Pulse

Loureiro’s involvement with the transformation of the New London State Pier began in the spring of 2021.

The overall project, called Revolution Wind, is a joint venture between Ørsted and Eversource involving the construction of an offshore wind farm located more than 32 miles southeast of the Connecticut coast. Revolution Wind aims to generate 304 megawatts of offshore wind energy for the state of Connecticut and is expected to begin commercial operations in 2025.

Working for Kiewit Infrastructure Co., the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR), Loureiro, through a series of site excavation initiatives, helped rebuild and transform the site into a massive pad able to withstand heavy loads based on current and future marine cargo needs for Siemens Gamesa, a manufacturer and installer of wind turbines and towers and the ultimate end user on the site.

To get there, Kiewit needed to start with a blank slate.

“There’s no doubt that this has been a challenging project in more ways than one,” said Keith Johnson, Project Manager.

Keith has been involved with this project from day one, working with a multitude of subcontractors and managing tight schedules associated with transforming the 35 acre site - visible from the windows of Loureiro’s Groton office.

“Despite the challenges, we’re focused on exceeding the expectations of the Owner. Quality is of the utmost importance.”
 

Fighting for Space in the Sandbox

Loureiro was initially brought into this project to provide erosion and sediment control services before getting involved with the overall excavation and outfitting the site with adequate drainage. Working at the Pier provided a series of challenges, and most of them were related to the lack of operable space.

“It is a busy site,” says Keith. “There were probably upwards of 200 people on site — between managers, craftspeople, inspectors, subcontractors, and laborers — during the height of the job. Playing in the same sandbox with everyone presented a bunch of logistical challenges.”

Given the size of the site and its proximity to the Long Island Sound, several large, precast concrete structures needed to be installed to assist with site drainage. Some of these structures were 20 feet wide, 14 feet tall, and 14 feet long with a combined weight over 50 tons. So beyond the inherent challenges associated with digging into the earth and fighting the water you encounter when setting the structures below the water table, a primary issue was finding a place to house these large structures on a site teeming with activity.

“We completed a lot of what we call ‘just-in-time-deliveries,’” recalls Keith. “We couldn’t just bring all of our drainage structures and pipes on the site and set them on the ground so they were ready to go when we needed them. There were so many other contractors and people with heavy equipment - available space was at a premium. Ultimately, it involved a lot of coordination with the subcontractors and Kiewit.”

All Under One Roof

Loureiro helped excavate and relocate 200,000 cubic yards of material from the site by cutting material from a large existing embankment. That material was then relocated to the void between the existing State Pier and the Central Vermont Railroad Pier in order to create one large pier. Once the 200,000 cubic yards of onsite material was exhausted, we began placing material brought in from offsite.

During the later stages of construction, it became evident to the project management team that there was a surplus of material on site, including soils that were contaminated. In a nod to our “all under one roof” business model, Loureiro’s in-house Environmental Assessment Group, Testing, and Survey Departments provided the integrated services required to take corrective actions to ensure overall construction on the site continued with minimal interruption.

“The excess soil we dug up on site was tested and confirmed to be contaminated,” says Keith. “Because we are experienced in landfill operations, we knew we could help with a solution. We assisted Kiewit by removing close to 25,000 tons of material from different parts of the site and transporting it to our Plainville Landfill creating an easy process for Kiewit and the State.”

As the project winds down, Loureiro is working to improve the facility, assisting with the setup of infrastructure, crane mats, and other massive equipment for Siemens Gamesa, the end user of the site. Our success working alongside Kiewit drove the opportunity to work with Siemens to get this site ready for the manufacturing and installation of wind turbines and towers. The ability to execute contract work in a tough environment, and then seize the opportunity to demonstrate the abilities of the other services we have to offer speaks to what Loureiro is all about.

“Brian Cutler says it all the time – that our goal, what we’re trying to do, is be an indispensable partner for our clients,” says Keith. “This project utilized a lot of the services we can provide as an integrated team, and we want owners to know that when they come to Loureiro, we can help them throughout the entire lifecycle of a project.”