Water Treatment Plant 8 Lime Sludge Thickener Structural Rehabilitation

In November 2015, WGI was contacted by Palm Beach County Water Utility Department (PBCWUD) regarding a recently installed motor replacement for its lime sludge thickener basin. The installed motor induced vibrations into the existing support bridge, causing vibration amplitudes in the order of 4 to 8 inches. WGI immediately investigated the cause and damage to the thickener basin and support bridge and provided structural analysis and an assessment report with recommendations to PBCWUD.  

Following the report, WGI was engaged to provide structural design and construction drawings to retrofit the existing sludge thickener rake and motor support beams with enhanced support framing. The design and construction documents followed the design presented in the Structural Analysis and Assessment Report. The design transferred loading from the motor to independent structural frame support, relieving the existing tank from the dynamic loads of the thickener motor assembly and bridge while providing a direct load path for those loads into an independent foundation.