In 1996, Freese and Nichols evaluated Wesley Seale Dam and found concrete bulges in the hearth slabs, cracking of buttresses and abutment members, and downstream off sets in alignment of the spillways up to four inches. Freese and Nichols’ design stabilized the slab-and-buttress spillways (Ambursen Design) with 70,520 cubic yards of concrete. It also included reference monuments and extensometers for future spillway movement precision monitoring.
The $23-million rehabilitation design saved the City approximately $5 million and achieved a 50 percent increase in the sliding factor of safety. The project was completed one year ahead of schedule.
This project has received many awards including First Place Engineering Excellence Award in the Water Resources Category by the Texas Council of Engineering Companies, 2002; Rehabilitation Project of the Year by the Association of State Dam Safety Officials, 2001; and the Award of Excellence from Texas Construction, Best of 2001.
Follow Us