Located 3 miles northwest of Ponce, Puerto Rico, the Portugues Dam was constructed as part of a flood control project. The $216.8-million project included the construction of a 220-ft-high, roller-compacted concrete single-center thick arch dam with a crest length of 1,230 ft and a 110.6-ft-thick base. Construction required an estimated 367,000 cu yd of roller-compacted concrete (RCC), an approach that lowered costs. The dam is the first single-center arched RCC dam built in the U.S. and the first RCC project in Puerto Rico.

Photo courtesy of Dragados USA

The Portugues Dam project won an Award of Merit in the water and environment category of ENR Southeast's Best Projects contest.

Award of Merit, Water and Environmental — Portugues Dam, Portugues and Bucana Rivers Project Ponce, Puerto Rico

Key Players

Contractor Dragados USA, New York

Owner/Designer U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville, Fla.