Hydro Generation & Water Conveyance
Project Name
Kaweah Powerhouse No. 1 Flowline Rehabilitation – Phases 1 and 2
Status
Completed
Year Completed
2014 (Phase 1), 2015 (Phase 2)
Location Information
Three Rivers, California
WINNER
2015 AGC of California Constructor Award
Meeting the Challenge of the Difficult Job: Projects $10 Million or Below
Project Summary
The project is located along the mountainside above Kaweah Powerhouse No. 1. Phase I included the demolition and replacement of 2,796 linear feet (LF) of aging flume – including Lennon sheet sections, timber bent substructure, and select footings – at the terminal end of the conveyance facility. Phase 2 was similar to Phase 1 but included two separate sites approximately two miles apart and comprised 2,726 LF and 519 LF, respectively, with over 23,500 manhours worked in less than a 4-month period. The Phase 2 work also required the installation of a bypass system to allow the owner to meet local water user delivery requirements.
Key Challenges
Due to the isolated location, the project required over 570 hours of helicopter support to remove materials from the demolition operation and bring in new materials and equipment. Most of the helicopter work involved precision flying to place concrete for footings and position bent sections onto 4-foot square pads. Syblon Reid specializes in this type of work and has many years of experience on such projects.
Perched on steep terrain, the project also required crews to work from ropes and rappel vertical rock faces to install the new footings and bent sections.