7/28/2019 Olivenhain Dam.pdf
1/3
RETAINING WALL SYSTEM from
Soil Stabilization Products Company, Inc.
THE OLIVENHAIN DAM PROJECT
The construction ofGEOWEBSystem retaining walls made power
lineaccess to the Olivenhain Dam possible over mountainous
terrain.
PhotocourtesyofSanDiegoGas
&E
lectric,
2003.
GEOWEB is a registered trademark of Presto Products Company.
2003 Soil Stabilization Products Company, Inc. - All Rights
Reserved.
February 2001February 2001February 2001February 2001February
2001
Construction ofGEOWEB Retaining Wall Prior to Construction of
the Olivenhain Dam
February 2003February 2003February 2003February 2003February
2003
The Olivenhain Dam and CompletedGEOWEB Retaining Wall
GEOWEB Retaining WallGEOWEB Retaining WallGEOWEB Retaining
Wall
7/28/2019 Olivenhain Dam.pdf
2/3
The San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) imports watfrom the
California State Water Project, a 500 mile long connectio
to water sources in northern California, and from the Colorado
Rivvia a 200 mile long aqueduct system. The San Diego area has
bedependent on distant water resources for more than a
centurBecause it crosses several fault lines the system has always
beenrisk due to Californias susceptibility to earthquakes.
Consequentin 1998, an $827 million project was approved in order to
construthe Olivenhain Dam and related water system improvements.
Thgoal of the project co-owners, SDCWA and Olivenhain MunicipWater
District, was to secure sufficient water storage capacity sustain
the region through a prolonged interruption of its importwater
supply. The Olivenhain Dam is the centerpiece of the projeThis 318
foot tall dam, located adjacent to a county park, will bthe largest
dam constructed of roller-compacted concrete (RCC) the United
States. The dam itself is designed to remain ful
operational following an earthquake of up to Richter
magnitu7.25. This project is featured in an article in the April
2003 issof Civil Engineering magazine titled Building the
Olivenhain.
Since the Olivenhain Dam will serve as a holding reservoir,
SDiego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) needed to route power lines
ovthe rugged terrain that surrounded the future reservoir. Their
missiwas to provide power for a pump station that will fill the
Olivenhareservoir from the nearby SDCWA aquaduct. In order to place
t
power line towers securely on the steep hillsides with minimal
visuimpact, a natural appearing reinforced retaining wall system
wneeded. Working with Soil Stabilization Products Company
In(SSPCo), SDG&E engineers selected the Presto GEOWEBCellular
Confinement System retaining wall as the best match f
the job.
A number of crucial issues had to be overcome. Typical of
hitension towers in rough terrain, the footprints of the sites
where thGEOWEB System walls would be placed were very tight. This
also a remote area and the access routes to the sites were
limit
by requirements that construction take place with minimal
impaThe power lines cross through the Elfin Forest Recreational
Reserva park administered by the San Diego County Parks
DepartmenBecause GEOWEB System sections are light and easily
handlwhile they are being installed, the goal of minimal site
impact weasily met as crews were able to install the GEOWEB
Systewithout the need for cranes or other heavy lifting equipment
osite. Installation was quickly completed by small crews,
workinwith a tracked excavator, a backhoe and a vibratory
plate.
Due to concerns regarding potential wildfires within the
powerlicorridor, the GEOWEB System wall faces were not
vegetateTypical ofGEOWEB System walls built for SDG&E over the
padecade, these walls were all infilled with crushed stone
andeliberately left free of any vegetation. Thanks to the tan
coloretexturized face of the GEOWEB System walls, the
finishestructures blend into the natural surroundings with minimal
visuimpact.
2003 Soil Stabilization Products Company, Inc. - All Rights
ReservedGEOWEB is a registered trademark of Presto Products
CompanyThe SSPCo globe logo is a registered trademark of Soil
Stabilization Products Company, Inc.
GEOWEB System Retaining Walls:Providing Power Line Access for
the Olivenhain Dam
