BETA Celebrates ACEC-RI Engineering Excellence Award

BETA Group, Inc. is proud to announce that our work on the OF-217 CSO Facilities (Contract IIIA-5) has been honored with the ACEC-RI Third Place Gold Star Engineering Excellence Award in the >$10 million category.

The award-winning project is part of the Narragansett Bay Commission’s (NBC) Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) program. The Program, which began in 1998 to lower annual CSO volumes and reduce shellfish bed closures in nearby rivers and the Narragansett Bay, is in its third phase focusing on reducing overflows within the NBC’s Bucklin Point service area. BETA provided design and engineering services during the construction of Contract IIIA-5.

Phase III involved constructing a consolidation conduit pipe to intercept the existing outfall OF-217, as well as relocating the outfall from beneath the existing Rhode Island Energy electrical substation. This allowed combined sewage that would normally discharge to the Seekonk River to be diverted into the NBC’s Pawtucket Tunnel via a CSO drop shaft. Most of the construction work occurred at the Tidewater Landing site, future home of the Rhode Island FC professional soccer team. The NBC CSO project was completed in coordination with Fortuitous Partners, the development company for Tidewater Landing, and with Rhode Island Energy’s site remediation efforts.

To minimize impacts on abutting properties, the consolidation conduit was constructed using microtunneling, a trenchless construction method, in the vicinity of Tidewater Landing. This approach improved worker safety, limited construction truck traffic, and reduced the need for groundwater pumping and treatment.

Careful planning and data obtained from subsurface investigations performed to support the microtunneling design were essential to provide the Contractor with the information needed for proper construction planning. To ensure the system remains watertight, the design team recommended installing a geopolymer lining system for all infrastructure within the water table.

The OF-217 CSO Facilities project not only demonstrates engineering excellence, but also highlights BETA’s dedication to addressing complex environmental challenges and contributing to the development of Pawtucket’s waterfront. The project, which was substantially completed in May 2023, stands as a testament to the collaborative efforts of our skilled team, the Narragansett Bay Commission, and our construction partners.

BETA is honored to have contributed to this significant infrastructure improvement project and looks forward to continuing our mission of delivering high-quality engineering services that positively impact the New England communities where we live and work.