Crofton Diving was contacted to perform inspection and repairs inside a cooling tank at Bear Garden Power Station. The cooling tank requires algaecide to keep clean, which meant the divers would need to be in Hazmat gear. The divers discovered that a portion of the 24” PVC pipe was broken, and the pieces were laying on the bottom of the tank. With only eleven days to complete the repair, the team quickly developed a plan and mobilized equipment to remove the broken pieces, insert new materials, and repair the damaged piping. To remove the PVC, divers placed the broken pieces directly under the entrance of the tank using lift bags. A crane lowered its rigging into the tank and divers would attach the PVC pieces to be lifted out. New pipe materials were inserted the same way; attached to the rigging, lowered into the entrance of the tank, and set on the bottom to be air bag lifted into position. Divers utilized an in-line rotary pipe cutter to remove the remaining broken areas of the existing PVC to make for a clean installation of the new piping. The new sections of pipe were cut to fit and attached to the existing piping. Thank you to the dive crew for their commitment to the success of this repair. Head to the last page of the newsletter to find out what Edward Phillips of Dominion Energy had to say about the finished product!

Crofton Construction Services was recently awarded, through competitive bid, the next phase of the Portsmouth Seawall Replacement Project. This phase will include Area 6, which totals 614 linear feet of seawall on the northeast end. Work is scheduled to begin this November! Congratulations to the Crofton Construction team!

In August, Jay Crofton was featured in Virginia Business’ inaugural Virginia 500—The 2020 Power List in the Transportation: Maritime, Ports, and Logistics category! Learn more about the 2020 power list here.

The Crofton Construction team is pleased to have completed the replacement of the City of Suffolk’s Old Mill Road Bridge. The existing bridge was built in 1955, constructed of wood, steel, and timber piles, and beyond its useful life.  VDOT and the City of Suffolk determined that a complete replacement would be necessary.  As prime contractor, Crofton performed the demolition and disposal of the current bridge, furnished and installed fourteen 16” square x 50’ long concrete piles, two 75’ long concrete test piles, cast-in-place two concrete abutments, placed 260 tons of rip-rap around new abutments, and installed 8 pre-cast concrete bridge deck panels that were 41’ long. Preparing the site for the new bridge consisted of tree and asphalt removal, excavation, and additional fill and bedding to raise the roadway, as well as new asphalt overlay for roadway. The narrow roadway and existing tree canopy made for a limited work area, so all foundation and sheet piles were driven from the south side of the bridge using a 200-ton crane with 150’ of boom. Cofferdams were used on both the north and south side of the bridge when driving the foundation piles and forming new concrete abutments. Bridge replacement is an important part of our nation’s infrastructure improvements and we are proud to play a role in that effort. Thanks to the Crofton team members who worked on this project and contributed to its success!

In August, a dive crew encountered an unexpected opportunity to put their safety training to use in route to Roanoke Rapids Dam to install a cofferdam. On the way to the boat ramp, they noticed a person laying on the edge of the road. It turned out to be an elderly man, unconscious and face down. Thankfully, the crew was able to wake him and help him get cleaned up. He was severely dehydrated, so they cooled him down with water and wet rags until an ambulance arrived. Our safety culture calls us to prioritize the safety of ALL with whom we come in contact, not just our fellow crew members. Congratulations to Mike Beasley, Robert Claxton, Ethan Stivers, and Kurtis Holguin for setting such a great example!