Project Specifications
Product used: Standard TrapBag® TBRCD120 Liftable Cofferdam Bags
Installation configurations: Multiple stacked courses over a permanent gabion foundation
Material: TrapBag Cofferdam Bags; specific fabric composition is not provided
Fill material: Dense graded aggregate
Reinforcement: Temporary steel protection plates
Liner: Protective liner secured with sandbags
Barrier height: 12 feet
Application: Environmental remediation and temporary water control
Waterway: Lackawanna River
Project owner: UGI Utilities
Engineer: Stantec Consulting Services
Initial Solution
The project required a temporary water-control barrier that could accommodate changing streambed elevations and support construction immediately adjacent to the Lackawanna River. The installed system included:
- Standard TBRCD120 Liftable Cofferdam Bags
- A permanent gabion base
- Dense graded aggregate fill
- A protective liner
- Temporary steel protection plates
- Sandbags securing the liner
- Temporary erosion and sediment control measures
The modular design allowed the cofferdam to adapt to existing site conditions while creating a stable, protected work area.
Project Expansions and Reinforcements
The TBRCD120 Cofferdam Bags were installed over a permanent gabion foundation and stacked in multiple courses to achieve a total barrier height of 12 feet.
The stacked TrapBag system worked together with a protective liner, temporary steel protection plates and sandbags securing the liner. These components helped isolate the work area and provided additional protection for the temporary barrier during construction.
No later expansion of the original installation is documented.
Performance
The TrapBag Cofferdam System successfully created a protected construction zone immediately adjacent to the Lackawanna River. It supported the environmental remediation effort, adapted to varying streambed conditions and integrated with the project’s permanent gabion structure.
The completed system provided temporary water control while in-situ soil stabilization was performed and remained removable after the work was completed. No catastrophic flood, storm or other extreme-event performance is documented for this project.
Key Outcomes
- Created a protected construction zone for in-situ soil stabilization immediately adjacent to the Lackawanna River.
- Adapted to varying streambed elevations while integrating with the project’s permanent gabion structure.
- Provided a removable temporary water-control solution that supported remediation without becoming a permanent barrier.
Conclusion
The Scranton remediation project demonstrates how the TrapBag® Cofferdam System can be configured for temporary water control in challenging riverbank environments. By stacking standard TBRCD120 Liftable Cofferdam Bags over a gabion foundation, the project team created a 12-foot barrier capable of adapting to existing streambed conditions.
Installation Highlights
- Lackawanna River installation in Scranton, Pennsylvania
- 12-foot-tall temporary cofferdam
- Standard TBRCD120 Liftable Cofferdam Bags
- Multiple stacked courses
- Installed over a permanent gabion foundation
- Filled with dense graded aggregate
- Adapted to varying streambed elevations
- Protective liner secured with sandbags
- Temporary steel protection plates
- Removable after remediation was completed