Kiewit’s Powell Spillgate Rehabilitation project received the Gold Award of Excellence from the Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA).
Peter Kiewit Sons ULC finished upgrades to the 108-year-old Powell River Dam in British Columbia one month early. The project team removed and replaced 19 radial spillway gates. It installed hoist and spillway control systems for remote control of seven of the gates. These seismic improvements allow the reservoir to be operated at full capacity after years of being limited to lower reservoir elevations.
Crews worked 30,000 man-hours without a lost time or recordable incident. They completed the work on an active reservoir in close proximity to high-voltage, overhead power lines.
Brandon Proc was Kiewit’s project manager and oversaw the work, which stretched over two construction seasons.
“The winter break between the first and second seasons provided an opportunity to regroup and dial in the plan for the remaining work,” Proc said. “The group came together in the second season to complete the project with no recordable injuries, ahead of schedule and under budget. It is very gratifying to see everyone’s efforts acknowledged with this award.”
VRCA is British Columbia’s largest construction association with close to 700 members. The Powell Spillgate project was the top recipient in the up to $15 million category. This is Kiewit’s first award from the VRCA, which is considered British Columbia’s premier construction awards ceremony.