Monarch Chesterfield Levee Design and Reconstruction

Overview:

In 1993, Chesterfield Valley faced historic flooding due to the failure of the Monarch-Chesterfield Levee. The levee district has since authorized its redesign and reconstruction to a 500-year flood level. Geotechnology, under subcontract to Sverdrup Civil, Inc., completed six separate drilling assignments as part of the design phase of its redevelopment program.

Monarch-Chesterfield Levee Reconstruction Project Background

Over 70 borings have been drilled, totaling more than 3,100 lineal feet of drilling. The alluvial deposits that exist in the Chesterfield Valley necessitated the use of rotary wash methods. Such methods were employed for more than 80 percent of the footage drilled. Boring depths up to 100 feet were drilled to confirm depth to bedrock at selected locations.

All borings were grouted upon completion to protect the integrity of the subsurface below the new levee. All work was performed using ATV-mounted drill rigs due to borings being located on the structure’s top or in adjacent fields/wetlands. Each drilling task was completed ahead of schedule and under budget.