Olmos Dam Restoration - San Antonio, Texas
The Olmos Dam has protected residents of downtown San Antonio from floodwaters since the 1920s and – thanks in part to the concrete core drilling expertise of Aggregate Technologies, Inc. – will continue to do so in the future.
Original construction of the dam begin after the deadly flood of 1921, which inundated much of the business district and drowned about 50 people. The Olmos Dam was completed in 1926 and has played a crucial role in stemming the flow of the San Antonio River ever since.
Owned by the City of San Antonio and situated on Olmos Creek in Bexar County, the dam recently received a $4 million upgrade, its most significant in more than three decades. Funding for the project was approved in 2007, when Bexar County residents voted to use flood-control bonds to strengthen the dam, which has been impounding an increased amount of runoff as San Antonio has grown over the years.
ATI’s work involved core drilling more than a hundred 18-inch-wide by 4-foot-deep holes, each with 36-inch wide by six inch deep overdrills. ATI drilled the cores at 6-foot intervals along the face of the dam, which is sloped at a 45-degree angle. The holes will be used for soil stabilization anchors; cable tendons will be inserted to strengthen the dam’s bond with the bedrock below. Construction work for the entire project is expected to be completed in July 2011.
With its extensive core drilling experience and state-of-the-art equipment, ATI once again demonstrated that it was the right contractor for the job.
San Antonio Express-News article: Olmos Dam Gets UpgradeBexar County Flood Control press release
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