Santa Monica Beach Club: Malcolm Drilling’s Efficient Solutions
Malcolm Drilling was contracted for a project involving both the installation of a tangent pile wall and the design and installation of a dewatering system for the Santa Monica Beach Club.
Malcolm Drilling utilized its advanced BG28 equipped with the CFA pile system to install a tangent pile wall designed as a shoring system with a cantilevered depth of 14 feet. The scope included installing 118 soft piles (primary piles) and 119 hard piles (secondary piles), each reinforced with W-Beams. The average depth of these piles reached 35 feet, highlighting the precision and efficiency of the installation process.
The design and implementation of the dewatering system facilitated the shoring and excavation of the new Santa Monica Beach club during daylight hours. Collaborating with Middour Consulting LLC, Malcolm utilized geotechnical information and structural drawings to design the dewatering system. A three-dimensional model was developed based on groundwater levels, aquifer properties, and geometries outlined in the geotechnical report. The model covered a domain of 4,000 feet by 4,000 feet and consisted of two layers representing the granular soils of the unconfined aquifer.
The model was discretized using a non-uniform grid with cell sizes ranging from 5 to 7 feet in the excavation area and 80×80 at the model’s limit. The groundwater flow field was established by assigning a general head boundary to the east side and a constant head boundary along the west side, representing the Pacific Ocean. A steady-state simulation was run to determine the optimal dewatering strategy. To facilitate daytime excavation, Malcolm installed 11 dewatering wells within the shoring, each approximately 25 feet deep or until the silt layer was reached.
The well screens and filter packs were meticulously designed to enable water passage while preventing the extraction of fines and soils during pumping. During well development, Malcolm adjusted the flow rates to ensure effective water drawdown without over-dewatering, reducing the risk of settlement and minimizing discharge/treatment costs. Ongoing maintenance ensured proper pump operation and addressed any sump pumping needs at the silt interface, contributing to the overall success of the dewatering system. This comprehensive approach highlights Malcolm Drilling’s capability in delivering integrated solutions for complex construction projects.
