Diaphragm Wall Construction Performance Using Hydrocutter Technology at the Center Hill Dam Foundation Remediation Project

From 2012 to 2015 BAUER Foundation Corp. (BFC) performed deep foundation cut off/barrier wall works in the framework of the Center Hill Dam Foundation Remediation Project. This paper introduces the project, the requirements specified by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and the approach taken by BFC. It describes the excavation equipment and excavation methods used. It discusses the steering capabilities of the hydrocutter and the real-time, as-built information provided to the operator via the B-Tronic system that is used to determine when and where to steer the cutter in the excavation. The achieved performance for verticality parameters including deviation and rotation are presented and compared to the requirements. Implications of the use of steerable hydrocutter technology on verticality specifications in complex geologic conditions are discussed.