AEI geotechnical, surveying, environmental, and materials professionals provided services for this high-profile project necessary to fill and stabilize voids in both the earthen portion and karst bedrock foundation of the high hazard Wolf Creek Dam on Lake Cumberland. The dam, more than a mile long and constructed in the early 1950s, creates the largest reservoir east of the Mississippi. Wolf Creek Dam began experiencing leakage problems in the early 1960s and by the early 1970s, remediation was started. Initial grouting efforts were not totally successful. A barrier wall constructed in the late 1970s also did not solve the problem prompting USACE to list the dam in the top six nationally for failure risk. A $750 million project to expand and improve on previous grouting and wall remediation is complete.

AEI authored the Quality Control Manual and established Laboratory Standard Procedures for the on-site concrete and grout batch plant. Grout trial batch testing was also performed in AEI’s USACE validated and AMRL/CCRL accredited laboratory in Glasgow, Kentucky. AEI provided field and laboratory quality control testing for three different grouting contractors responsible for the multi-phased grouting program developed by USACE. During this time, AEI’s laboratory technicians provided the necessary data to allow for appropriate adjustments in the mix designs to achieve the design flow and set of the grout mixtures.

More recently, AEI assisted with evaluation of several Potential Failure Modes (PFM) including a concentrated leak at the right abutment and internal erosion into the rock foundation beyond the slurry wall. AEI performed drilling and installed vibrating wire piezometers linked with the existing automated data acquisition system (ADAS) system at the dam to assess water levels.