
INDIANA HARBOR DISPOSAL FACILITY DIKE EXPANSION
PROJECT SUMMARY
Prior to the construction of the Indiana Canal Confined Disposal Facility (CDF), the site operated as a petroleum refinery and storage facility, commonly referred to as the ECI (Energy Cooperative Industries) site. To prevent contaminant migration off-site, a slurry wall and groundwater gradient control system were installed before CDF construction began around 2010. The CDF was established to receive dredged material from ongoing regional navigation dredging projects. The sediment from these projects typically is contaminated with both organic and inorganic constituents.
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Over time, the CDF reached its original design capacity. The US Army Corps of Engineers redesigned the CDF to double the capacity to 4.8 million CY, allowing for maintenance dredging to continue for the next 35-40 years. This project involved significant environmental and geotechnical quality control testing of borrow source material, with future recreational reuse of the site anticipated after CDF closure.
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The Dike Expansion Project included:
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Installing two exterior and two interior access ramps
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Placement of a chimney drain and filter along the entirety of the 8,900 feet of the dike
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Installing a collection trench and off-gassing vent
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Decommissioning existing monitoring wells and air and weather monitoring stations
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Installing 4-foot tar seep collection area
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Modification and construction of a pile-supported concrete decant structure
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Replacement of force mains, valves, concrete vaults and manholes, lift station pumps, and piezometers
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21-foot increase in crest elevation of the existing 8,900-foot compacted clay dike and 40 FT widening of the dike base
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Placement of 450,000 CY of compacted clay and structural fill on either side of the high hazard dam
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Reinstallation of monitor wells and air monitoring stations along the dike crest at the finish of construction

PROJECT KEY HIGHLIGHTS
Client: United States Army Corps of Engineers
Location: East Chicago, IN
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Erosion Control
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Demolition
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Excavation
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Decommissioning
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Air Monitoring
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Surveying and Sampling
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High hazard dam construction
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Site Restoration of 17 acres
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Zero OSHA incidents
Contract Value: $25,000,000
Performance Dates: June 2020 – July 2023
