Expert Tunneling, Shoring, and Construction Engineering from Stiver Engineering

Stiver Engineering is a family-run business with over 40 years of experience delivering civil and structural engineering services to major municipal projects throughout the United States and Canada. Best known for niche expertise like tunneling, shoring, and construction engineering, Stiver stands out for its commitment to quality, focus, and safety. 

Stiver Engineering’s core values ensure clients of all sizes receive the best possible service and results. This article will explore recent projects that exemplify their proven reputation and expertise in tunneling, shoring, and construction engineering. 

Structural design services cover tunneling & shafts from start to finish

Tunneling construction is a complex process involving multiple disciplines. Stiver Engineering provides clients with design services that cover major tunneling projects from beginning to end. Our professionals are experienced veterans of every type of tunneling & shafting project imaginable. They deliver safe and effective designs for complex underground projects for major cities, universities, and other clients. 

Waller Creek/Waterloo Park Project in Austin, Texas

The Waterloo Park project took place less than a mile west of the Texas Department of Transportation tunnel alignment project in the City of Austin. The project specified that the flood waters stretching from Waterloo Park to Lady Bird Lake be diverted 70 feet below ground through a concrete shaft and tunnel. 

Stiver Engineering provided construction engineering by designing the cut through the topsoil and limestone at the headworks facility in Waterloo Park. The team also designed the cast-in-place reinforced concrete for the first section of the tunnel, the reinforced concrete and rock bolt retaining walls upstream of the intake structure, and a reinforced concrete temporary bulkhead within the tunnel.

108-inch Waterline Tunnel Project in Houston, Texas

In Houston, the Stiver Engineering team was contracted to provide plans for the shoring design and construction of a concrete tunnel for the city’s northeast transmission line under US-59. The project called for a 108” diameter pipeline intended to move up to 365 million gallons of treated drinking water 16.5 miles per day. 

The project required the design of a pipe brake system for a tunnel launch pit. The system was designed to restrain the hydrostatic forces on the EPB TBM cutting face. Stiver Engineering provided plans for the shoring design, as well as the concrete tunnel eye where the pipe brake system would be anchored. Anchor points were designed for both the tunnel eye seal and the steel casing pipe.

Underground construction projects require specialized shoring experience 

Effectively removing surface or groundwater is central to the stability and safety of underground construction projects. Stiver Engineering provides rescue shoring design services to projects throughout North America; designing dewatering systems that prevent groundwater seepage and put any underground excavation or construction project on solid ground. The shoring systems the Stiver team delivers are safe, stable, and supported.

Award-winning 72-inch water line shoring design

Stiver Engineering provided shoring design services to a water line project in Houston, Texas that was awarded Project of the Year by TX-APWA. The project called for a 72-inch water line from Emancipation Avenue to Tuam Street on Clay Street. Stiver’s work included a secant pile shaft design for the launch and receiving shafts that are 34 feet ID and 80 feet deep, and designs for the breakout structure for the Akkerman TBM.

The successful execution of the SWTP 72-inch Water Line serves as an integral component of HPW’s Surface Water Transmission Program (SWTP). Beyond the installation of the 72-inch diameter water line, the project encompassed a comprehensive array of enhancements that included a thorough overhaul of roadways, improvements to drainage systems, enhancements to traffic signalization, upgrades to street lighting, improvements to sidewalks, and the replacement of smaller diameter water lines.

Stiver Engineering delivers field engineering and emergency response solutions to construction projects

The quality and reliability of Stiver Engineering’s construction engineering services is exemplified by decades of experience and extensive list of projects. Thousands of contractors around the United States and Canada can attest to the expert capabilities of Stiver’s professional team. These professionals understand every nuance of the construction industry and can guarantee results for each project they accept. 

Mill Creek Drainage Relief Tunnel in Dallas, Texas

Project Video

The Mill Creek Drainage Relief Tunnel project called for the mitigation of extreme flooding that was occurring in the City of Dallas and impacting multiple businesses including Baylor Hospital. 

Stiver Engineering provided construction engineering services for the contractor prior to and during the tunnel construction that included several trench safety plan designs, a sound wall design using steel soldier piles and acoustic panels, and a removable shaft cover and rigging details for several liner plate shafts. Other work included traffic control plans and shoring designs for access shafts, shotcrete trolley system for lining the tunnel, concrete collars, steel bulkheads, supporting existing utility lines, and a starter tunnel/gripper wall for the TBM.

Stiver Engineering gets things done

Stiver Engineering is proud of its 40+ years of providing solutions to problems with experience, integrity, and unmatched commitment to quality. Founded to contribute to tremendous growth throughout the state of Texas, Stiver is now licensed to provide engineering and construction services in all 50 states and Canada. 

Contact us to begin your project.