Nexans, based in Paris, France, is a multinational manufacturer. YPS project manager Chris Mc- Garr explains the first of the proj- ect’s complexities. “The location of the plant on the banks of the Cooper River meant we were deal- ing with groundwater 5 ft. down,” he said. “We used well points with underground piping and large above-ground pumps to manage this.” Excess water on the 30-acre flat site is being diverted to two large detention ponds at either end of the site and fencing all along the banks has been installed to prevent ero- sion. “The detention ponds will fill to a certain level, allowing the silt and debris to settle at the bottom, and then the clean water will be diverted back into the river,” says McGarr. The site has another major chal- lenge – it is on an earthquake fault line. While perhaps not normally a critical issue, the facility’s manufac- turing process relies on the large above-grade tower, which includes a 30 ft. basement. “We had chal- lenges with the basement because of the water table and then we had this massive tower to consider,” he says. Understanding that ground accel- eration in an earthquake is more fre- quent higher up, slipform experts Borton LC and design partner River The South Carolina Construction News — July/August 2013 – 3