Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Performance
and Cost - The
Deciding
Factors
The expense and
complexity of this
world-class opera-
tion, as well as the
750 vehicle per day
projected traffic
load, demanded a
pavement infra-
structure capable of
providing 20 years
of continuous full-
scale operation with
minimal downtime
and maintenance.
This made RCC a
prime candidate for
the pavement
choice, according to Placing RCC for heavy duty access road using ABG 411 paver.
RCC Newsletter Fall/Winter 1996
Route to:
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and an extensive investigation was be- with precast panels with a polyethyl-
gun to evaluate the condition of the ene liner attached to the downstream
dam and develop alternative face of each panel. A gallery will be ADVERTISEMENT
remediation measures. constructed near the base of the struc-
ture to collect seepage from and reduce
pore pressures in the dam and founda- NOTICE TO PROSPECTIVE
Solution tion. The gallery will also permit re- OFFERORS
Studies of the design, construction, con- medial grouting of the foundation, if The City of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania,
dition, and performance of Penn Forest necessary. The dam will contain ap- will use a Two-Step, Sealed Bidding
Dam concluded that satisfactory long- proximately 400,000 cubic yards Procedure to award a contract for the
3
term performance could not be ex- (306,000 m ) of RCC and will be the construction of a Roller-Compacted
pected without major repairs to both the third largest RCC dam constructed to Concrete Dam as part of the City’s
embankment and foundation. As a re- date in the United States. Penn Forest Dam Replacement
sult, alternatives for removing the dam Project.
from service, repairing the dam, and re- Under Step One, the City will pre-
placing the dam with a new structure Construction qualify prospective offerors based on
were evaluated. Upon consideration of Construction of a cofferdam upstream Technical Proposals. The Request for
all options, the owner elected to pro- of the site was initiated in July and Technical Proposals will be available
ceed with construction of an RCC re- completed in mid-October. Two other on or about 2/1/97. Step Two will
placement dam at an estimated project contracts were awarded in October: consist of the submission of Cost/
cost of $65 million. The RCC replace- one for removal of a 250-foot (76 m)- Price Bids by the pre-qualified
ment dam was not the least costly op- long concrete plug within an existing offerors. The City will award the con-
tion, but was believed to be the best so- 12-foot (3.7 m)-diameter diversion con- tract to the lowest-priced pre-quali-
lution when other factors such as long- fied offeror. The Request for Bids will
duit and another for excavation of ap-
be available on or about 6/1/97.
term risk, constructibility, reliability, proximately 600,000 cubic yards
3 There will be a PRE-SHOWING
and compatibility with the existing wa- (460,000 m ) of embankment and over- OF TEST PITS AND FOUNDATION
ter supply system were considered. burden material within the proposed CONDITIONS in early December
The RCC replacement dam will be lo- dam foundation area. It is currently 1996. Although not mandatory, it is
cated just upstream of the existing em- anticipated that RCC placement will be recommended that prospective
bankment to allow re-use of the exist- initiated in September 1997 and com- offerors attend the pre-showing to be-
ing spillway and intake structure and pleted by July 1998. Reservoir re-fill- come familiar with the foundation
to avoid interference with a state road ing will begin in September 1998. conditions. Prospective offerors
and wetland areas located downstream. The dam is owned by the Bethlehem should contact Rodney E.
Partial support of the 180-foot-high (55- Authority and is operated by the City Holderbaum, P.E., Gannett Fleming,
m) RCC gravity section will be pro- of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Gannett Inc., P.O. Box 67100, Harrisburg, PA
vided by the modified existing em- Fleming has performed all investiga- 17106-7100, Phone (717) 763-7211, Ext.
bankment. tions and design and is performing all 2539; or Richard P. Schaller, Alvin H.
The RCC dam will be founded on construction inspection for the City of Butz, Inc., P.O. Box 509, Allentown,
firm rock which will be sealed with a Bethlehem. Alvin H. Butz, Inc., is serv- PA 18105-0509, Phone (610) 395-6871
multiple-line grout curtain. The up- ing as Construction Manager on the for specific details of the pre-showing.
stream face of the dam will be formed project.