| 2004 ND Ready Mix & Concrete Products Association Excellence In Concrete Award - 1/30/2005 |
Governmental Category Award Winner
East Grand Forks Levees, Phase 2, East Grand Forks, Minnesota
"Using concrete to construct flood protection facilities has been taken to the next level with this $13 million project. Concrete construction was focused on 1,800 l.f. of concrete floodwall, a large storm-sewer pumping station, 3,500 l.f. of recreational trails, and multiple concrete roadway and railroad closure structures.
The project aesthetics agreed to in the design palette have been strongly upheld. The floodwalls were designed with strong horizontal elements to minimize the visual impact of their great height of 10 to 16 feet. The walls are textured and chemically stained to represent stone construcion, with unique patterns and concrete stain for every neighborhood. Even the many large pumping stations were designed to fit into their settings, with exterior detail representing a normal neighborhood house.
The concrete roadway and railroad closure structures are openings in the wall that allow vehicular and railway traffic to pass through the dikes. Using stop-logs for closures, they were constructed under extreamly tight schedules. In fact, the railroad allowed the contractor a total of 14 hours of rail-bed closure to complete the construction of all three openings on the railroad and return of rail lines to services. Fast-track concrete mixes were prepared and tested to accomplish the rapid opening requirements. In the end, polycarboxylate-based high range water reducers were critical in attaining the design strength in 6 to 8 hours as required to open the railroad closures, all without compromise in durability or constructability.
It is unfortunate that the cistizens of Grand Forks/East Grand Forks will lose their magnificent view of the Red River and its scene-scape in the process of constructing the flood protection works. But clearly, project planners for this project phase have been able to trade some of the connection to the river scene with wonderfully appointed flood-works taken to the highest aesthtic and technical level currently possible through the use of ready mixed concrete."
North Dakota Rady Mix & Concrete Association, Inc. |
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