Major Dam Repair: Tackling Leaks and Material Challenges

Core Trench Excavation and Material Issues

• excavating a core trench, encountering significant sand and muddy gumbo material that is prone to caving off.
• ⚠️ The material is described as soupy and wet, making it difficult to pack and hold its shape, requiring a one-bucket-width approach at the bottom.
• 💧 Groundwater is present, and the team is working to get material down to a level of 6 ft below the surface, approximately 4 ft below the current empty pond level.

Compaction and Stabilization Techniques

• 🚧 Static rolling is used initially to pack material without causing collapses, with a cautious approach to vibration.
• 🧱 The weight of the roller helps to pack the material, and some clay content allows it to hold together, though it crumbles off.
• 🛠️ The process involves a continuous cycle of digging, pushing, and packing material to stabilize the trench.

Material Sourcing and Challenges

• 🚚 The team is using tailings from sand washing operations as a primary material, which is a mix of clay and sand.
• ⚠️ This material varies significantly, with layers of clay and sand, and is described as