The DigIndy Project is a nearly 28-mile long network of 18 foot diameter deep rock tunnels being built 250-feet beneath the city. Beginning near the Indiana State Fairgrounds on the north, and ending on the south side of Indianapolis, DigIndy will be the largest public works project in the city’s history.
The tunnel system will extend along Fall Creek, White River, Pogues Run, Pleasant Run and Bean Creek to create a collective, underground storage and transport facility for wastewater. All sewage stored and transported in the tunnel system is sewage that otherwise could have gone directly into local waterways. The tunnel system is a component of the federally-mandated plan to reduce raw sewage overflows into the waterways.
The Indianapolis Deep Rock Tunnel Connector Pump Station Project included a screening and grit removal system consisting of 180 feet of 6 foot diameter connector tunnel, a subterranean pump room that is 60 feet wide by 98 feet long by 66 feet tall, a 44 foot diameter main access shaft with an enclosed elevator, enclosed stairway and various utility systems. The subterranean pump room is located 250 feet below ground surface. The project also includes a 23 foot diameter equipment shaft with embedded electrical conduits, an at grade pump station building, an at grade main access shaft building, an at grade discharge chamber and miscellaneous site work.
Stiver Engineering was retained for construction engineering by the contractor to design thrust blocks and pipe supports for the intake piping, miscellaneous piping running up the 250 foot access shaft walls and piping for the discharge chamber. Stiver Engineering designed the permanent dewatering system for the large subterranean pump room 250 feet below the surface. We also assisted in the design of a mobile concrete forming system for the construction of the 6 foot diameter connector tunnel.