Tulsa Southside Activated Sludge Train Rehabilitation Project
Tulsa’s Southside Wastewater Treatment Plant was constructed in the 1950s, was enlarged and modified in the 1970s and 1990s, and had an average flow capacity of 42 MGD. To bring the plant up to current design and treatment standards, the existing aeration process was modified to more uniformly inject air into the aeration tanks. The project required a new 35-ft high blower building, electrical room and hot air piping to be able to provide air at a rate of 85,000 CFM to the tanks. Burns’ structural engineers designed the 44 foot wide, steel-framed blower building and electrical room to fit between two aeration tanks that were only 50 feet apart.
Unique design components included:
- H-Pile foundation design in low strength infill soil between two aeration tanks
- Design of pile caps isolated from the blower building foundation due to high vibratory loading
- Blower building designed to resist gravity and wind-loading, as well support interior air piping
- Building designed to accommodate installation of 10-ton bridge crane spanning the width of the building
- Design of air piping supports along the walkways of the aeration tanks
- Replacement of steel troughs in four secondary clarifiers with precast concrete troughs without overloading existing structure
- Enlarged outlet structure along river bank for improved flow measurement capabilities with minimal disruption to plant operations
