Heavy Civil Hoover Dam Improvements Part 1

Hoover Dam has a flow-through piping system with a reservoir-side intake and 36-inch pipes on the outlet side allowing water to flow under the natural head pressure of the reservoir. The mechanical work of the project included replacement of six 36-inch slide gates and six 36-inch knife gates; as well as replace two 24-inch cone valves and two 36-imch Venturi flow meters. The functionality of the dam had to be maintained during construction, and extra care was taken by Kokosing to limit heavy equipment loading on the dam’s bridge deck, providing added value to the City of Columbus.

The electrical scope included a complete replacement of the system: a new Motor Control Center (MCC), lighting and emergency generator. Work was performed under a sequence that limited the duration of outages, moving power in stages from old equipment to new equipment.

Hoover Reservoir is one of three main sources of raw water for the City of Columbus, with the Hoover Dam serving as the connection between the supply and the City’s water treatment system. Originally constructed in the 1950s, the dam’s mechanical and electrical systems were in need of upgrade and rehabilitation as they’d reached the end of useful life.