AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: Water Systems Category

Finch, Pruyn Forebay Restructuring

Amherst, New York

Submitted by Acres International

Ninety-one years of severe up-state New York weather had taken its toll on the concrete of this hydroelectric power plant when rehabilitation work began as part of a relicensing program. Two feet of concrete had eroded from freeze-thaw action, and damage to other parts of the structure was evident from cracks and crushed brickwork. Maintaining limited hydro plant operation and paper mill production while working under a variety of severe and changing conditions made this project anything but routine. A number of different materials were used, each tailored to a particular set of conditions, and methods of preparation and repair were chosen which preserved as much of the existing structure as possible while providing the owner with a stable and once more attractive facility.