Foundation Cutoff Walls for Dams and Levees

During the last 10 years, there have been unparalleled levels of activity in dam and levee foundation remediation.  This has been triggered mainly by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ evaluation of their dam and levee portfolio following the disastrous flooding of New Orleans and surrounding areas in 2005.  Remedial diaphragms walls have been in installed in dams in the US since 1975 when Wolf Creek Dam, in Kentucky, was repaired for the first time.  Since then, there are approximately 30 case histories that can be reviewed, up to the present day.  This webinar reviews the different methods used to create foundation cutoff walls by methods other than grouting alone.  A distinction is drawn between Category 1 walls (which are “excavate and replace”) and Category 2 walls (which are “mixed in place”).

Key takeaways from participating in this webinar include:

1. General background to dam and levee distributions in North America as related to geologic and seismic conditions.
2. The techniques used to construct Category 1 walls.
3. The techniques used to construct Category 2 walls.
4. The concept of composite walls.
5. A case study review of the two phases of remediation at Wolf Creek Dam