Medical Team
SR99 Viaduct - Big Bertha Tunnel
Overview
U.S. Hyperbaric worked in conjunction with Ballard Marine Construction's Hyperbaric Service Division during hyperbaric interventions on the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) Betha. This work supported work for the single bore, 2,850-meter (1.8 miles) Alaska Way Viaduct tunnel. The 17.48-meter (57.3 feet) diameter Bertha TBM set a world record as the largest diameter TBM when the project commenced. The double-deck design, one deck for each direction with two lanes allowing circulation of light cars and heavy trucks, was the solution for this mega project. The tunnel alignment is fifty meters (164 feet) under sea level and passes directly under downtown Seattle. U.S. Hyperbaric worked on this project for 3 years.
Scope of Work
The U.S. Hyperbaric Tunnel and Dive Medical Team provided onsite medical assessments and emergency medical care for Ballard Marine Construction's commercial divers and onsite compressed air workers. Research in conjunction with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health resulted in a medical journal publication that can be found by clicking here.
Services
24/7 Onsite medical care of all commercial divers and compressed air workers.
Help mitigate the risk of decompression sickness while working with a hyperbaric chamber supervisor.
Performed pre and post-medical evaluations of all personnel entering and exiting the hyperbaric chamber.
Supervised extrication drills for potentially injured workers.
Conducted research in association with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.