This project involved the construction of improvements to pump rooms at four (4) locations servicing the Pelham and Jerome subway tubes. The project aimed to provide flood resiliency and equipment hardening. Street level work was required at 131st street on Lexington Avenue in Manhattan, as well as 135th Street on Park Avenue in the Bronx. As a subconsultant, SI Engineering, P.C. (SIE) provided construction compliance oversight services.
The scope of work generally included mechanical, electrical, communications, instrumentation and control, fiber optics, and civil / structural improvements at all four (4) locations. Mechanical work included installation of deployable weirs downstream of two of the pump rooms, two temporary and deployable generator platforms and concrete footings at both street construction locations,, installation of gate valves on discharge lines, and provision of new pump system components, including: providing new manifolds as necessary, removing 4” ball valves for pump car connection, providing new 4” camlock pump car hose connectors with 4” flanges and extension pipes, and providing new 4” rising stem gate valves.
Electrical tasks for this project included the replacement of existing fan plant Con Edison power service electrical equipment. The scope also included installation of a generator connection box at the street level for backup power to emergency pumps, as well as new electrical equipment such as distribution board, automatic transfer switches, step-up transformers, disconnect switches, breakers, and mini power zones. Power distribution serving the pump rooms was upgraded to distribute power for new pumps between fan plants for increased reliability, and electrical equipment was raised and hardened above the Design Flood Elevation, including Motor Control Center, Automatic Transfer Switches, and disconnects for all pump rooms. New lighting fixtures and receptacles were installed, and the heat trace system was upgraded.
Communications, instrumentation, and control work included Master Control Station for emergency pumps in two fan plants, a Local Control Panel for each PR pump, and electrical, communications, and I&C cabling. Additional work included Quad #22 AWG cable between telephone and terminal box in pump rooms, emergency sound powered telephones, and removal of existing cable, conduits, and hardware between existing TTBs. Fiber optics work included the following at each pump room: 36 strand single mode fiber optic cables, power wiring to the facility’s Uninterrupted Power Supply, and fiber and CAT6 patch cords between cabinets.
Structural and civil work on this project included foundation work for and provision of two (2) deployable generator platforms. Tasks also included excavation and repair of roads and sidewalks to allow replacement of feeder cables.
SIE provided construction compliance oversight services for this project. We were responsible for inspection of contractor construction activities; keeping track of work in place totals for all items of work on a daily basis; performing field testing; and tracking, sampling, and logging material deliveries, confirming that all materials used conform to the project plans, specifications, and proposal documents. Our deliverables included daily work reports, as-built sketches, daily time and material records, and other documents.
