R.M. Clayton Headworks Improvements

Atlanta, Georgia

Kiewit completed facility upgrades at the 240-million-gallon-per-day R.M. Clayton Water Reclamation Center — the largest in the city of Atlanta. The project included the replacement of the coarse screen and installation of new grit removal, dewatering systems and new flow-monitoring equipment. Kiewit completed several upgrades and replacements to existing process equipment including the four bar screens, washer compactor, screenings conveyor equipment, 26 electric actuated sluice gates, various underground utilities, electrical and control upgrades, and new distributed control system/Foxboro integration.

Design-build execution helped streamline and accelerate the completion of the project, despite unforeseen subsurface condition delays of five months that required an elaborate combination of rock bolting, soil nails and tie-backs in the 40-foot excavation. Throughout the project, using a design-build approach enabled early procurement of specialized equipment, ongoing constructability reviews and timely decision-making.

The use of an integrated, master critical path method schedule and building information modeling, which was accessible to all of the project partners, helped ensure clear lines of communication and maximized efficiency.