CID Canal Lining Project at Oak Street

The purpose of this lining installation was to prevent water seepage through deteriorating concrete in this section of the canal. The work was done in December but there was still 1 1/2 feet of water in the canal due to ground water and springs from above. The liner was placed and spliced using plywood bridges. The first bridge was left in place to allow water to flow under the liner. The other bridges were leap-frogged ahead allowing the liner to lay directly on the water.

A mini excavator was used to pull the bridges from under the liner and then carried ahead and placed by hand. The membrane liner panels were pulled across and postioned for splicing by two men.

In the left photo above, the worker on the right is kneeling on liner supported by a bridge while the worker on the left is standing on liner supported only by the water beneath. The bridges are ready for removal at the downstream finished end, right photo. The temperature was 20 degree F on Decemeber 22nd, as it was most mornings during this installation. Splicing was not effected by the low temperatures. 

An earth dam was constructed at the upstream end. A two foot deep trench was dug at the end of the concrete, (under water), and a double layer of membrane was laid over the termination edge of the concrete for added protection. Finally the end of the liner was pulled across the trench.

The end of the liner was buried in the trench with concrete while water was removed from behind it with the excavator bucket. Four inch bank rock was spread in the invert for some distance down the canal for ballast and to prevent the water under the liner from flowing back.

That same afternoon the dam was breached. The water flowed down the canal above the liner forcing the water beneath to flow out from under it. The liner settled down the side slopes smoothing out most of the wrinkles. Only backfilling the anchor trenches remained to complete the project one day before the Christmas holiday break.