The Remediation of Buckeye Lake Dam, Ohio: Deep Mixing as an Interim Risk Reduction Measure and Key Component of Final Design

Rehabilitation of Buckeye Lake Dam in central Ohio presented significant logistical and technical challenges given the history of the site, limited access and the proximity of private residences to the work. Covering almost 200 years, Buckeye Lake has a rich and varied history of industry and recreation. Presently a State Park administered under the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the seepage, stability and hydraulic performance of the existing embankment dam was deemed unacceptable necessitating rehabilitation of the structure. Flanked by private residential and commercial properties at the downstream dam crest, construction of the new seepage barrier and new dam necessitated selection of appropriate construction methods and close coordination with the public. After presenting a brief history of the site, this paper focuses primarily on the different deep soil mixing methods utilized to construct the seepage barrier as well as the use of additional deep soil mixing downstream of the seepage barrier to construct a composite gravity dam structure.