Arab Center for Engineering Studies (ACES group), a leading regional provider of specialised geotechnical engineering services, said its Jordanian unit has completed the initial site investigation for the Red Sea-Dead Sea Pipeline Project in Jordan.  

 ACES is also a key provider of services in material testing, quality control of projects, special studies, chemical and environmental testing and land and marine surveying.

The company's scope of work for the geotechnical investigation included the drilling of 18 boreholes to depths ranging from 8 to 20 m below the existing ground surface, 25 test pits, field testing including SPT, permeability, field density, field CBR, soil electrical resistivity, and soaked plate load, in addition to intensive laboratory testing, said a company statement.

The proposed project, which was awarded by Dar Al Handash, will include the construction of a 180 km pipeline engineered to carry up two billion cu m of seawater per year, and pumping stations to transfer substantial quantities of water from the Red Sea to the south area of the Dead Sea.

The project's objective is to stabilise and control the alarming pace of water level drops in the Dead Sea by gravitationally flowing seawater from the Red Sea.

The Dead Sea water level is falling at a rate of one meter per year and has dropped from 394m below sea level in the 1960s to 423m resulting in several environmental problems, it stated.

In 2009, ACES completed the subsurface investigation for the initial proposed design for the Red Sea – Dead Sea Pipeline Project.

The geotechnical investigation scope of work included the drilling of 37 boreholes to depths ranging from 10 to 180m below the existing ground surface, 65 test pits, field testing including standpipe piezometer installation, permeability, and soil electrical resistivity, in addition to intensive laboratory testing. The project was awarded by Tractebel Engineering Coyne Et Bellier.
   
ACES has previously completed geotechnical and site investigation work for other major projects in Jordan including Al Abdali project, Queen Alia New Airport, Jordan Nuclear Power Plant, Saraya Al Aqaba, Hilton Dead-Sea Hotel, Potash Dead-Sea Dikes 19 and 20.-TradeArabia News Service