Oroville Dam: Rebuilt spillway recognized for international engineering award

OROVILLE — The American Society of Civil Engineers has recognized the Oroville Dam rebuild as one of 10 outstanding civil engineering projects.

Two runners-up and a winner will be chosen at the 2020 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement gala in Washington D.C. on March 13.

“The award recognizes exemplary civil engineering projects from around the world that contribute to the well-being of people and their communities, showcase the use of innovative materials and techniques and demonstrate resourcefulness in the face of planning or design challenges,” according to a press release from the society.

The Oroville Dam spillway required a quick, six-month-long reconstruction following a break in the concrete of the main spillway in February 2017 that prompted the use of the emergency spillway which caused erosion that threatened the stability of the weir. When the state Department of Water Resources released more water from Lake Oroville down the main spillway, it crumbled into the Diversion Pool and needed a full rebuild.

Other projects recognized are the new Bayonne Bridge between Bayonne, New Jersey and Staten Island, New York; the Queensferry Crossing in Fife, Scotland; the Salesforce Tower in San Francisco; and the Olmstead locks and dam on the Ohio River in Olmstead, Illinois.

The award honors the overall project instead of individuals. Previous winners include the Second Avenue Subway in New York, the Emergency and Carryover Storage Project in San Diego, the Dragon Bridge in Vietnam and the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal Surge Barrier in New Orleans.