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n the construction industry, the expression that“a building is only as good as its foundation”carries a great deal of validity.Many factors are taken into consideration whena building foundation is laid, and one of the mostimportant procedures deals with the effective controlof the ground water prior to its placement. This process is known in the construction industry as“dewatering.”The process of dewatering a proposed foundationexcavation is no simple task. A dewatering contrac-tor, or drilling contractor offering dewatering ser-vices, must understand a well-orchestrated processof detailed analysis and planning, and implementa-tion must be followed in order for the project to besuccessful. If any of a number of potential hazards,such as misinterpretation of the subsurface soils, isallowed to impede the process, severe problems canoccur during construction, translating into significantcost overruns and delays. Therefore, it becomesimperative that an organization taking responsibilityfor dewatering maintain a high level of expertise andskilled personnel to troubleshoot all potential haz-ards in the effort to keep a project both on scheduleand within budget.

Why Do Many DewateringProjects Fail?

The lack of professionalism and competency of adewatering contractor, or drilling contractor offeringdewatering services, often leads to project cost over-runs and delays. They include:

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Improper expectation setting

— All too often,the dewatering/drilling contractor becomesoverly eager to obtain a contract for a project.In an effort to win the bid, a less wise contractor will frequently set project expectations at a veryhigh level and make a variety of promises of theresults to be achieved, and work to be accomplished, without taking into consideration all of the possible factors and outcomes that can take place at an excavation site requiring dewatering.Given the complex nature of soil and groundwater, it is always prudent to conduct as muchupfront research and analysis as possible toavoid unforeseen challenges that often take place. Less prudent contractors who do not con-duct or insist on this type of upfront analysis aretherefore unable to set an appropriate level of expectations with a project owner before theinstallation begins.

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Poor communications

— Effective and frequentcommunications between all of the partiesinvolved (contractor, subcontractor, and projectowner) is essential in avoiding an atmosphere of conflict and distrust, especially when unforeseensituations occur. Unfortunately, communicationsare frequently an afterthought with many of those involved and are not treated as an essentialcomponent of an ongoing working relationship.

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Poor documentation

— Documentation also plays an important role in a project’s successamong the various parties involved on the sitewhen the work is ready to begin. When docu-mentation is missing or inaccurate, misunder-standings between the parties can ensue, leadingto disagreements and conflicts during the con-struction. Therefore, accurate documentation becomes a working confirmation of site condi-tions and work to be performed for all partiesinvolved to share. This ensures that everyoneagrees on the extent of work to be completedand that the project will proceed according to thespecified plan.

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Inadequate planning

— The complexitiesinvolved with a dewatering system require anextensive amount of planning. When less wisedewatering/drilling contractors do not insist that acustomer take the time to plan properly and con-duct a thorough subsurface investigation, or con-duct their own investigation, they address project problems when they take place. Addressing prob-lems at the last minute often adds valuable timeto the back end of the project, resulting in projectdelays and costs to the project.

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Inferior installation procedures

— When the priority of a shortsighted dewatering/drillingcontractor is focused on winning a bid by thelowest cost possible, every facet of the work phase conducted thereafter often becomes com- promised. This becomes very apparent whenthe installation takes place. A contractor who isfocused on cutting corners to reduce costs willoften take shortcuts that compromise construc-tion quality and worker safety. These circum-stances often lead to delays and injuries that cansignificantly increase the cost of the project.

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Limited adherence to safety standards

— Whenthe less-competent dewatering/drilling contractor reduces operating costs to their bare minimum,it leaves little room for the additional expenseof safety training for the personnel who areinvolved in a project. Without a strict adherenceto safety standards, the opportunity for higher costs and possible injury litigation becomesincreasingly possible.Due to the complexities of the soil characteristicsand ground water, being a successful dewatering/drilling contractor requires a level of professionalismunmatched in any other specialty trade. Seven key phases can be identified in every successful dewater-ing project.

An overview of a deep well system installation in the Rio Grande riverbed in Albuquerque, New Mexico,shows off the great size of the project.

dewatering/

A Strong Foundation

A successful dewatering project has many stages. Make sure you always take these steps.

By David Giles

22/ June 2007

Water Well Journal

David Giles

is the cofounder and president of TerraFirmaEarth Technologies, a full-service dewatering contractorbased in Houston, Texas, with locations in Arizona andNew Mexico. He has 20 years of experience as a drilling/dewatering contractor. He may be reached at (281) 720-1212,ordave.giles@tfearth.com.

NGWA.org

Investigation Phase

Before a dewatering project can begin, there area great number of unknown factors that must bedetermined, such as a detailed description of thesubsurface soils, the permeability of the soil to bedewatered, the water table elevation, as well as thelimits of the proposed excavation (width, length, anddepth) just to name a few.All of these factors must be determined in adetailed investigation conducted prior to the start of any construction work. A competent dewatering/drilling contractor will investigate as many facets of a project prior to the work beginning, backed up byvery accurate data that can create a high level of confidence for the client. Approaching a dewatering problem with this level of detail is the best way toachieve project success.Some of the procedures that are used in theinvestigation phase include multiple test bores of thesite, lithological logging and gathering of soil sam- ples, conducting sieve analysis of the soil, and possi- bly the design and execution of pump testing todetermine the physical parameters of the soil andground water beneath the site.During this investigation, it is helpful if the con-tractor can take advantage of any prior dewateringexperiences. This includes using the data collectedfrom similar projects with comparable soils toenhance the overall plan. By performing the investi-gation in this manner, the contractor is able to pro-vide the client with the highest level of confidencethat their desired results can be achieved.

Design and Modeling Phase

A design and modeling phase may include both atechnical evaluation and a budgetary analysis. In thetechnical analysis, the results from the investigation phase are used to create the “site model” represent-ing a highly detailed report of a recommended dewa-tering system, its anticipated effectiveness, and itslimitations. When appropriate, a pumping test should be performed and the latest ground water modelingsoftware applied to determine if the desired design parameters can be achieved with the necessary levelof confidence. A budgetary analysis includes theanticipated cost of the proposed dewatering plan.Following these methods and procedures pro-vides the dewatering/drilling contractor with theability to set realistic project expectations with theclient. Besides creating an accurate procedural roadmap and budget assessment, this information canalso be used to determine if the anticipated projectcannot be accomplished as specified.For example, if the analysis of the results indi-cates that the water table can be depressed only sofar, or that the dewatering system’s effectivenesswith the existing soil conditions will be limited,the contractor can immediately communicate theseissues with the client. In the event this takes place,the contractor will recommend to the client theextent and degree of the changes that will be neces-sary before any actual work can begin or before anyfinal drawings are produced. In this way, the con-tractor establishes proper customer expectations andavoids any last-minute surprises when the installa-tion is ready to begin.

Preparation of the Estimate and Bid

Following the investigative and design and bud-getary phases of the project, a hard bid estimate is prepared based on the project’s final design criteriathat will include all of the necessary labor, equipment,and materials required to implement the dewatering plan.Because a dewatering/drilling contractor can pro-vide several levels of ser-vices ranging from simpleinstallation to a completeturnkey contract/dewatering project (depending on thedesires of the general con-tractor), a single quote may be prepared with several dif-ferent options. By makinguse of the experiences andlessons learned within your project portfolio, the oppor-tunity to deliver an accurate bid to the client is maximized.While unforeseen eventsare always possible, alwayscommit to communicateand accurately documentany changes in the subsur-face conditions or other modifications that can affectthe design, no matter howsmall, to ensure that your organization is always ableto fulfill a high level of customer satisfaction.

Installation andPerformance Phase

In the installation phase,all elements and informationthat have been collected beforehand are gathered and put into motion. An effec-tive installation requiresthe availability of a highlytrained and competent work-force that uses the latesttools and installation tech-nologies available for site-specific situations. Thesuccessful dewatering/drilling contractor constantly evaluates the compo-nents that are used in each project, such as well cas-ings, well screens, and filter packs, to ensure the best possible capability, durability, and performance out-come that will generate the highest satisfaction for the client.The successful contractor should also understandthat time is an important factor in any implementation plan. The level of speed, efficiency, and performancethat goes into a dewatering project plays a critical rolein the final cost of the dewatering service.One key factor that will allow the successfulcontractor to ensure speed, accuracy, and qualityinvolves designing a system that fully maximizes thetotal throughput of the ground water that is beingremoved. The faster a system can remove the under-lying ground water, the lower the project’s operatingcosts will be.For example, by using higher efficiency compo-nents such as “high volume” well screens, properlydesigned filter packs, appropriately sized pumps, piping systems, and well development proceduresthat generate a higher water throughput, a higher volume of water can be reached, resulting in ashorter amount of time for the project’s completion.This results in lower operating costs, and these sav-ings are passed on to the client.Avoid taking shortcuts in an attempt to lower costs or using less expensive, inferior technologiesthat ultimately result in decreased production andadditional manpower resources, all of which result inhigher operating costs that must be passed along tothe customer.

System Maintenance

Once the dewatering system goes live, it must bemonitored for any unforeseen complications, andaccurate records must be maintained throughout this process to allow for the proper evaluation of thesystem’s effectiveness. Any throughput delays thatresult in a slower drawdown or water seepage result-ing from an unanticipated stratified soil can lead tothe possibility for cost overruns. Therefore, it isimperative to pay attention to the monitoring, mea-suring, inspection, and analysis process to ensurethat these situations are minimized.During this phase, conduct a thorough trouble-shooting of the water table by measuring its depth before any pumps are turned on, and then again after the systems have been started. As part of this same process, the system’s ground water disbursement rateand the water table suppression rate are measuredand recorded, and any delays are evaluated.When appropriate, the discharge water is testedfor contaminants, and strict procedures are followedfor their proper treatment or disposal. Follow alllocal, state, and federal regulations regarding thedischarge of these waters. Strict adherence to allregulations is crucial in avoiding costly cleanup or expensive fines.

A deep well installation takes place at the Bayport Container Facility in thePort of Houston in Texas.Pipe is installed in the deep well system on the Rio Grande river crossingproject in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

dewatering/

continues on page 24

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Water Well Journal

June 2007 23/