AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: Water Structures Category

JOHN DAY DAM NAVIGATION LOCK REPAIR

Rufus, Oregon

Submitted by Pioneer Waterproofing Company, Inc.

The John Day Dam was the last major dam building project competed on the lower Columbia River. Construction began in 1958 and was completed in 1971. The Navigation Lock allows commerce to pass up and downstream and is an important part of the northwest’s economy moving millions of tons of northwest’s agricultural and forest products to be shipped through out the world.

In 2003, over 2500 cracks were discovered in two of the sections of the Lock (called Monoliths), some as large as 2 in. in width which ran the full height of the lock, threatening the structural integrity of the Lock itself. The possibility existed that portions of the Lock could fail collapsing into the Lock, which could close all commercial river traffic on the Columbia River for up to one year. Had this had happened the economic impact on the northwest’s economy would have been in the billions of dollars.

The scope of work on the project involved epoxy injection of up to 2500 lineal ft of concrete cracks ranging in width from 1/8 to 2 in. and varying in depth from 4 to over 15 ft. Most of the cracks to be injected were up to 150 ft in height.

The Lock was required to be shut down during the entire epoxy injection portion of the project. Due to the economic impact of the shut down, the work was required to be completed in no more than 28 calendar days.

Owner
Army Corp of Engineers
Portland, Oregon

Project Engineer/
Designer
Army Corp of Engineers
Portland, Oregon

Repair Contractor
Pioneer Waterproofing Company, Inc.
Portland, Oregon

Material Supplier/
Manufacturers
ChemCo Systems, Inc.
Redwood City, California

DeNeef Construction Chemicals (US), Inc.
Houston, Texas