Project Description

Anaerobic digestion is the biological process by which organic matter (e.g., manure), is broken down in the absence of oxygen, producing raw biogas and other by‐products. The raw biogas is most commonly used to generate electricity through cogeneration or upgraded to natural gas.

The proposed Semiahmoo Indian Reserve Anaerobic Digestion System will span approximately 5 acres of land area and involves construction of control rooms, administration buildings, treatment and storage tanks (up to 100 feet in diameter), unloading / receiving facilities, mechanical and electrical structures and internal roads and parking areas.

RAM’s Role

RAM’s geotechnical team conducted a two-phase subsurface investigation involving auger drilling, dynamic cone penetration testing (DCPT), Seismic Cone Penetration Testing (SCPT) and Cone Penetration Testing (CPT). Based on the results of the subsurface investigation, RAM’s geotechnical team provided settlement estimates under static and design seismic loading conditions. To mitigate the effects of potential post construction settlement and liquefaction, ground improvement recommendations involving techniques such as preloading and deep soil mixing were provided.

Services delivered included:

• Site Investigation
• Soft Ground Condition Assessment
• Difficult Ground Design Solutions
• Engineering Analyses and Reporting