Contractor of the Year

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2 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Little Calumet River Stage VII Steel Sheet Piling Installation Hammond, Indiana Thatcher worked two rigs concurrently one on the north side and one on the south. The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) began work in 1990 on a multi-phased flood control project along Northwest Indiana s Little Calumet River. In 2010, Thatcher Foundations Inc. mobilized two crews to install sheet piling on Stage VII of the Little Calumet River, Local Flood Protection project, as a subcontractor to Ceres Environmental Services Inc. The sheet piling was driven into the hard-pan clay along the riverbed, and several feet of permeable soil was placed on top, and finally covered with concrete. Residents living near the Little Calumet River expressed concern publicly that the piling installation would cause damage to their property. To limit the amount of vibration and lessen the noise created by the pile driving operation, Thatcher installed the sheet piling with a fixed-mast machine, rather than the traditional crane-and-hammer setup. In order to meet the aggressive schedule, and to compensate for inclement weather, Thatcher mobilized a second fixed-mast machine to the jobsite, and worked the machines concurrently one installing sheet piling on the north bank, and one installing it on the south bank. Thatcher worked closely with the general contractor and other subcontractors to keep the project moving as efficiently as possible. Thatcher s team worked with the general contractor to fabricate special corner sheets as required to follow the river. Thatcher also used crane mats to access several narrow work limit areas. Thatcher installed approximately 10,000 WF of sheet piling on this project, completing 5,425 manhours safely, despite the challenges of working very close to a river in both muddy and slippery conditions.

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4 ArcelorMittal: H-3 Blast Furnace Slag Pit Sheet Piling Installation East Chicago, Indiana 65 Years of Engineered Piling Solutions Careful coordination was key to performing this project in an operating facility. Thatcher Foundations Inc. installed 530 wall feet of JZ 120 steel sheet piling for the H-3 Slag Pit walls on a cost-plus contract. The project was fast tracked, with Thatcher s crew working six ten-hour shifts each week. The soil profile was cemented slag and steel slag, which was excavated and backfilled by others. Careful coordination with ArcelorMittal was key to keeping everyone on schedule. Thatcher completed the project ahead of schedule, and under budget on a cost-plus basis. Thatcher worked with the ArcelorMittal engineers during project development, consulting about the types of steel sheet piling that would be best suited to the extreme heat and corrosion caused by the molten slag and quenching operation. Thatcher also worked with its steel supplier to find an appropriate type of sheeting which would be available to meet the accelerated schedule. When the project was postponed after materials had been delivered, Thatcher made room in its yard for the 306 tons of material, and stored it until the project began six months later. Thatcher maintains an A rating in ArcelorMittal s safety system with ISNetworld, so with the addition of a site-specific safety plan and a crew-wide plant safety orientation, Thatcher was able to mobilize quickly. More than 900 incident-free hours were worked by Thatcher employees on this project, including members of Local 578 Pile Drivers, Indiana Local 150 Operators and Indiana Local 142 Teamsters.

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6 US Steel: Gas Line Repair Installation of Steel Sheet Piling and Bracing Gary, Indiana 65 Years of Engineered Piling Solutions Thatcher installed sheet piling and bracing to support a nearby railroad embankment. As a subcontractor to The American Group of Contractors (TAG), Thatcher Foundations Inc. safely completed manhours under the NMAPC on this sheet piling and bracing project. Thatcher s earth retention design provided stabilization for the adjacent railroad embankment. After Thatcher s employees from Local 578 Pile Drivers, Indiana Local 150 Operators and Indiana Local 142 Teamsters were mobilized to the jobsite, field conditions necessitated a change of plans. A previously unknown pipe crossing was discovered during excavation, requiring Thatcher s in-house engineers to alter their design. The drawings were revised, and the project continued, allowing for a successful repair. Thatcher was able to mobilize quickly to this nitrogen leak repair project, because Thatcher maintains an A rating with US Steel through ISNetworld s safety evaluation system. The unusual working atmosphere required each employee to wear an individual air quality monitor, and welders and burners had supplied air. Each Thatcher crew member, including the supervisor, had 40 Hour HazMat training, and had previously completed confined space training.

7 Obstructions being removed prior to installation of sheeting Sheeting installation with fixed-mast piling machine

8 Sheeting installation Maintaining 15 clearance working under overhead wires

9 Thatcher installed 200 WF of sheeting and bracing Bracing layout was adjusted to accommodate the elevation of the pipe

10 Merrillville Conservancy District 65 Years of Engineered Piling Solutions Merrillville Conservancy District: Taft Street Lift Station Expansion Sheet Piling Installation Merrillville, Indiana The sheets were successfully driven with an impact hammer, after the true soil conditions were discovered. As a subcontractor to Bowen Engineering Corporation, Thatcher Foundations Inc. installed a 3-sided steel sheet piling pit with materials provided by Bowen Engineering. Thatcher fabricated a tight corner to complete the pit safe manhours were worked by Thatcher employees on this project. Actual soil conditions were not accurately represented by a boring taken within 25 of the sheeting installation. Due to the unexpected finding of very stiff clay, Thatcher replaced the vibratory hammer initially brought on-site with an impact hammer, allowing the sheets to be driven to the design depth. The renovations to the Taft Street Lift Station will double its capacity, creating greater potential for expansion in the southwest corner of Merrillville. The Independence Hill Conservancy District also benefits from the renovations, as its lines flow into the Taft Street Lift Station before reaching the Gary Sanitary District. The Independence Hill Conservancy District anticipates that the increased capacity will result in fewer sewer backups for its residents, particularly following a heavy rainfall.

11 Indiana American Water: Proposed Emergency Generator Pad Timber Piling Installation Gary, Indiana Thatcher s timber pile alternate saved the owner nearly $70,000. Working as a subcontractor to Bowen Engineering Corporation, Thatcher Foundations Inc. drove 8 timber piles to a capacity of 25 tons each to form a foundation for an emergency generator pad. Thatcher employees contributed 162 accident-free manhours to this project. The bid plans for this project called for augercast pilings, which Thatcher estimated would cost $108,000. It is necessary to maintain a 10 spacing between augercast pilings during installation to avoid compromising adjacent piles. Because only 12 piles were necessary for the foundation, the spacing requirements would necessitate three to four separate days of drilling. Instead, Thatcher proposed H-pile and timber pile alternates, which could be driven in a shorter timeframe, and would therefore be less expensive to the owner. By selecting Thatcher s timber pile alternate, Indiana American Water was saved $69,500.

12 Town of Schererville: Bracing for New Interceptor Sewer Installation of Channel Bracing Schererville, Indiana Interceptor sewer support bracing - installed Thatcher Foundations Inc. completed this subcontract for Grimmer Construction, Inc. Two design challenges arose in the field. First, after Thatcher had mobilized, it became clear that the spring floods had altered the below ground conditions, and a change of design was required. The bracing frames were modified from a 30 setup to a 20 setup to accommodate the changed installation methods. Secondly, the initial project documents called for galvanizing of the material. Thatcher communicated to the general contractor that galvanizing would not be practical because of the field cutting and welding involved in the construction of this portion of the project. The project engineer agreed with Thatcher s assessment, and the galvanizing requirement was waived for this work. Safety challenges were also present on this project. Spring rains raised the level of a nearby creek, and the below-grade workspace was flooded on one workday. Grimmer crews brought in additional pumps to clear the water from the workspace, and Thatcher s crew stayed onsite and completed its portion of the day s work after the water was removed. Despite the wet conditions, Thatcher safely completed 233 manhours on this project. Spring rains caused the work site to flood.

13 Southern Lake County Conservation Club: Bridge Construction Installation of Pipe Piles Schneider, Indiana The bridge project successfully raised the bridge height by 7. The Southern Lake County Conservation Club is a non-profit organization in Schneider devoted to the education of hunting safety and the promotion of sustainable hunting and fishing practices. The club members requested Thatcher s assistance to replace an unsafe bridge on the club s property. The existing wood piles supporting the bridge were rotten and broken. Thatcher employees donated their time, and the company donated use of its equipment, and sold the club the required pipe piling and steel bracing at a scrap price. Work on the bridge was completed entirely by volunteers, most of them Thatcher employees. Pile Drivers from Local 578 and Operators from Local 150 also donated their time and skill. All crew members provided and wore their own basic PPE. The volunteer crew also cleaned pre-existing rubble and debris from the work area when they removed the scraps from their construction work. The crew drove 12 pipe piles deep to underpin and the existing 36 main bridge support members were jacked back into place. The piling was driven through the existing deck to limit fall hazards. Ultimately, the underpinning and jacking was successful, and the bridge height was raised by 7.

14 Before: timber pilings had broken loose from the bridge structure Before: the bridge was visibly unlevel

15 Setting first sections into place Welding underpinning to pile