor: J. Fletcher Creamer & Sons, Hackensack, NJ
HDD Contractor: Carson & Roberts, Lafayette NJ
Steering Contractor: Horizontal Technologies, Houston, Tx
Pipe Supplier: Furnished by J Fletcher Creamer & Sons
Pipe Length/Size: 850 LF 12″ steel
Installation: Horizontal Directional Drill
Bob Carson, (201) 230-4686,
[email protected]
The drill crew moved efficiently by drilling a 9″ pilot hole and opened a 18 inch hole with a TNT Carbide Reamer and mud motor supplied by JT Miller, INC. of Conroe TX. Once again Carson&Roberts equipment and experience gave their clients, J. Fletcher Creamer and PSEG a solid, efficient result allowing both the owner and their contractor to eliminate the exposure of a long or overdue project and exclude the problems it can create.
For a press release on this project please refer to PSEGs website link