Vinyl Sheeting in Dam
Vinyl Sheeting in Dam
(OP)
I'm working on a small dam rehab. It is a small (<10 ft high) earthen gravity dam that was originally built in the mid 1800s. It had a wooden cutoff wall to bedrock that has long since rotted out and been replaced numerous times. The owner wants to keep construction methods historical but I'm not liking the use of the wooden wall.
Anybody have any experience or resources with vinyl or rigid plastic sheeting that could be installed by hand or with conventional excavation machinery.
Thanks
-Erich
Anybody have any experience or resources with vinyl or rigid plastic sheeting that could be installed by hand or with conventional excavation machinery.
Thanks
-Erich





RE: Vinyl Sheeting in Dam
www.PeirceEngineering.com
RE: Vinyl Sheeting in Dam
Yes bedrock is right at the bottom of the dam, the owner was planning on replacing the wood in kind by lowering the water in the dam and excavating out the old cutoff wall. My current plan is to attemp to trench into the bedrock and place sheeting in that trench maybe with some cement/bentonite grout at the toe.
But I'm looking for some references for the plastic sheeting. All the info my google-fu can find is for manufacturers in the UK or Europe. Here in New England I can't find anything.
RE: Vinyl Sheeting in Dam
It will be easier to place.
If you want a plastic membrane, joining the adjacent sheets will be difficult. backfilling either side would also require selected material to ensure you do not rupture the membrane. I prefer HDPE to PVC, mainly because of puncture resistance.
RE: Vinyl Sheeting in Dam
www.PeirceEngineering.com
RE: Vinyl Sheeting in Dam
www.PeirceEngineering.com
RE: Vinyl Sheeting in Dam
Jet grouting does not seem like a good candidate for this site for several reasons, beginning with the cost of mobilizing equipment for such small dam.
If the wood is to be removed and a new cutoff to be installed in open cut, see http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=265437. The cut slopes would need to be laid back pretty flat if workers would ever be in the trench. That could take out most of the dam.
Regards,
DRG
RE: Vinyl Sheeting in Dam