Last March, the metal and wood roof over the City of Cashmere’s Sherman Reservoir cracked under the weight of snow, threatening the integrity of the city’s drinking water. The Wenatchee World recently reported on the City’s efforts to replace the damaged roof with one made from heavier, sturdier concrete. Aspect’s geotechnical team contributed to this critical project to get the reservoir back under safe cover.
Senior Geotechnical Engineer Nick Szot in Aspect’s Wenatchee office began by inspecting the reservoir walls for cracks, and excavating test pit explorations near the reservoir tank to analyze the soil’s strength and capacity to bear the weight of a heavier roof. Informed by collaborative geotechnical and structural analyses from Aspect and structural engineering firm Leslie Engineering, the City chose to enlarge and retrofit an interior column’s footing to support the heavier concrete panel roof and limit differential settlement to tolerable levels.
The concrete panels are now being put in place, supported by the foundations Aspect helped to design. Read more about this project in the Wenatchee World.