Steve P. Rados, Inc.

By Brian Hoover, Senior Editor

Completes Phase 1 and Phase 2 of Combie Canal Replacement Project

Steve P. Rados, Inc. (Rados) is rebuilding a critical water-supply system for the Nevada Irrigation District (NID).

The Combie Phase 1 Canal is a vital asset to NID and after 50 years, they decided it was time to upgrade and replace the system. The Combie Reservoir is the primary water conveyance serving two treatment plants that provide water to 5,022 homes in Lake of the Pines and North Auburn communities. The system also serves as a secondary conduit for deliveries made through the Bear River Canal, including 3,693 raw water agricultural customers in southern Nevada and western Placer County in California.

Above: Steve P. Rados, Inc. fabricated a custom trailer on tracks to haul 96” RCP throughout the narrow jobsite. The trailer was made from the frame of a Komatsu PC 220 excavator and is being pulled by a Komatsu D51EX dozer.

Trench excavation on a 70-degree curve to place 96” RCP on the Combie Canal Replacement Project.

The NID has lower water demand from October to the end of March, which dictated when Rados could remove and replace the canal system with the new 96-inch reinforced concrete pipe (RCP). The project was split into two seasons, with roughly half of the canal removal and pipeline installation occurring from Oct. 2019 to the end of March 2020. The second half of construction transpired from October 2020 to March 2021. Keeping the water flowing during construction was vital and necessary, so during summer 2019, Rados installed a 36-inch high-density polyethylene (HDPE) bypass pipe. This temporary pipeline diversion kept the water flowing downstream during construction. The bypass pipe was later relocated to the next work area during the summer of 2020.

Russell Bonnifield is Rados’ project manager overseeing the $19.6 million Combie Phase 1 Canal Replacement Project. “The existing exposed concrete canal system was removed and crushed on-site with an excavator and MB crusher bucket that is designed to process material to various sizes with ease. The crushed concrete was redistributed for use on access roads throughout the project,” says Bonnifield. “After the concrete was removed and demoed, the trench was excavated down an additional 2 ½ to 3 feet and out to 12 feet in width. We took the dirt spoils to a staging yard and screened the material. The rock material was crushed with our MB crusher bucket attachment and the 3-inch minus material was used as backfill for the new 96-inch pipe.”

Steve P. Rados, Inc. unloading 96” RCP from custom pipe trailer.

Installing form panels for 96” RCP encasement.

According to Bonnifield, the first phase ended in March 2020 and replaced roughly 4,500 feet of the nearly 1.7 miles of canal with new 96-inch reinforced concrete pipe (RCP). The remaining 4,400 feet was installed in the second phase and recently completed at the end of March. “The steep terrain above the Bear River presented a part of several challenges on this project. There are other numerous challenging factors involved, including working during winter,” says Bonnifield. “We were also continually faced with limited access and a very narrow right of way of only 20 to 30 feet in width.” Bonnifield points out that because the work environment could not be changed, they turned to advanced planning and unique equipment solutions to overcome the logistical constraints. “We own a Terramac RT14R crawler carrier and rented another one for use on this project. The Terramac is a dump truck on tracks and is designed to conquer the most confined job-sites with a 360-degree rotation. The Terramac allowed our crews to bring in the native and imported materials to and from the heading without any need to turn around,” continues Bonnifield. “We also manufactured a custom trailer to move the 8-foot sections of 96-inch RCP that weighs 13-tons each up and down the hills and slopes. We typically use a wheel loader to transport the heavy pipe sections, but it was not feasible due to the weight and size of the pipe as well as the narrow work area. So, we got innovative and took an old Komatsu PC220 excavator and dismantled it down to the track frame to manufacture a trailer for hauling the pipe. We then hooked that trailer to a Komatsu D51EX dozer to make the trips back and forth to the main heading.” Bonnifield says that there was a small amount of earthmoving in areas where NID wanted the ability to drive over the new pipeline. These areas are encased in concrete and reinforced to handle heavy car and truck traffic.

There is nothing more important for water districts like NID than keeping their infrastructure functioning to deliver water safely and efficiently. NID has kept the water flowing for nearly 100 years and the Combie Canal Replacement Project will help them continue their legacy and promise. “Everyone did an incredible job on this challenging project. I want to take a moment to recognize our project superintendent, Darren Jarvis and our hardworking foremen: Joel Hendrix, Gerrad Snider, Cody Chamberlain, Matt Sporleder and Robert Acosta,” concludes Bonnifield. “Everyone on our crew and the stakeholders we worked with deserves praise and recognition for bringing this project in under budget and ahead of schedule. Our client, the Nevada Irrigation District, was very cooperative on this project. I think everyone knew that this would be a challenging project, and we also knew that we had to work closely together. The partnering between NID and Steve P. Rados was one fundamental element to bring this job in safely and on time.”

Excavated material being loaded into one of two Terramac RT14R crawler carriers.

With a proven record of outstanding performance on diverse heavy construction and engineering projects, Steve P. Rados has been a leader in the civil general engineering construction industry for nearly 100 years. Steve P. Rados started their Northern California division in 1999 as they continue to expand gradually and steadily in both size and type of construction performed. They work throughout California and other western states, emphasizing their strengths in pipeline, bridge, highway and water treatment facilities. For more information on Steve P. Rados, Inc. please visit their website at radoscompanies.com or call their Santa Ana headquarters at (714) 835-4612. Cc