City of Wetaskiwin
Garden Meadows Reservoir Repairs

Project Description

Drinking water for the City of Wetaskiwin is supplied through the Garden Meadows Reservoir and Pump Station. The station was constructed in 1981 and includes two underground storage cells. A pump station covers a portion of the storage cells and originally the reservoir roof was exposed to the outdoors. In earlier years, the roof slab was used as recreational space, hosting tennis courts and a go-cart track. Visibly deteriorating concrete raised concerns of untreated water ingress into the reservoir.

The main objective of the Structural Rehabilitation of the Wetaskiwin Garden Meadows Reservoir Project was to restore a water-tight condition to the reservoir and ensure that the facility can provide safe and reliable water for years to come.

Rather than abandon the aged structure, we were able to employ newer technologies and give the structure new life.

Our solutions included removal and replacement of deteriorated concrete, waterproofing to prevent untreated water ingress through cracks and joints, and insulation with gravel ballast to decrease thermal movement and its effects. These applications solved the major problems of surface water infiltration and concrete deterioration from freeze-thaw cycling and thermal stress.

Project Challenges

Our structural design team was able to identify issues with the initial design and construction that led to premature failure of different elements. Some of these issues were: not enough concrete cover below the pump station slab reinforcing, slab stress from differing joint conditions along the corners, inadequate beam shear reinforcing, and expansion joints that didn’t line up at roof to wall intersections.

Some major project risks we identified:

• Old structure that may not meet current codes and standards

• Maintaining fire flow and protecting the potable water supply

• Contractor expertise

• Concealed conditions

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