Innovative Reservoir Intake Design and Construction Earns Marvin M. Black Excellence in Partnering Award
April 13, 2006
GREENVILLE, S.C.—The Crowder Construction/Greenville Water System/CDM team has been awarded the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) Marvin M. Black Excellence in Partnering Award for the recent Table Rock Reservoir intake initiative. The award, named for AGC's 1991 president, is awarded to innovative projects that emphasize success through collaboration and team effort. CDM provided design, construction engineering and field inspection services, geotechnical exploration drilling and laboratory testing, and geophysical exploration for the intake project.
The new reservoir intake facilitates the efficient withdrawal of water from Table Rock Reservoir near Greenville, South Carolina, that is then conveyed to a water treatment plant-providing reliable, high-quality drinking water for Greenville and the surrounding communities. By replacing the existing intake, one that required frequent maintenance, with a new intake at a lower depth, Greenville Water System increased the amount of available water for the area during times of drought.
Through a forward-thinking strategy, a specially designed rock tunnel boring machine was used to construct a rock tunnel for the intake and an intake shaft was drilled into bedrock from a barge. This approach not only kept the reservoir at normal pool level during construction, but also resulted in a more reliable intake. The project also incorporated new wedge-wire screens that use an air-backwash system to remove accumulated debris and reduce the amount of debris that enters the raw water transmission mains.
Throughout the course of the project, the team exhibited precedent-setting collaboration through a formal partnering process that included regular team meetings, a focus group of key executives from each team, a proactive safety incentive program funded by the owner and contractor, and a collaborative shop drawing review process to identify any major concerns and to expedite construction.