Concrete Utility Tunnel Restoration

The Greater Boston area has several utility & pedestrian tunnels used for infrastructure utilities, steam lines, IT, MEP and linked building access. Since institutions, medical facilities, universities and utility infrastructures rely on these essential tunnels to keep their components and systems safe and functional, maintenance, repair, and protection of these systems are critical. A concrete tunnel can deteriorate due to several factors:

• Water infiltration and carried contaminants
• Mechanical/Physical impact
• Extreme humidity
• Chemicals
• Differential foundation settling

These elements can cause cracks, delamination, corrosion of embedded steel, and voids in the concrete, creating unsafe conditions, compromise to services and concerns about structural integrity.

As tunnel restoration engineers in Boston, we identify your concrete tunnel rehabilitation and restoration needs to strengthen, repair and protect the infrastructure and make it last for years. Our concrete tunnel engineers in Massachusetts will determine which factors are causing your issue with the use of petrographic examination, material testing, and in-situ mock-ups.. and find the best repair options. We focus on addressing the cause, not just the symptoms, to prevent the problem from returning in the future.

We provide concrete tunnel restoration services in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.

Concrete Tunnel Rehabilitation

Vital Structures LLC is skilled in modern restoration and rehabilitation engineering techniques for tunnels in New England. The tunnel restoration contractors we oversee must have experience with various methods and technologies to restore integrity in concrete tunnel infrastructure, to meet the demands of our comprehensive engineering design.

Our Methods

The right strategy depends on the condition of the concrete, corrosion catalysts present, and the extent of damage in your concrete tunnel. Vital Structures LLC may recommend one of these trusted repair methods:

• Remedial Waterproofing: When water gets into the joints, cracks and fissures of a concrete tunnel waterproofing system, it can accelerate corrosion and deterioration. Remedial waterproofing techniques will restore these components to re-establish protection for the tunnel structural components.
• Epoxy and Urethane Injections: Structural injection with epoxy and hydro-active grout waterproofing injections repair cracks, provide waterproofing and restore structural stability in concrete tunnels.
• Shotcrete: Shotcrete projects concrete at a high velocity to a vertical or overhead surface. Shotcrete is a basic technique applicable to many tunnel repairs. This method can save a substantial project schedule in covering large repair areas to resurface tunnel concrete.

Our Technologies

We may recommend that the tunnel restoration contractors you hire use any of these up-to-date repair technologies in your tunnel network, based upon our prepared engineering design documents inclusive of quality assurance requirements.

• Partial Depth Hydro-demolition
• Media Blasting
• Galvanic Anode Protection
• Replacement of Tunnel Slabs or Walls

Our Process

Vital Structures LLC follows a tried-and-true process for concrete tunnel restoration engineering. Our structural and building envelope engineers will thoroughly investigate your concrete tunnel to identify existing or potential problems. We look beyond the symptoms to find the cause of the issue. This method allows us to create a comprehensive repair solution to prevent the problem from occurring in the future. Unlike our competitors, we do destructive testing to accurately identify the issue’s source.

We’ll identify a solution based on the testing and inspection results. To start the restoration engineering, you will hire a pre-qualified contractor to complete the work. Vital Structures LLC will oversee the project to make sure it is completed correctly.

Choose Vital Structures LLC as Your Tunnel Restoration Engineers in New England

Vital Structures LLC will assist you throughout your concrete tunnel rehabilitation project with our many years of structural and envelope engineering experience. We get the job done right the first time so that you can count on its quality.

Contact our structural and envelope engineers in Massachusetts by calling 508-279-0655 or completing our online contact form.