Texas reservoir project for Rapid International
Rapid and Thalle collaborate to produce both soil cement and high-volume structural concrete using a pugmill
RAPID International Ltd have recently commissioned a new Rapidmix 400CW, fully weighed, mobile continuous mixing plant (pugmill) for Thalle Construction Co. (a Tully Group company), in Leonard, Texas.
The new Rapidmix plant is being utilized for the production of high-volume structural concrete and soil cement on a US$37 million project to construct water storage for the Bois D’Arc Regional Water Treatment Plant.
This plant forms part of the larger US$1.6 billion Bois D’Arc Reservoir and Regional Water Supply Project by the North Texas Municipal Water District, which will supply 70 million gallons of water daily, initially to customers in north Texas – one of the nation’s fastest-growing regions.
Work on the Bois D’Arc Regional Water Treatment Plant project consists of 1.1 million cu yds of mass excavation (to construct a 7.6 million gallon water storage reservoir), 1.9 miles of 96in and 90in steel pipeline and 8,000ft of associated yard piping. The reservoir will be lined with the latest geomembrane technology and HDP liner covered in 12in of soil cement.
Thalle required a mixing solution with the flexibility to produce both high- and low-slump concrete at volume in one machine. With a proportionally higher volume of soil cement required (more than 100,000 cu yds versus 6,000 cu yds of structural concrete), the decision was taken to adapt the Rapidmix 400CW mobile continuous mixing plant, specifically designed for semi-dry mixes, to allow production of higher-slump structural concrete.
The adaptation involved running a water line with admixture ports directly into the discharge hopper and installation of a shoot port with 18in discharge pipe and trunk, allowing the plant to operate in its normal manner. Final mixing is accomplished in the truck.
Robert Farrow, project manager with Thalle Construction Co., remarked: ‘The process has been very successful. Thalle have successfully poured in excess of 800 cu yds of structural concrete each day and look forward to increasing their production of soil cement. The project is currently four weeks ahead of schedule and below budget.’
