Pipe Ramming Through Challenging Subsurface Conditions in the

1. ABSTRACT This paper documents two case histories where pipe ramming was specified to install steel casing in challenging subsurface conditions. In Scappoose, OR, a 36-inch casing was rammed beneath the South Fork of Scappoose Creek for 130 feet in saturated soils. In Camas, WA, specifications required two 48-inch casings to be rammed beneath the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad for 60 and 100 feet through boulder-rich ground. The saturated soil conditions in Scappoose and the boulders in Camas each presented unique challenges that needed to be addressed during design. This paper describes the design challenges of each project and compares and contrasts techniques and measures developed during design to mitigate project risk associated with those challenges. Both projects experienced difficulties during construction that were quickly remedied by the Contractors and the Design Teams working together in the field. Successful implementation of innovative plans from the Contractors allowed for successful installation of the casings. The effectiveness of the contract documents is discussed and compared between the two projects. The lessons learned from the design and construction of the two projects will aid the pipe ramming design and construction industry with future high-risk pipe ramming projects.