Overview
The Cooling Pond Soil Cement Replacement Project extended the lifespan of the existing cooling pond and provide additional protection against severe tropical storms and hurricanes. The cooling pond is a key component of the power plant as it circulates and feeds cooling water to the plant’s intake structures.

Scope of Work
Ballard Marine Construction was awarded the Design-Build contract in the Fall of 2016 to construct 10,000 linear feet of soil cement protection system on the west side of the pond dike.

Innovative Solutions
The soil cement protection system, including 10,000 linear feet of soil cement protection system on the west side of the pond dike, is unique consisting of six-inch thick precast panels that are placed on the face of the dike and act as the outer face of the protection system, protecting the soil cement against wind and wave action encountered during storm activities. The precast panel sits at least twelve inches off the face of the soil cement.

Results
The twelve-inch interstitial space between the face of the soil cement and underside of precast panel was filled with over 21,000 cubic yards of lightweight cellular concrete fill that was placed with precision lifts and extensive quality control to prevent washout and panel lifting.