Bowman provided engineering design services and project coordination for approximately 12.5 miles of 6” NGL pipeline as part of a proposed pipe network expansion. This project contained multiple pipelines sharing the same right-of-way easement including the 12” HP and a 4” Ethane pipeline from the Sarsen to Bluestone II Plant and a 12” LP gas pipeline from Shipley North to Lynn. Responsibilities included pipeline and ROW design, project coordination with routing, land agents, environmental, archeological, and geotechnical sub-consultants, construction and surveying, and preparation of construction documents including major HDD designs for numerous road and railroad crossings, creeks and wetlands.
Challenges to this project include pipeline routing for multiple proposed and future lines, as well as existing pipelines, within the XTO to Bluestone ROW. Another challenge faced during the design phase was the coordination and routing of the on-site pipelines at the Bluestone II Plant after construction had commenced. Pipeline routing at the Bluestone II Plant consisted of three current and multiple future pipelines entering and exiting the plant with space limitations due to close proximity to environmental wetlands, landowner restrictions, and existing railroad tracks. Bowman overcame these limitations with the use of an innovative pipe bridging system for the railroad crossing and close coordination with the plant designer.
Bowman also coordinated the layout of the tie-in and other appurtenances at the XTO Plant site with XTO engineers. Additional challenges encountered included routing the pipeline within a limited ROW around the Sarsen Plant as well as incorporating existing and additional new pipelines in portions of the ROW and a complex launcher design at the Sarsen Plant.