Herbert Hoover Dike Rehabilitation Reach 1 Seepage Cutoff Wall
Project Objective
The Herbert Hoover Dike (HHD) rehabilitation project is designed to stabilize and secure the aging dike from potentially damaging severe weather events, and protect the numerous residents and businesses on the southeastern rim of Lake Okeechobee. In 2007, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) placed the HHD on the Top 10 list (at No. 6) of dams in the nation needing repair. The USACE Jacksonville District prioritized rehabilitation of segments that were identified as most vulnerable, focusing initial efforts on achieving the most significant impacts.
The cutoff wall, a critical design feature in the dike rehabilitation, will minimize existing internal erosion, known as “piping,” and prevent further damage to the internal structure of the dike. A 22-mile stretch from Port Mayaca south to Belle Glade that is considered the most vulnerable section of the 143-mile dike is the first wall section to be built. The work began in 2008 and is scheduled for completion in 2012. In May 2008 the USACE Jacksonville District selected Bauer Foundation Corp. (BFC) for the first of four (4) major task orders to construct a total of 10 -miles of the planned cutoff wall that runs vertically from the dike crest to a depth of nearly 80 feet in certain locations. BFC selected Geosyntec as part of its team to provide construction quality control/quality assurance services, geotechnical engineering support, environmental protection monitoring, subsurface barrier construction consultation, and provide additional technical resources related to dam and levee rehabilitation.
Geosyntec’s Scope of Services
Ut BFC is responsible for the HHD Cutoff Wall construction project which utilizes BFCs Hydraulic Excavator and Cutter-Soil-Mix (CSM) technique. Geosyntec is responsible for development of specialized work plans; design and certification of the work platform; coordination of local and state permitting of the construction activities; management of the USACE Quality Control System (QCS); development and implementation of a project environmental monitoring program; provision of technical guidance during the cutoff wall mix design; monitoring the field and laboratory quality control testing program; and management of all aspects of the CQC program for the USACE. Geosyntec was given full time quality control and quality management system (QMS) responsibilities on this major federal Multiple Award Task Order (MATOC) contract. The QMS allows for the controlled flow of technical and administrative information between the contractor and the government, and the QMS is the primary contract mechanism for gauging construction progress and overall compliance with the contract specifications.
Notable Accomplishments
Within a week of being given one of our first major task assignments (i.e., coordinating construction permits) Geosyntec was instrumental is expediting the issuance of several permits including those issued by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) pertaining to Stormwater management, consumptive water use, and fugitive air emissions. Geosyntec also developed a sophisticated information management system (WallTrackerTM) that allows production and QC data compilation in an efficient quality-controlled fashion and viewing through an intuitive interface, managers and stakeholders are able to easily track during this very complex and time critical construction project.
