Eisenhower & Snell Locks Crack Repair

The Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC) owns and operates that portion of the Saint Lawrence Seaway in U.S. territorial waters between Lake Ontario and Montreal, Canada. A major part of its function is the operation and maintenance of Eisenhower and Snell Locks located in Massena, New York. These locks were constructed in the late 1950’s. The lock walls are composed of a series of mass concrete monoliths, with internal galleries and recesses that contain lock machinery and utilities. There are numerous cracks, seams and construction joints in the floors, walls, and/or ceilings of these galleries and recesses that either currently leak water into the space or could leak in the near future. It is necessary to seal the cracks in order to prevent water infiltration and resultant corrosion and damage to equipment and facilities. The project objective is to seal designated cracks in the selected recesses.

SCOPE OF WORK
Emagineered Solutions, Inc. (ESI) was hired to repair an initial scope of 1370 LF of leaking cracks, spread between both the Eisenhower and Snell Locks. The areas of leakage were subject to head pressures of up to 100 ft.  

Work was performed in galleries, vertical shafts, and electrical equipment rooms. ESI used both hydrophobic and hydrophilic polyurethane grouts to treat the variety of crack and leakage scenarios encountered. Emagineered Solutions, Inc. (ESI) was hired to repair an initial scope of 1370 LF of leaking cracks, spread between both the Eisenhower and Snell Locks. The areas of leakage were subject to head pressures of up to 100 ft.  

RESULTS
The initial grouting efforts were so successful that the SLSDC added signficant additional scope to contract. Gushing leaks in the upstream crossunder gallery at Snell Locks were added to the contract and were successfully stopped by ESI’s grouting techniques. When complete, a total of nearly 4,600 LF of cracks had been sealed.