Col. Ward Pump Station Upgrade

Challenge: The City of Buffalo needed to upgrade the system of water pumps in the century old pump station. The only open location for the new equipment was occupied by a block of concrete cast when the station was originally built. The new pumps would be at an elevation halfway into the block, a few feet below the level of Lake Erie. Test borings of the concrete block indicated the surface concrete was in good condition, but that partway into the mass the material resembled crushed gravel.

Solutions: A grouting program to repair the concrete to a solid mass and a rock bolt tie down system to keep the partially excavated base from floating were successfully completed before moving on to the pump well cavity build out. GGE’s design also included wall anchors to stabilize the thin walls prior to placing the finished walls.

Results: Testing proved the mettle of the tie down and wall anchors, permitting the excavation and new construction to proceed as needed. The grouting program kept the groundwater away from the work area and allowed all efforts to proceed as planned.