Marine Diving Solutions Projects

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Albuquerque District (“USACE”) created this contract to make routine maintenance repairs to the conduits at Abiquiu Dam and Lake Project during the winter months (November 15th, 2023 to February 28th, 2024), outside of the irrigation season. The contract involves debris removal within submerged bulkhead slots and immediate upstream area, placement of bulkheads, constructing flow diversion and environmental controls, removal of corrosion or other surface contaminants on steel liner/emergency gates/service gates, application of new coating system, and metals repairs. The conduit is a permit-required confined space while work is performed so MDS provided a stand-by rescue crew during the blasting and coating procedures and complied with USACE lockout/tagout procedures per the contract. The inlet structure was fully submerged so MDS dive team cleared the slots before the 12,000lb and 13,500lb bulkhead placements to ensure proper seating. The contract also involved providing and operating a hydraulic pump with flexible hosing and connections that adapt to the existing sluicing gates and maintain operation from the surface. MDS created a coffer dam diversion upstream of the emergency gates that directs 50cfs flows to the opposite side of work being performed and created a dry work environment for the side where work was performed for a dry work environment that was humidity controlled. Due to impacts to the Rio Chama and downstream water users, complete dam closures were limited to ensure project timelines.
 
 

The Low Flow Outlet Works Project at De Cordova Bend Dam (Lake Granbury) involved replacement and repair of various Low Flow Outlet sluice gates and ancillary components to better meet operational requirements. The project included the following: replacing two (2) cast iron slide gates with stainless-steel; installation of a new hydraulic power unit; recoating components of gates 1-6; gate control programming and integration activities; replacing hydraulic cylinders on gates 1-6 to ensure proper operation at the dam. The project significantly improved dam operations and extended the service life of the Low Flow Outlet Works.

Services included:

• Floating barge/ Dive vessel operations
• Crane operations
• Commercial Diving operations
• Hydraulic Power Unit replacement
• Replacement of two gates

Marine Diving Solutions Demolished the existing stem, stem guides, stem guide brackets and gate utilizing an 80-Ton crane. The new rising stem  knife valve was installed with EPDM rubber gaskets at each flange and all new stainless-steel bolts were installed.  The new 1-1/4' diameter stem is stainless steel. The stem guides are cast steel, anchors are mild steel, all stainless-steel hardware, bronze bushings, and steel collars with epoxy paint. The new low-flow knife gate valve was operated and reported that it functioned smoothly.
Services Included:

• Crane operations
• Commercial Diving operations
• Demolition and installation of new Knife Valve
• High Elevation Dive operations

Marine Diving Solutions provided a commercial dive crew, commercial dive equipment, modular barge sections, underwater LiDAR survey equipment and other specialized equipment for the Gross Reservoir Auxiliary Intake Phase project at Gross Dam in Boulder County, Colorado. MDS to provide a dive inspection at the Auxiliary intake structure. Divers removed two trash racks to enter the structure. Once inside of the structure, divers removed sediment that has accumulated inside of the structure (estimated to be up to 10 cy). With the sediment removed, divers then position a tripod LiDAR imaging unit to scan the face of the wall where a new gate will be installed in 2023. Divers will then remove the tripod imaging unit and put the trash rack(s) back on the structure.

Project Description: Marine Diving Solutions (MDS) was hired to dredge and inspect the 20" intake pipe and wet well supplying the irrigation water pumps for Kissing Camels Golf Course. MDS dredged approximately 20 Yards of sediment and rock to uncover the buried supply pipe.

Upon completion of the job, Kissing camels golf course was able to have full operation of their pumps and irrigation systems

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Hoover Dam is a 5-year Indefinite Quantity type contract that involves fabrication of new gate stem assemblies for a Delivery Order each year, and the construction work of the Task Order involves the replacement of the materials fabricated. The goal of this project is to replace the gate stem assemblies of up to 4 of the intake towers with corrosion -resistant stem assemblies one intake tower per year with the second year being skipped and the final construction planned to end the fiscal year of 2026. Marine Diving Solutions LLC contracted with Quabbin Inc. for the fabrication of the custom gate stem assemblies while MDS is performing the removal and installations. This project involves confined space work including, Lock out/tag out procedures, and special work permits. Project involves the team to safely work from suspended baskets 330' in the towers and replace approximately 1,200' of stem for each tower along with other brackets, hardware, and operator rehabilitation.

After initially inspecting the dam, Marine Diving Solutions worked with a structural engineering firm (SM&RC) to formulate and carry out plan for the construction of a conduit bulkhead within approximately 5' of the dam gate to provide a secondary way to contain the water during gate replacement. Marine Diving Solutions demolished the current gate house building on the crest of the dam, injected a chemical grout to minimize leakage in rock pocket of outlet pipe approximately 5' downstream of gate. An 18" diameter pipe was moved into the outlet pipe and centralized so a form could be built for the concrete bulkhead. Concrete was pumped from outside of the conduit into the form. After concrete was solid, the forms were removed so a hinged blind flange could be installed on the downstream side of the 18"pipe. Sediment on the floor in front of the gate was removed and the slide gate, stem, stem guides and operator were removed. A new hole was cored for new gate and new steel plate/wall thimble were installed. The concrete floor was raised from new wall thimble to 2' upstream from new plate by 2' for a leak free seal. A concrete lip was also poured. New gate, stem, stem guides and operator were installed on the dam with fencing. The blind flange was unbolted in open position and any voids or holes were dry packed.

Project Description: Marine Diving Solutions provided the removal of an 8' diameter, reinforced concrete bridge pier that had been abandoned.  The pier was cut into 3' sections weighing 27,000 lbs. each with the use of a submersible wire saw.  MDS also removed and replaced the gate stems, stem guides and operator nuts for four control gates and one emergency gate.  Ice shields were also fabricated and installed on the 75' high gate tower to protect the new stems.  This project was a design build to keep costs lower for the customer.


Services included:

• Use of submersible wire saw
• Use of barge and 80-ton crane
• Replacement of gate stems, stem guides, operator hardware
• Fabricated and installed ice shields on 75' high gate tower
• Commercial diving of reservoir

 
 

Project Description: Marine Diving Solutions provided the demolition of existing hoods and trash racks, and installations of hybrid gate cylinder, new grout cap, vertical trash rack guides, support beam marks, vertical trash rack, horizontal trash rack and hoods at Barr Lake in Brighton, Colorado.



Services Included:

• Commercial diving of reservoir
• Removal and installation of trash racks and hoods
• Dredging work at the base of the intake prior to the vertical trash rack demolition
• Work performed on floating platform and underwater
• Installation of hybrid gate cylinder and instrument cabling, new grout cap for the left intake structure wingwall, new vertical trash rack and components, and new horizontal trash racks, hoods and supports

Project Summary: Marine Diving Solutions provided the removal of 6 hydraulic cylinders, repairs, and re-installation for the USACE. Additional services included oil testing and filtration.

Services Included:

ROV inspection underwater

Bulkhead installation and removal

Removal and reinstallation of six flanged gate cylinders

- 200' vertical lift from gate chamber to bridge deck.

- Required to be disassembled prior to lifting.

- 26.5' OD cylinder barrel, 113'long, appx. 5000 lbs each

- 15' long, 5' cylinder ram, appx. 1000 lbs each

- All pipe barrels and cylinder rams had to be rotated from vertical to horizontal after lifting, for removal

Oil filtration and testing

Working in suspended and fall restriction area

Modifications including fabrication and welding to the hydraulic operating system piping. Approximately 100' of 1.25' Sched 80 pipe.

Project Summary: Marine Diving Solutions performed commercial diving services at Wolford Dam to remove the existing main gate and install the new owner supplied gate. The trash rack was also removed, coated and re-installed.

Services Included:

• Commercial diving of reservoir
• Barge supply and use
• High altitude diving operations
• Vessel Operations
• Deep dives that were at 170’ after altitude correction
• Removal and installation of gate
• Trash rack rehabilitation

Project Description: Commercial diving services for investigation and repair of outlet control valves

Services Included:

• Commercial diving at Juniata Reservoir up to 100’ deep after altitude correction
• Trash rack removal
• Underwater ultrathermic cutting (Broco)
• Investigation for repairs or replacement of valves and hydraulic cylinders

Project description: Marine Diving Solutions is demoing and replacing a gate stem used to regulate the water level in Guajataca Lake, Puerto Rico after it was affected by the hurricanes in recent years.

Services Included:

• Marine Diving Solutions removed the stem operator and old stem that had been damaged previously.
• MDS provided demolition and replacement of the gate stem to support two winches used to remove the 3 ½ inch stem measuring over 90 feet.

Project description: Marine Diving Solutions provided commercial dive services including diving off a barge in depths up to 130 feet to remove and replace a 96 inch control gate that had been previously leaking at Steamboat Lake in Craig, CO

Services include:

• Diving to unbolt the 96 inch control gate using a Hydraulic bolt tensioner.
• Then MDS is used a barge and crane to safely remove the gate out of water.
• A blind flange was installed until the new gate arrived and was installed.

Project Description: Marine Diving Solutions provided construction services to include the removal and replacement of two 120-foot roofs off potable water tanks and replacing the old steel roofs with new lightweight aluminum roofs.

Services Include:

• Welding over 1,200 feet of roof supports.
• Fabricating all new ladders, safety platforms and safety climb systems.
• Utilizing multiple cranes and critical picks to safely remove the old roofs.
• Welding, plasma cutting and rigging were key components needed to complete this large project.

• Fabrication and installation of a 24' frost proof vent
• Installation of a wire rope fall arrest system
• Blast and recoat of exterior of tank to a SSPC-SP6