Nicholson Awarded Treatment Contract at the Department of Energy’s Hanford Site

PITTSBURGH, PA – October 6, 2009 –CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company (CH2M HILL) recently awarded Carpenter Drilling and Nicholson a construction subcontract worth $330K for a jet injection test program at the U.S. Department of Energy’s 100N Area on the Hanford Site in Richland, Washington. The test program is expected to take approximately three weeks to complete.

Using jet grouting methods, Nicholson will construct three permeable reactive barrier test sections by injecting ground fishbone slurry, known as apatite, as well as a phosphate solution. Permeable reactive barriers in the 100N Area are being designed to protect the nearby Columbia River by sequestering and immobilizing strontium-90 in the soil and groundwater so it can safely decay in place.

Fishbone and phosphate solutions will be injected using our proprietary JETPLUS jet grouting system. Our JETPLUS system minimizes hydraulic system losses to maximize energy and the efficiency of cutting. Our JETPLUS system therefore can inject and treat larger volumes of soil with fewer pilot holes and does not have any of the negative consequences of the air injection used with the double or triple fluid jet grouting systems.

After the performance of the test sections, CH2M HILL has the option to award Carpenter Drilling and Nicholson additional scope valued at approximately $4.5M to construct a 2,500-foot-long permeable reactive barrier along the Columbia River using either the fishbone or phosphate solution.

 

About Nicholson Construction Company:
Nicholson is a versatile geotechnical contractor specializing in deep foundations, earth retention, ground treatment, and ground improvement. As the North American business unit of the Soletanche Bachy Group, one of the world's leading geotechnical contractors, we are part of a global network of geotechnical resources and expertise. We work in a wide range of industries and environments, from power plants and dams, to bridges and skyscrapers. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Nicholson has eight offices around the country to address each region's unique geotechnical construction needs.

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Contact: Brian O’Gara, 412-221-4500, bogara@nicholsonconstruction.com

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