Bluestone Dam in West Virginia gets massive anchors into bedrock

Rock anchor used to anchor Bluestone dam to bedrock

Rock anchor used to anchor Bluestone dam to bedrock

After 60 years, the design flood for the Bluestone dam changed requiring a modest raise and a number of other improvements totaling some $130 million thus far and another estimated $200 million in improvements still to go. Check out the size of these anchors being use to anchor the dam foundation into bedrock. This is just one of 150 anchors. The article also discussed how the rock strength parameters used to design the dam 60 years ago were developed using the state of the practice at the time, new rock strength parameters are lower using current design standards. [Source: The Charleston Gazette. Image: Charleston Gazette]