When a structural failure at the Demopolis Lock and Dam in Alabama brought barge traffic to a halt on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), R&D Maintenance, and J.F. Brennan Company (Brennan) joined forces to deliver a fast, high-stakes solution. The breach—described by Colonel Jeremy Chapman of USACE as “a hole the size of a school bus”—stopped commercial navigation across two major waterways and threatened economic losses in the millions each month.

We were contracted to replace flashboards and perform apron scour repairs at a hydroelectric dam along the Rock River in the Upper Midwest. Our client is a privately owned entity that owns and operates 80+ hydroelectric facilities throughout the United States.

The project’s significant goals involved increasing the dam’s retainage capacity, protecting the existing spillway structure, and providing an aesthetically pleasing spillway for the community's residents. This project was scheduled for the summer months when flow rates are at their lowest, mainly due to the volatility of the Rock River and the need for a slow-moving current to keep our divers safe. 

We're at Minnesota Power's hydroelectric dam in Scanlon, Minnesota, to replace 7 of the structure's Tainter gates. Extending the life of this renewable energy source by 50 to 100 years, the Scanlon Dam Gate Replacement Project enables the further creation of clean, renewable power provided to local communities. 

We were pulled into the project very early on during the design phase of the project. Both Brennan and Minnesota Power attribute the project's success to early contractor involvement.

We are at the Lock and Dam 19 facility in Keokuk, Iowa, operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Our team replaced an 18,000-LB, 105-FT underwater soundbar with wet-mateable connections (cables and speakers that can be connected and disconnected underwater). This underwater acoustic deterrent system (UADS) upgrade allows divers to replace individual speakers if underperforming rather than continuing to remove the entire system.

Why? The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is spearheading a 3-year study to reduce the number of invasive carp moving toward the Great Lakes. It is the only study on the Mississippi River evaluating a deterrent for invasive carp. 

This year, Brennan's blog posts garnered an impressive readership of over 27,000. An analysis of our most searched topics identified the most significant issues in the environmental and marine construction industries, including those most relevant to our company's operations. This leads us to the question: What were our industry's most frequently researched topics?

We've examined Brennan's most popular articles of the year -- let's count them down!

Sandy Lake Dam is owned by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), St. Paul District. The USACE identified that the original concrete structure needed repairs and improvements to address immediate safety concerns. Because the dam structure was more than 100 years old, the USACE used this as an opportunity to have Brennan rehabilitate the dam and update many of its operational features.

Our new video shows you how we did it! 

J.F. Brennan Company, Inc. (Brennan) announces the promotion of Christopher Rousseau, P.E., F. ASCE to Hydro and Renewable Energy Market Leader. Rousseau’s promotion is announced concurrently with Brennan’s strategic objective to further invest in renewable energy development.

Rousseau will use decades of experience in hydroelectric generation working for Midwest-based utility, Minnesota Power, to support the repair and rehabilitation needs of Brennan’s hydro dam clients. Catering to a huge need for early contractor involvement; Rousseau is bridging the gap between hydroelectric dam owners, engineers, and the contractor teams that perform inspections, maintenance, and rehabilitation work.

Our Pacific Northwest crew mobilized at a hydroelectric facility to repair a fish guidance net at Upper Baker Dam. Upper Baker Dam is 1 of 2 hydroelectric dams on Baker River, near Concrete, WA. The entire Baker River Hydroelectric Project covers nearly 300 square miles.

Upper Baker Dam, a 312-foot-high concrete gravity dam completed in 1959, has a floating surface collector system responsible for attracting and safely holding juvenile salmon for downstream transport around the dam. We supplied dive and topside support teams to assist the prime contractor with the recovery, disassembly, and installation of a new floatation collar on the existing barrier net. This is an essential repair to ensure safe fish passage around the dam.

Marine construction firm J.F. Brennan Company (Brennan) is excited to announce the addition of new Senior Estimator, Government Relations and Hydro Operations Manager Christopher Rousseau, P.E., F. ASCE to its team.

“We are fortunate to have Chris join our team,” says Vice President of Business Development Mark Binsfeld. “His firsthand knowledge of hydroelectric generation and surrounding regulatory factors will allow us to serve our clients more effectively.”

Constructability reviews are imperative to project success. They can save you money, reduce the risk of cost escalation, and are often provided pro-bono by a good contractor. When it comes to requesting a contractor's constructability review, timing is important. If the review is performed too late, problems could result, including confusion surrounding the project, loss of significant time and money, and hefty change orders later in the project. The question then is: when is the optimal time to have a contractor perform a constructability review?