Revised 8 March 2002
PM Don Getty

A.     PROJECT DESCRIPTION                                                 

Kentucky Lock is located in western Kentucky at Mile 22.4 of the Tennessee River.  A feasibility report completed in 1992 recommended a new 110' x 1200' lock adjacent and landward of the existing 110' x 600' lock.  The project was authorized for construction in WRDA 96 and construction commenced in July 1998. 

B.     GENERAL

Significant activities, issues raised, and decisions made during the month on the project include :

Construction activities:

·        Upstream Cofferdam – C. J. Mahan completed the initial phase of dry excavation and constructed a causeway for grouting operations in February.  Drilling operations for the grout lines commenced the week of 4 March.  Grouting activities should be the predominant activities into June.  Scheduled completion date for this $11.3M contract is January 2004. 

·        Bridge Substructures –  C.J. Mahan completed excavation for the west bank railroad piers of R1 and R2 this month, and pile driving for R2 commenced the week of 4 March.  During excavation of R2, timber piles were uncovered from the abutment of the ICG railroad bridge that was abandoned in the mid 1940’s.  It is expected that these wooden piles will not significantly affect pile driving for this pier.  Current plans are to commence mobilization for marine operations in April.  Scheduled completion date for this $36.6M contract is April 2004.

·        TVA Transmission Towers –    Final testing of the soil anchors on the temporary retaining wall were completed this month.  TVA’s Heavy Equipment Division is expected back on site in March to perform the minor earthwork necessary to complete this wall. 

·        West Bank Hwy/RR Embankment – Wet and cold weather over the last few months have prevented any significant activities on the embankment construction by Murray Paving.  It is expected that embankment construction will restart by the end of March if Mother Nature cooperates.  This $5.9M contract is over 80% complete.

·        Benton Wetlands – Issuing the notice to proceed on this contract is being deferred until dryer weather will allow site grading to commence.

C.     PROGRESS FOR THE MONTH:

Environmental/Recreation

·        Mussel Mitigation –  

·        Lake Survey Reports – The 95% report on the surveys performed in Barkley and Kentucky Lakes are still under review.

·        Tailwater data compilation – The 95% submittal on this work is under review.

·        Tailwater Fishing Mitigation (West Bank Jetties) – Protracted efforts are continuing to modify Murray Paving’s contract to have the jetties constructed. 

WES Navigation Model

Status – A draft final report is currently under review.

WES Lock Model

A draft report documenting the conditions due to the new short approach wall is under development.

Lock Design

In-house.  The main focus of in-house resources is to manage A/E contracts and continue in-house design efforts.  Work is continuing on:

- Culvert Bulkhead Air Seal design, Recess fillers, ladders, mooring bit recess metals, and handrail.

 - Engineers are working to draft concrete material and mix specifications.

 - Middle wall fill containment structures for the upstream and downstream areas are being designed.

 - P&S on lock lighting and floating mooring bits.

- Value Engineering Studies for the Upstream Floating Approach Wall are underway.  During the week of 4 March, the VE team made a site visit to Olmsted and its casting yard where they are constructing Olmsted’s floating approach walls that are similar to those currently proposed for KY Lock’s upstream walls.  A significant result of the site visit was the refinement of unit prices for the concrete work.

Miter Gate Design.  Louisville District has completed P&S design of the miter gates.  INCA has completed the engineer’s check of the P&S and supplied comments to LRL.  LRL designers are wrapping up revisions to the design from these computation checks.

Site Utilities –   Review comments for the 95% Design Memorandum submittal were provided to MWH and revisions are underway.  MWH has initiated P&S portion of the U/S Lock Excavation site utilities.

Upstream Monolith Design –  In February, Black & Veatch transmitted their 70% submittal on the DM level design of the Upstream Lock Monoliths.  This submittal includes the final stability analysis and the thermal analysis (including both parametric studies and cracking analysis).  B&V has initiated a stress analysis of the upstream monoliths which will include design of the reinforcing.  A review meeting for the 70% submittal is scheduled for 19 March at KY Lock.

Downstream Lock Design -  Huntington District transmitted their 50% progress submittal on the downstream monolith Phase I designs in late Feb.  This submittal includes monolith stability and geometry refinements.  A comment resolution and coordination meeting is planned at the KY Lock site after review. 

New Operations Building & Maintenance Complex –  MWH’s is incorporating the decisions from 60% comments into their next submittal.

East Bank Roadways/Site Plan P&S –  American Consulting Engineers submitted a revised folio for the east bank roadways and site plan at the 12 Feb. 2002 review meeting (minutes available).  Significant decisions made at the meeting include:

·        The main intersection will not be offset and will include stop signs for the Ferry Landing road and the Operations Access road.  This configuration will require design changes to ensure that traffic is calmed prior to entering the public parking lot.

·        The final east bank embankment’s top elevation will remain at elevation 388.0 but its alignment for tie-in to high ground has not been finalized.

·        The plaza concept was abandoned due to many technical hurdles that were going to be costly to overcome.  It will be replaced by a “gathering area” that will be located adjacent to the public parking lot.

·        A cart path will be added from the new maintenance compound to the new lock’s landwall.

Disposal/Contractor Laydown Areas

Vulcan Materials Disposal Site – No activities on this feature have occurred in the last month.

Cofferdam Design

Downstream cofferdam -   The Downstream Cofferdam A-E’s, Bergmann/Gerwick/D'Appolonia, were in Nashville on 8 January to discuss comment responses to the 70% P&S design submittal (minutes available).  The meeting highlighted the need for Nashville to coordinate concrete specifications and connection of the cofferdam to future lock structures being designed by others.  Efforts are underway to issue a task order to B/G/D’A to complete the P&S for this cofferdam.

Materials DM

WES is continuing testing on concrete mixes and aggregates. 

Relocations

·        RR/Hwy Design

·        East Bank Approaches – A 96% submission on Specifications was made in January and a review meeting was held on 11 Feb.  Major decisions/discussions at the meeting were:

·        Riprap gradations to be specified were confirmed.

·        A detention basin was added to the drainage design.

·        Payment methods for the excavation of unsuitable material was discussed.

·        It was decided to keep the original design of the retaining wall for tower No. 1.

·        West Bank RR Embankment Extension Modification – Efforts are continuing in modifying Murray Paving’s contract to perform this work.

·        Superstructure Design –  Negotiation efforts with Hanson for developing P&S for the railroad superstructure have been completed and a contract modification should be awarded in March.  A superstructure coordination meeting was held on 12 Feb.  Significant decisions/discussions at the meeting include:

·        Coordination efforts and data collection efforts with Vulcan Materials need to be re-initiated in conjunction with final design efforts for modifying Vulcan’s box bridge under P&L RR.

·        Hanson and ACE will be applying for FAA permits for the bridges.

·        Details to get W. KY Rural Electric Power to the east bank abutment of the new RR bridge need to be developed.

·        A decision on the limits of removal of the existing WB RR embankment is still pending and will possibly impact access to underground utilities.

·        Criteria for safety features associated with inspection of the new RR bridge were agreed upon.

Miscellaneous

KY Lock Telephone Directory – A list of all organizations and key personnel involved in the design of this project that contains their address, phone numbers and email addresses is available upon request to Don Getty, (615) 736-2346 [don.b.getty@lrn02.usace.army.mil].

Future Project Meetings

·        19 March – 70% Review meeting on U/S Lock Monoliths at BAR/R.

·        22 March, 0930 – Instrumentation coordination meeting at Nashville District

·        22 March 0800 – U/S Lock Excavation coordination meeting at Nashville District

End of Report