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The
Alvarado Reservoirs and Garden project has a variety of unique and unusual
components, most notably its enormous size and its public education
facilities, including an environmentally sensitive nature-study garden
atop one of the reservoirs. The two reservoirs that comprise the project
each hold 21 million gallons of treated water, are circular, prestressed
concrete reservoirs, completely buried except for the roofs, with
diameters in excess of 350 feet. The construction of reservoirs of this
magnitude with prestressed concrete (as opposed to above-ground, welded
steel or rectangular, reinforced concrete) is extremely difficult and
highly unusual.
At
the time of construction, these two reservoirs were the largest such
reservoirs on the West Coast and are among the largest in the world.
Combined, they provide a total storage capacity of 42 million gallons of
drinking water, enough to fill 129 football fields one foot deep.
Construction of these reservoirs required:
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excavation
of 200,000 cubic yards of soil |
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20,000
cubic yards of concrete |
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2.7
million pounds of reinforcing steel |
Additionally,
these reservoirs serve as an educational resource for the local community,
providing information regarding water sources, treatment, and customer
delivery. The Alvarado Garden, which sits atop the East Reservoir,
showcases drought-resistant plant species and surrounds a viewing pavilion
into the reservoir, introducing a visual sense of the tremendous water
quantity needed locally and allowing visitors to hear the water rushing
below their feet. The garden is reached via a wood-planked bridge that
spans the reservoir and is hand-branded with a 5,000 word “Water
Story”—a
series of evocative questions about the history and use of water. This
entire portion of the project was designed by Robert Millar for the San
Diego’s Commission for Arts and Culture.
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"Through all the work, C. E.
Wylie Construction Co. maintained consistent and professional
communications that facilitated exemplary partnering and achievement of
the Owner's quality, safety and budgetary goals. Your personal management
commitment, from NTP through Notice of Completion and beyond to habitat
restoration, has been a key for all project stakeholders."
—Luke Wendel, P.E.,
Construction Manager,
Parsons Engineering Science, Inc. for the City of San Diego
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