This estimated five-year, $200 million-dollar project constructed a thick arch, Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) single center dam across the Portugues River in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The dam is 220-feet high, with a crest length of 1,230 feet, an estimated 356,000 Y3 of RCC and a projected water storage capacity of 9,500 acre-feet. The dam will provide flood protection for a 100-year storm event to almost 40,000 people, over 13,000 residential structures, as well as invaluable commercial and civic structures in the city of Ponce. Projected flood damage reduction benefits range between $300 and $500 million during a 100-year storm event.
Construction included foundation excavation, placing a concrete foundation, foundation grouting, development of an on-site quarry for concrete aggregate production and an on-site concrete batch plant. The site preparation required removing over 500,000 Y3 of overburden material.
As a sub consultant to the contractor Dragados USA, CSA personnel managed quality control, assisting with or Submittals and Request for Information (RFI) in accordance with the in-place US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) approved a quality control system. We provided on call engineering assistance and as needed technical support on critical field activities such as blasting operations, foundation grouting, foundation preparation and treatment, instrumentation installation, mechanical installations, and RCC testing/placement. CSA also managed the supervision of the construction safety program, preparing and maintaining the project’s safety plan, risk analysis and mitigation reviews, while monitoring the safety program and training in accordance with USACE contractual requirements.
The project received 2nd place in the 2014 CEMEX International Building Award for the Infrastructure & Urbanism Category.