Empire State Trail Box Tunnel

Design Engineer’s Name & Photo Credit: Brierley Associates
Location: Schenectady, NY
Ground Conditions: Nonconsolidated ground
Type of Installation: Hybrid PTM – Installed Spiling and tendon ducts with Pilot Tube
Material: 12-ft x 12-ft box tunnel
Footage Installation: 170-lf
Equipment: Akkerman 240A GBM System, Guidance System, Akkerman Lube System, Pull-back Adapters

Due to the ground conditions, a unique blend of trenchless techniques were used to construct this box tunnel. To provide guidance and soil stability, an Akkerman 240A GBM system was used to create an exact line, grade floor and ceiling for the box tunnel to be inserted. Pilot tubes were installed with the 240A GBM and the HDPE was pulled out. Once the HDPE was installed and solidified, the material was removed, and the box tunnel was pulled into place.

Staff Highlight

Chad Pederson, machinist and member of the 25-year club, began at Akkerman on September 30, 1996. Chad was nominated for his ambition and willingness to mentor new machinists.

Nominated because:

“For coming through on programming and running a customer job shop order.”

“For training and mentoring newer machinists.”

“Willing to come in during off-hours to work on a machining center when it was down.”

“Helps employees on both shifts on pilot tube machine operation.”

Admirable Qualities:

• Consistent
• Loyal
• Nice Person

• Kind
• Initiative
• Teammate

A Few Firsts

The image above is from our first brochure featuring our first commercially available Boring and Pipe Jacking System. The brochure states, “Contractors and engineers, can you imagine pushing concrete pipe many times faster than conventional hand mining?”