After the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers called for the emergency closure and repair of the Columbia lock and dam on the Ouichita River, the Corps’ Vicksburg District knew their team would be working against the clock to prevent the structure’s failure and avert an economic, social and environmental catastrophe.

What the project team didn’t know was that the voids undermining the structure were significantly larger than expected.

With much of the structure underwater, the team relied heavily on divers for portions of the construction.

The project team drilled nearly 300 holes throughout the structure to determine the full size of the voids. They used grout and specially formulated concrete to fill the holes so the lock could reopen to navigation.

Back to Honoring a Wide Range of Outstanding Work