Micropiles Will Form Foundation of Secord Dam

​The project team at Secord is preparing to install deep foundation elements at Secord Dam in the form of micropiles. These micropiles will consist of a steel pipe, grout and reinforcing steel bars.

The micropiles will be installed into the glacial till foundation of the dam, transferring the loads into the dense glacial till. The micropiles are proposed to be installed to depths in excess 90 feet below the crest of the dam to help support the right training wall, future crane pad, and appurtenances using tie back elements know as tendons. To date the team has installed a test pile away from the dam embankment to prove the means and methods will meet and exceed the expectations of the design. The test pile was successfully installed and tested, by pulling on the pile and measuring the movement. The test pile behaved as expected when loaded to more than twice the design load. The next phase of the work will be to install the micropiles into the right embankment.
 
Field and laboratory testing of the installed concrete is continuing and the results are meeting and exceeding the design requirements. When concrete is delivered it is first evaluated for temperature, air content, and slump.
 
Once it is determined to be withing the acceptable range it is placed. Cylinders are also cast at this time and sent over to the laboratory for destructive testing. The cylinders are broken in the laboratory using a press that records the maximum strength of the concrete at specified times of the curing process.