Complex Geotechnical Engineering for a Levee Project-DFI49 Published Technical Paper

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The presentation described the Paddy’s Run Station project within Louisville’s 26-mile levee system, built after the 1937 flood. MSD needed a new pump station because the existing pumps were outdated, and capacity was increased from about 900 to 1,900 MGD. The site had major constraints, including the Ohio River, power lines, interior flooding, and the need to keep the existing station operating during construction.  <br /><br />The main engineering feature was a 1,200 mm diaphragm wall system used to create a dry excavation, cut off seepage, and support a new pump station in weak soils over deep alluvial deposits. The project used 81 wall panels, 33 T-panels, 115 reinforcing cages, and several load-bearing elements. A top-down construction sequence with permanent bracing, plunge columns, and temporary steel struts was designed to manage uneven loading and complex soil behavior. Modeling with a plexus analysis helped predict wall stresses, deflections, and permanent load effects.

Keywords

Paddy’s Run Station

diaphragm wall system

pump station upgrade

top-down construction

Louisville levee system