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Paducah
O h i o R i v e r
OlmstedWickliffeMound CityCairoMetropolisSmithlandJoppa
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M i s s i s s i p p i R i v e r
M i s s i s s i p p i R i v e r
T e n n e s s e e R i v e r
5 miles
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MAPAREAKENTUCKY
Louisville
Lock andDam 52Lock andDam 53
OLMSTEDLOCKS ANDDAMPROJECT
BUILDING A NEW DAMON THE OHIO RIVER
BIG
JOBONE
The Olmsted Dam on the western end of the Ohio River is being built as precast pieces on land that are then moved to the river for completion in one of the largest construction projects under way in the United States. The Army Corps of Engineers’ plan is to build its first dam on a major river without first building temporary coffer dams to create dry areas on the riverbed for construction workers. Instead, the corps and its contractors are manufacturing 3,500-ton to 5,000-ton concrete shells on land, then lifting, moving and lowering them in place, connecting them together like pieces of Lego toys.
CradleShellShell
MAKING A SHELL, THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF THE PROJECT
Using concrete mixed at the site, reinforcement rods and supporting structures, workers build a series of concrete shells on land. Each will become a piece of the dam. The biggest shells are 125 feet by 102 feet and about 30 feet high.
TRAVEL SPEED:
Loaded, the gantry crane travels at 10 feet per minute.
LIFTING CAPACITY:
5,100 tons
Super gantry crane facts and figuresCatamaran barge facts and figures
COST:
$9.5 million (for crane alone, does not include assembly, foundations or lifting equipment).
Catamaran bargeSupergantrycrane
CATAMARAN BARGEPLACING A SHELL
Before placing the shell, the bottom of the river is graded and covered with stone, and foundation piles are driven into the river bottom. Using the most precise global positioning equipment, the shells are lowered into the water in sequence, either on top of each other or next to each other, with a margin of error of less than one inch.
MOVING A SHELL
SupportsSupports
Supports
FrontviewFront view
Once a shell is complete, a steel lifting frame is attached. A special crane built just for the Olmsted project rides on rails to move the shell to the top of a skidway, just above the Ohio River.
Concrete shellSupergantrycraneLifting frame
Lifting frameCradle
Sideview
Skidway
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Ohio River
Supports
LOCKSDAM
DAMLOCKS
CatamaranbargeSupergantrycrane
S k i d w a y
Once each shell is in place, its void is filled with concrete, displacing water.The shell is placed on a wedge-shaped steel cradle with wheels and another piece of equipment slowly lowers the shell down the riverbank, where the catamaran barge waits to pick it up. Gates and wickets will be used to control the water levels. Here’s how they work:
CONTROLLING THE FLOW
When the river is lowWhen the river is high
Cradle
140 ft.160 ft.100 ft.
Sixty four, 36” diameter steel wheels are used to move the cranes
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Aerial photo by Google EarthSTEVE REED/THE COURIER-JOURNALSOURCE: Army Corps of Engineeers
COST:
$19 million (barge alone, does not include assembly or lifting equipment.)
Shell liftersShell liftersShell liftersShell liftersShell liftersShell liftersShell lifters
ShellsSize comparison
PROPULSION:
Two 4,500-horsepower push boats
LIFTING CAPACITY:
4,500 tons
SPEED:
Will not exceed 6 feet per second.The wickets are lowered, allowing barges to navigate over the dam and avoid the locks.Wickets are raised and gates closed, creating a pool forbarge transport and safe passage through the locks.
GatesLocksLocksNavigable passareaWicketsWickets
THE TRIP TO THE PLACEMENT SITE
Equipment on the barge lifts the shell off the cradle and holds the shell in place, while towboats push the barge out to the dam site.
6-foot tall man6-foot tall man
As more water is blocked by the wickets of t
he dam in this area of the river, the water level rises, allowing vessels to pass throughthe locks.As more water is blocked by the wickets o
f the dam in this area of the river, the water level rises, allowing vessels to pass throughthe locks.
N a v i g a b l e d a m s e c t i o n G a t e d d a m s e c t i o n
N a v i g a b l e d a m s e c t i o n G a t e d d a m s e c t i o n
To see videos of the Olmsted Dam Project go to:courier-journal.com/olmsteddam
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