Seepage Barrier at Bolivar Dam-Paper

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Bolivar Dam in Ohio, a 1937 earth-fill dam in the Muskingum Watershed flood-control system, experienced serious seepage through its permeable foundation and fractured bedrock. During high pools, uncontrolled flows, sand piping, and downstream boils raised concerns about dam safety. In 2013, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers classified the dam as a high-risk facility and initiated rehabilitation.<br /><br />The work included a partial-depth, partial-length seepage barrier wall (SBW), approximately 4,500 ft (1,372 m) long and up to 144 ft (43.9 m) deep, plus a drilling-and-grouting curtain. TREVIICOS constructed the 36-in. (914-mm) wall using overlapping panels excavated with clamshell and hydromill equipment under bentonite slurry. Panels were backfilled by tremie with plastic concrete.<br /><br />An on-site wet-batch plant enabled consistent production and rapid delivery, while allowing the mix to be adjusted for workability, strength, permeability, temperature, and extended placement times. Heated enclosures and temperature-controlled materials supported winter construction. Quality controls covered materials, batching, panel preparation, tremie placement, and testing. Verification drilling, core inspections, borehole imaging, strength tests, and in-situ permeability tests assessed wall continuity and performance.<br /><br />The completed barrier met the specified strength and permeability requirements and was confirmed to be continuous and homogeneous. The project was finished ahead of schedule. The authors attribute its success to on-site concrete production, careful mix optimization, winterized facilities, and rigorous quality control.

Keywords

Bolivar Dam

Ohio

seepage barrier wall

earth-fill dam

Muskingum Watershed

dam rehabilitation

bentonite slurry

plastic concrete

quality control

high-risk facility