THE ADMINISTRATOR SPEAKS
An outstanding feature of this pamphlet descriptive of the Lou-
donville Reservoir Project, written by a member of the Engineering
firm which designed and supervised the work, is, I believe, the em¬
phatically affirmative answer it gives to the often asked question,
"Can relief labor be profitably utilized in private employment on
any but the lower grades of work ?"
Here, on the testimony of a nationally known engineering firm,
is evidence that WPA workers can and have done an intricate big
job of the highest type of construction work expeditiously and well.
The New York State WPA Administration indorses and con¬
fidently offers this proof of WPA efficiency for the consideration of
all the public and particularly for employers of labor who so far have
failed adequately to avail themselves of the great reservoirs of workers
which WPA activities have set up and trained throughout the length
and breadth of the land.
The New York State WPA Administration is proud of the
Loudonville Reservoir Project. It gives to the City of Albany posi¬
tive and permanent assurance of water supply safety and marks an¬
other exceedingly worth while accomplishment in President Roose¬
velt's great humanitarian program.
LESTER W. HERZOG,
Works Progress Administrator, New York State.
AIA/D A PQI/^ Benjamin L. Smith
jj ■ til V* ^7 Whitman, Requardt & Smith, Consulting Engineers
Wahoo! Victory over mechanical and natural obstacles was registered here when crews
working from opposite ends completed this tunnel, approximately forty-five feet under¬
ground, connecting Basin C with the city water system.
The construction of Basin C of the Loudonville
Reservoir for the City of Albany, by the Works Prog¬
ress Administration, concludes the latest chapter in
the colorful history of the Capital City of the Empire
State. This most recent chapter opens in 1926, with
the inauguration of the Port Development Project and
the decision to discontinue, for all time, the use of the
Hudson River as a water supply for the city. No longer
were "Albany Sore Throat" and the many diseases,
which had their origin in Albany's unclean wells and
river drinking water of the past century, to be a men¬
ace to the city. Plans were formulated to obtain an
adequate, pleasant and safe water supply from an up¬
land source in the Helderbergs. The last chapter closes
with the completion of this distribution reservoir
basin, which, in itself, holds five days supply of moun¬
tain water and, in augmenting the basins previously
constructed, safeguards the new gravity supply
against any possible interruption of service.
Albany is the most historic community in the
country, functioning continuously from the time of its
original settlement, by the explorers of the Dutch East
India Company. In 1614, six years before the May¬
flower landed at Plymouth, Albany was established as
a fur trading center, at the very point where Henry
Hudson landed his Half Moon five years previously,
in 1609. This English navigator had started in search
of a shorter route to the Dutch East Indies, by sailing
around the Northern edge of Europe and continuing on
Eastward. Encountering the ice packs of the Arctic
Ocean, the sailing vessel with its crew of eighteen or
twenty Hollanders, headed back down the long stormy
coast of Norway, as they had come.
Henry Hudson was not the man to go back to his
employers with a story of easy defeat. Why not sail
West to the Indies, instead of East through the bitter
cold of the Arctic Ocean? Arriving near the coast of
Maine, Hudson cruised down the American Coast, al¬
ways looking for the channel that was to take him
through the small strip of land that he was sure was
all that separated him from the Pacific. Sailing as far
South as Virginia, he turned about and headed North
again. Discovering that the waters of Delaware,Bay
were too shallow to take them to the East, they con¬
tinued Northward and dropped anchor off Sandy Hook.
Part of the crew went ashore to barter heads and cloth
with the Indians and the remainder of the crew de¬
parted in a small boat to explore what is now called
the Upper Bay, actually the mouth of the Hudson
River. Continuing up the great river, many miles, they
encountered shallow water and anchored. Henry Hud¬
son and Mate Juet knew that China did not lie ahead
of them. The Half Moon could go no farther. The end
of their journey was not to be the Indies, but the site
of the future city of Albany—now a seaport, 150 miles
from the ocean, where annually, more than 250 ships
receive and discharge cargoes.
Equally dramatic is the history of the Hudson and
the river valley, as told by the scientists. Long before
the ancestors of the Indians made their way into
America from Asia, the Eastern coast of this continent
was elevated several thousand feet higher above the
level of the sea. A valley, perhaps a thousand feet
deep, extended along the present Hudson to the sea.
When the ice sheets of the Great Ice Age melted, the
lower valley of the Hudson was choked with gravel,
clay and sand, left by the melting glaciers. Thus a
natural dam was foymed across the Hudson South of
Albany.
The dam held back the water of the melting ice and
formed a large lake, sometimes called Lake Albany,
which flooded the entire present Capital District. The
geologist can trace its shore line in the clay, gravel
and sand beds, which were left behind. Some of these
old deposits are being used today and are commercially
valuable. The materials forming the concrete lining
of Basin C can be traced to the sand and gravel de¬
posited in the bed of Lake Albany.
During the same geological period, the Great Lakes
to the North poured their waters through the Mohawk
valley, instead of down the St. Lawrence River, which
was still buried under the ice. The sand that was de¬
posited in Lake Albany may be seen in the yellow
hills, which lie all about the Capital District. The
basins of the Loudonville Reservoir are, in fact, a
chain of lakes along the shore line of Lake Albany.
Comparatively little is known of the source of
water supply used by Albany immediately following
its settlement. The City was granted a charter by
Governor Thomas Dongan on July 22, 1686, at a time
when its inhabitants numbered less than two thousand.
Sometime later a Dutch visitor suggested in a letter
that the water of the community could be made more
healthful and palatable by the addition of suitable
quantities of rum. For a long time the city probably
obtained water from the clean Hudson, from wells and
from sparkling streams in the vicinity. The country¬
side being so sparsely settled, all of these sources at
that time must have lieen clear and palatable.
The first record established on the City's water
supply begins in 1802, when the Common Council per¬
mitted the Albany Water Works Company to organ¬
ize. This Company obtained from Patroons Creek and
from Maezlandtkill a sufficient quantity of water and
distributed it to the citizens by means of wooden pipes
and metal conductors, obtainable in those days. Pri¬
vate wells, however, were used for a long time by Al¬
banians, who were quite satisfied with water which one
visitor declared to be "scarcely drinkable." In 1811 a
distributing reservoir of hewn stone was built at the
corner of Eagle and Columbia Streets, the site of the
present County Building. The entire system was pur¬
chased by the City in 1851.
With the continued growth of the City and the
further development on the hills to the West of the
original settlement, it soon became necessary to ob¬
tain an additional supply of water and to modify and
extend the original water system. In 1872, the Quacken-
bush Pumping Station was constructed, taking the
water directly from the Hudson River. In the mean¬
time, additional reservoirs were built at sufficient ele¬
vation to supply the higher levels.
The river water was untreated and by 1885 the
typhoid death rate had become so high that serious
consideration was given to the abandonment of this
source. After extended investigation a slow sand filter
plant was built in 1898 and, with subsequent modifica¬
tions, remained in use until 1932 when the Hudson
River supply was discontinued and a new gravity sup¬
ply from the Helderbergs was introduced. The increas¬
ing pollution in the Hudson River, the difficulty of
filtering this water, the necessity of utmost vigilance
in obtaining continuously, a sterile water, the high
cost of filtration and pumping, the sentimental antip¬
athy of the citizens of Albany in using a water in which,
the untreated sewage of cities immediately above had
poured, the chemical taste of the water, the inade¬
quacy of pressure in the high level districts of the
city, the need of greater storage within the city limits,
in which these disadvantages would be absent, are
among the reasons why Albany built its new upland
supply from the Helderberg Mountains.
The new supply impounds the runoff of Hanna-
crois and Basic Creeks from about forty-nine square
miles of Helderberg Mountain land, situated South¬
west of the City. From the impounding reservoirs of
these streams, Albany may draw thirty million gal¬
lons daily at all times. Water flows to the City by
gravity through a forty-eight-inch pressure pipe, a
total distance of twenty miles, being filtered at a
2
a; u
WPA men worked in all kinds of weather and under all sorts of conditions to make
their splendid record in completing Basin C.
modern rapid sand filtration plant about nine miles
outside of the city. The system as originally built in¬
cluded a large distribution reservoir at Loudonville
on the North edge of the City where the water is stored
for purposes of excessive use, as at times of fire and
for the City's needs whenever repairs are required on
the transmission pipe. This reservoir was divided into
two basins, A and B, providing storage of one hundred
million gallons of water.
The new llelderberg supply is the initial develop¬
ment of a comprehensive plan of meeting the water
needs of Albany for many years to come. It makes
future provision for the utilization of the flows of Ten
Mile Creek and Catskill Creek to the Southwest. Dams
at these streams will be of sufficient elevation to per¬
mit the water to flow to the City by gravity. The addi¬
tional construction can be carried out in stages, so that
the first increment of supply results in a yield of 52.5
million gallons per day. The second increment makes
it possible to furnish a total of <69 million gallons per
day, sufficient to meet the requirements of Albany
until the year 2000.
The plan provides for additional facilities, such as
a second supply conduit from the Alcove Dam to the
City, enlargement of the new filtration plant, and ex¬
tension of the Loudonville Reservoir. When Basins A
and B of Loudonville Reservoir were constructed the
City of Albany acquired the necessary land for con¬
struction of Basin C.
Albany has been the center, successively, of the fur
trade, the lumber industry and the foundry and stove
industry. Following the removal of the lumber and
foundry industries to other centers, the growth of the
City was retrograde for a time in the latter part of
the nineteenth century. Beginning about 1910, the
City had a relatively rapid, but normal growth. This
growth, however, began to diminish. The increase in
population from 1910 to 1915, was 7,726 as compared
with a growth of 5,465 in the period from 1915 to
1920, and a growth of 4,476 from 1920 to 1925.
The civic movement resulting in the creation of the
Port of Albany and the construction of a water sup¬
ply of excellent quality was undoubtedly the factor
that provided the impetus for Albany's upward trend.
Population increased by 9,438 in the five years from
1925 to 1930. Three years will elapse before another
census is taken, but there is reason to believe that
Albany will be a city of about 140,000 population even
though depression has occupied a great part of the
period.
3
PLAN
100 200 300 400 500
«-Top of Barm, Elev. 356.0
p f Inlet Tower
BASIN "C"
/•Normal Water Level, Elev. 351
Top of Barm, Elev 556.0
Concrete Lminq
-36" C.I. Inlet Pipe
BASIN "B"
r Normal Water Level,Elev. J5I
/-Concrete Lining
-36" C.I. Outlet & Drain
BASIN A
/-Normal Water Level , Elev 351
/-Concrete Lining
^—24" C.I Drain
Top of Berrn, Elev 356.0-
The poor quality of water from the Hudson River
was undoubtedly an element contributing to the slug¬
gish growth of Albany. Industries hesitated to estab¬
lish themselves in a community where the water sup¬
ply was of questionable quality. A chemical analysis
of the City's water would result in the moving of a
plant to another City where industrial wastes, objec¬
tionable color or high chlorine content were not present
to cause damage to the finished product.
The new water supply, completed in 1932, was an
economical investment, effecting savings to the cit¬
izens of Albany in many respects. This supply has re¬
quired no pumping, in contrast to the Hudson River
source, from which all of the water used by Albany
was lifted into the Prospect and Bleecker Reservoirs
at an annual cost of considerably over $100,000. The
Helderberg water has required about one-fifth the
amount of alum necessary for the Hudson River water,
and the use of chlorine has been reduced to one-third
the former requirement. The total saving in pumping
and chemical costs has been sufficient to contribute
in large measure to the fixed charges on the new
supply.
The water of the Helderberg supply is considerably
softer than the water from the Hudson River. This
results in a lesser use of soap in laundry and wash¬
ing work. The soap hardness of the tap water since
the introduction of the new supply is forty-three parts
per million, while for the year 1931-32 the soap hard¬
ness of the water from the Hudson averaged seventy
parts per million. Interpreted in items of the com¬
mon soaps in use, it may be computed that to soften
100 gallons of the former Hudson River tap water re¬
quired 1.61 pounds of composite soap, while the new
Helderberg Mountain tap water would require 1.08
pounds of this soap to soften the same quantity of
water. It is thus evident that a saving of soap to the
amount of thirty-three per cent is effected by the use
of the new water supply.
The introduction of the mountain supply brought
about another saving to the citizens of Albany, which
was not fully anticipated. For many years, the cit¬
izens were in the habit of purchasing spring water
for drinking purposes, in lieu of the unpleasant Hud¬
son River water. The spring water business had grown
to considerable proportions. When the new supply was
turned on the citizens found the water to be clear,
sparkling, pleasant tasting, with a total absence of
chemical odor or taste. It is difficult to estimate the
total saving, but perhaps $60,000 a year is not far
from the amount no longer spent by the citizens of Al¬
bany to purchase water for drinking purposes.
Albany was late in experiencing the effect of the
depression. Construction of the new water supply con¬
tinued through the year 1932, and from 1930 to 1933
the City added about two miles of streets to the one
hundred and fifty-six miles of pavement already ex¬
isting. Up to the present Albany has fully discharged
its obligations to those who suffered by reason of
economic distress, and at the same time has main¬
tained a sound financial position. In spite of shrink¬
age of property assessments and necessary expendi¬
tures to provide for the unemployed, the City's bud¬
get has been reduced and the tax rate progressively
decreased.
As late as 1933, the per capita retail sales in Al¬
bany were 51.7 per cent above the average for this
section of the country and 134 per cent above the
national average. The possibility of dire want and seri¬
ous unemployment affecting the City seemed to be re¬
mote. It was later realized that no community can
escape from the effects of depression that is nation¬
wide and it was necessary for Albany to find a means
of providing for those who were destitute through no
fault of their own.
Work was initiated through the Federal Civil
Works Administration, the State Temporary Emer¬
gency Relief Administration, and subsequently, the
Works Progress Administration. At the same time,
public improvements were carried out with Federal
aid from the Public Works Administration.
In the Fall of 1935, it was foreseen that employ¬
ment or relief must be provided for large numbers of
men during the next twelve months. To provide re¬
lief alone would have cost the City of Albany several
hundred thonsand dollars with no tangible benefit re¬
sulting from such an expenditure.
The new water supply had been recently completed,.
affording to the citizens benefits of which they had
long been deprived. The water, of undisputed quality,
was available in sufficient amount to supply the City's
needs for many years in the future. With a single pipe
line from the source of supply, and five days' storage
of filtered water held in reserve at Loudonville, the
former Hudson River supply was being maintained as
a reserve to guard against any possible interruption
of supply.
To increase the storage at Loudonville through the
construction of Basin C would provide a sufficient
amount of filtered water within the City of Albany to
meet the City's demands for a period of ten days in
the event of a complete interruption of service from
the source of supply, however remote. The supply works
at the Hudson River could be dismantled and aban¬
doned. Construction of the new basin could be started
immediately, offering the solution of creating the
much needed employment on a project of economic
and permanent value to the City of Albany. Decision
was made to institute this project.
5
E levatioo 35&)
Elevation 355
'■ Possible Future Reservoir Level
/, Elevation 551
CROSS SECTION OE
5 AS IN *C" WALL
The melting glaciers of the Great Ice Age had
formed deep deposits of sand and gravel along the
Northern edge of Albany. Where the reservoir basins
are now built, at the highest elevation within the
City limits, the glaciers had created a natural depres¬
sion about sixty-five feet deep. This soil is so permeable
in character that before the construction of the basins
the rainfall and drainage within this area rapidly per¬
colated into the ground. This depression took the form
of three connected hollows.
The two hollows at the South end of the property
were developed as Basins A and B—Basin A to a
capacity of seventy-five million gallons and Basin B
to a capacity of twenty-five million gallons. The forty-
eight-inch supply conduit from the Alcove Reservoir
terminated at these two Basins with the customary
valve controls located in a gate house between the
basins. The hollow to the North of Basin B was of
sufficient size to construct a third Basin (C), of ap¬
proximately the same size as the first two. This de¬
velopment would require the extension of the supply
conduit to the new basin, the necessary grading, the
placing of a concrete lining, and other appurtenant
work, such as valve controls, drain and culvert con¬
struction and improvement of the grounds.
The Loudonville Reservoir is a project of the type
requiring careful and experienced design, close super¬
vision of construction and skilled workmanship. Un¬
like the building of a road or a bridge structure, the
construction of the new basin, because of its size and
unusual subsurface conditions, demanded the utmost
care in all phases of the work. Basin C covers an area
of fifteen and one-quarter acres. Because of the per¬
vious type of soil, it was necessary to construct a lin¬
ing over the entire basin area which would be abso¬
lutely water-tight to make possible the storage of
ninety-three million gallons of water. The thirty-foot
depth of water required that the concrete slabs be of
sufficient strength and quality to prevent yielding or
cracking under the superim¬
posed weight of this depth
of water.
In an area of such extent,
measuring more than one
thousand feet from rim to
rim of the basin, changes of
temperature are an impor¬
tant factor to be given con¬
sideration. A concrete lin¬
ing on an area of this size
will expand or contract as
much as eight inches within
the extreme seasonal range
of temperatures, unless prop¬
er provision is made for the
effect of these temperature
changes. To acomplish this
it was necessary to build a
lining of the articulated type. In doing so special
consideration was given to the design and construc¬
tion of the joints so as to permit the units of the
lining to expand or contract and at the same time
store this large volume of water without leakage or
waste.
The construction of Basins A and B of the Loudon¬
ville Reservoir as part of the new water supply im¬
provement was performed under contract and was
started in May, 1930. The combined basins were ap¬
proximately of the same size as Basin C, and the
amount of work involved quite similar. On this con¬
tract only a portion of the reservoir lining was com¬
pleted during the first construction season and it was
necessary to shut down during the Winter months,
and complete the work the following year. The con¬
crete in the lining of the original basins was placed
at an average rate of 129 cubic yards per day. It was
necessary to exceed this rate of progress in building
Basin C, to prevent the occurrence of a similar con¬
dition.
In considering the development of Basin C. the City
of Albany retained the firm of Whitman, Requardt &
Smith, engineers, of Baltimore. Md., and Albany. This
firm had previously served as designing and supervis¬
ing engineers for the Albany Board of Water Supply
on the construction of the new gravity supply, and
was familiar with the problem of providing distribu¬
tion reservoir storage at Loudonville. The engineers
were commissioned to prepare estimates of quantities
and cost, assist in drafting the project application,
prepare designs and detailed drawings, and supervise
construction of the basin. The City of Albany de¬
sired assurance from the engineers and the WPA.
that the construction of the new basin would be so
far advanced at the end of 1936 that it could be filled
with water so as to protect the construction during
the following Winter months. For a project cost-
6
ing approximately one and a quarter million dollars,
the performance of this amount of work during the
construction season of 1936 wouldl require greater
progress than was attained in the building of the orig¬
inal basins. Furthermore, it would be necessary to
coordinate all of the construction of various parts of
the work so that a delay on any portion would not af¬
fect the project as a whole.
Grading and lining of the basin constituted the
principal work to be performed. The construction of the
lining involved the placing of approximately 19,000
cubic yards of concrete. In addition to the lining of
the basin, it was necessary to build a gate house with
the necessary pipe connections and to drive a tunnel
423 feet long with a lining of 600 cubic yards of con¬
crete. The pipe line, installation included the exten¬
sion of the forty-eight-inch supply main for a distance
of about 800 feet, the building of a twenty-four-inch
cast iron drain line 2,400 feet long and installation of
a thirty-six-inch supply main to the basin, approx¬
imately 1,600 feet in length. Other appurtenant work
in this project included macadam roadways, concrete
drains and culverts, drainage ditches and the erection
of a fence around the additional area occupied by the
new basin.
The Engineers of the City made a careful analysis
of the progress records in the construction of the orig¬
inal reservoir basins, noting the sequence in which the
work was performed and the factors which tended to
delay the completion. At conferences with the Works
Progress Administration, these performance records
were applied to the work involved in the construction
of the new basin and a program for scheduling the
various operations was pre¬
pared1. This involved the de¬
termination of the amount
of construction equipment
required, the availability of
the necessary labor, both
skilled andi unskilled, the
division of work between
government and sponsor, and
the establishment of the ne¬
cessary performance on the
main items of work. The en¬
gineers reported to the City
that it would be possible to
construct the basin within
the required time.
The work involved in the
construction of Basin C was
well adapted to starting in
the Fall and continuing
through the Winter. When
decision was made to pro- „
4"Slope
peed with this project there were no detailed draw¬
ings and it was necessary to start work as soon as
possible. With the advantage of the experience
gained in the construction of the original basins the
engineers of the City of Albany and the associates of
the Works Progress Administration were able to pre¬
pare the necessary estimates of labor, materials and
equipment to accompany the project application just
a few days after decision was reached to proceed with
the work.
Application having been submitted on November
22, 1935, work at the reservoir site was started imme¬
diately and several hundred men were engaged on the
clearing of the ground. At the same time detailed sur¬
veys were begun and by December 6, 1935, a grading
plan was prepared for the west half of the Basin
area. Drawings were completed in rapid succession in
advance of their need for construction purposes. These
included the development of grading for the entire
project, plans of pipe line connections and location of
structures requiring excavation.
By this procedure it was possible to start the strip¬
ping of the basin area on December 2, after the clear¬
ing was completed, and to begin the work of general
excavation the early part of February. Meantime, as
the designs progressed, and while the contract draw¬
ings were in preparation, lists of the necessary ma¬
terials were prepared and requisitions were issued
with the result that these materials were available at
the site of the work in time for their use in the con¬
struction. The last of the contract drawings, eleven
in number, were completed by April 6, 1936.
"°-l2"c. toe.
■/a" Steel Tunnel
Liner Plates
Cross Section Op Tunnel
Basin "C" loudonville Reservoir
The success of the Loudonville Reservoir Project
was due, in large measure, to the cooperation between
the engineers, as agents for the City of Albany, and
the officials of the WPA. Responsibility for the cor¬
rect design and for the proper execution of the work
was definitely placed on the engineers. The organiza¬
tion of the WPA, with its resources for furnishing
labor and supplying its share of materials was ready
at all times to meet the needs of the project. The City
of Albany had made proper authorizations for meet¬
ing its obligations as to the furnishing of materials
and equipment. Problems as they arose on construction
were freely discussed by the construction supervisor
and the engineers.
As an example, it was observed in the early part
of January that the excavation work was not progress¬
ing satisfactorily because of an insufficient number of
trucks. This matter was brought to the attention of
the WPA and was corrected immediately with the
number of trucks increased from sixteen to thirty-
three, and when necessary, to a greater number.
Later, when construction work was increased in
scope, the operation of the project on the basis of a
single shift, working 128 hours per month, interfered
with the efficient performance of the work. Under the
existing arrangement there were several days on which
no work was scheduled. A continuation on this basis
threatened seriously to delay the completion of the
project. The labor forces were then operated on a two-
shift basis, after which the work was performed con¬
tinuously except for the usual loss of time due to rainy
weather.
The excavation for the tunnel was started April 21
with a single shift, working five days per week. After
operating in this manner for a short period the results
indicated that the completion of the tunnel would
seriously affect the work on the reservoir basin. The
forces were then placed on a two-shift basis so that
the work could be performed continuously for twelve
hours each day, resulting in the completion of the
Some of the vast detail in construction of Basin C.
Copper materials placed over points in advance
of gunite and —
tunnel in a remarkably short time and making it pos¬
sible to construct the gate house at the time originally
planned.
The Loudonville Reservoir Project is a type well
suited to the use of labor. The extensiveness of the
area and the variety of the work have made it pos¬
sible to use labor in large numbers. The clearing of
the grounds, the stripping excavation and the trench
excavation were performed entirely by hand labor. The
general excavation was done by hand, the material
being hauled by trucks owned and furnished by the
City of Albany. A portion of this excavation which
required deep cut was removed by steam shovel since
hand removal would have delayed the progress of the
work. The jointing of the cast iron pipe lines and the
excavation for the tunnel employed considerable labor,
supplemented with the use of the necessary equipment.
The concrete used for the lining of the basin was
mixed at a central mixing plant of the Ready Mix
Corporation under close inspection and test. It was
deemed inadvisable to mix the concrete by hand. The
quality of workmanship necessary for the water tight¬
ness of the basin required the concrete to be of uni¬
form consistency and of correct proportion. This would
have been difficult to accomplish by hand mixture.
Furthermore, the placing of concrete to an amount
equivalent to a two-lane concrete road ten miles long
necessitated reliable and uninterrupted production.
The Ready Mix Corporation owned sufficient mixing
and transportation equipment to meet the needs of
the project. The placing and finishing of the concrete,
however, were performed by hand labor.
The availibility of skilled labor from the relief rolls
>vas limited. Certain phases of the project required
trained workmen and this type of work was carried
out by the City of Albany as a sponsor contribution.
Special equipment and experienced supervision were
necessary in the construction of the tunnel. This tun¬
nel. of the horseshoe type and 423 feet long, is eleven
feet wide and nine feet, six inches high, outside dimen¬
sions. The excavation was performed with relief labor
under tho direction of the Superintendent of the
Cogito Construction Company of Washington, D. C.,
Joint materials in place before placing of gunite
and —
experienced tunnel contractors. This Company also sup¬
plied the necessary construction equipment, including
industrial track, dump cars, tunnel jacks, etc. The
excavation was made with the use of steel liner plates
one-quarter inch thick, which were furnished by the
City of Albany. The concrete lining of the tunnel was
also placed by relief labor tinder the direction of this
superintendent.
A tunnel of the same cross section and 467 feet in
length was constructed as part of the original develop¬
ment at the Loudonville Reservoir. This tunnel was
built under contract in 1932 and similar methods of
excavation were used. The excavation work was started
on March 22, 1932. and completed June 7. represent¬
ing a total elapsed time of seventy-seven days. The
excavation of the new tunnel for Basin C was started
April 21. 1936, and the tunnel was holed through on
June 24. Even taking into account the small differ¬
ence of length between the two tunnels, the record of
performance on the new tunnel, in an elapsed time
of sixty-four days, was eight percent better than on
the former tunnel.
The concrete lining of Basin C included special con¬
struction along all joints. The details of this design
Placing of copper strips along joint of reservoir
lining.
will be discussed further. This lining was composed of
concrete slab units, twenty-two feet, six inches wide and
fifty feet long. A space three-quarters of an inch wide
was maintained between each unit, thus forming a
joint that would permit expansion and contraction.
Under the center of the joint was placed a concrete
sill, six inches thick and sixteen inches wide, which
served the purpose of supporting the edge of the slab
and preventing uneven settlement. The remainder of
the joint construction, which was complicated and re¬
quired skilled workmanship, was carried out under a
contract by the City of Albany with the Cement Gun
Company.
The work under this contract included the installa¬
tion of copper joint strips over the center of all joints
and the placing of reinforced gunite two inches thick
to a width of twenty-eight inches on each side of the
joint. The area of gunite placed was approximately
210.900 square feet. The copper joint materials and
welded mesh reinforcement were furnished by the Fed¬
eral Government. The installation of these materials
and the placing of the gunite were performed by the
contractor. The completion of the joints and the plac¬
ing of the gunite were the last operations in lining
the Basin.
The concrete joint sills and slab units -were con¬
structed by WPA forces. It was necessary that this
construction be advanced to a point where sufficient
areas would be available for the gunite contractor to
carry out his work on an economical basis. It was
also important that a proper amount of equipment
be furnished to complete the work on time. The speci¬
fications required the contractor to furnish gasoline
driven compressors with a total piston displacement
of not less than 1,760 cubic feet and not less than five
cement guns. Bids for this work were opened on July
6. 1,936. The contractor kept pace with the construc¬
tion of the lining and completed his contract a short
time after the last unit of the concrete lining was
placed.
9
THE MAYOR SPEAKS
I have had the pleasure on many occasions of expressing my official appre¬
ciation to WPA for its cooperation in providing employment on projects which
have been, and will be, of definite and permanent value to the City of Albany.
In the references which I have so far made, I have many times pointed
to the construction of the Rleecker Stadium from a long disused city reservoir,
transforming it into a model recreation center; the remodeling of many of the
old fire houses of the city, making them modern in construction, and providing
additional space and facilities, as well as the addition to the Albany Center
Market, as among the projects which will serve and benefit Albany for many
years to come.
I desire now to call attention to one of the most important and noteworthy
contributions in the whole Albany program of the Works Progress Adminis¬
tration, both from the standpoint of employment provided, and in the character
of the project undertaken. That contribution is the construction of what is
termed Basin C in the Albany Water Works System, located on Loudon Heights.
I had the honor of turning the first shovel full of earth as this project was
undertaken, and following that within a remarkably short time, the final honor
of opening the valve which turned the water into the completed project.
Basin C, which has a capacity of ninety-three million gallons of water,
equalling the combined capacities of Basins A and B, which were completed
some years ago, was rapidly and skillfully constructed. The work was so well
performed that the loss of water, after it had been impounded long enough to
make possible a thorough test, was limited to the loss occasioned by evaporation.
In other words, there was little, if any, leakage, which is unusual in a stor¬
age reservoir of this tremendous size.
The completion of this undertaking rounds out the Albany Water Supply
with a sufficient emergency standby, and should effect a very considerable
annual saving to the city as well as favorably affect local fire insurance rates.
The character of projects approved by WPA, and the efficiency of the
work performed are fully revealed by the results obtained on this important
project.
JOHN BOYD THACHER,
Mayor of Albany.
to
Tt was very necessary to secure good workman¬
ship in the building of the concrete sills and slab
units. The engineers prepared exacting specifications
for the operations to be followed. The sills must be
built to proper grade and trowled to a smooth finish.
The sub-grade had to be trimmed to an accurate plane
and required preparation before placing the concrete
slab. Various requirements were enforced in the
building of the slabs, including the placing and tamp¬
ing of the concrete, the setting of reinforcing mats,
the screeding and floating of the surface of the con¬
crete, and the formation of the depressions to receive
the gunite. Enforcing these precautions was most es¬
sential to secure a water-tight basin. The joint con¬
struction alone was nine miles in length. Any de¬
fective work for a short distance of perhaps ten to
fifteen feet would destroy the usefulness of the basin.
Similarly, a single, poorly constructed slab from a
total of 665 units would result in a loss of water that
could not be permitted.
In starting the construction of the joint sills on
May 12, a crew of workmen were used that had been
trained previously for this type of work. After suffi¬
cient number of joint sills were constructed, it was pos¬
sible to pour the first concrete slab on .Tune 4. This
concrete was placed by workmen who had been engaged
on the building of the joint sills. Additional groups
of men were instructed in the placing of concrete and
within a short time the lining operations were proceed¬
ing at a rapid rate.
On June 26, 336 cubic yards of concrete were placed
within the normal working hours. This amount was in¬
creased to 380 cubic yards on June 30, but the record
day was July 10, when 531 cubic yards of concrete
were placed in eight hours. The last unit of the con¬
crete lining was built on November 14. Ninety-eight
working days had elapsed since starting the lining on
June 4. The rate of placing of concrete by the forces
of the WPA was thirty-three per cent greater than
the corresponding rate on the construction of Basins
A and B.
F rom this depression emerged
Basin C, one of the outstand¬
ing WPA projects in New
York State. The picture
shows the basin after
the roughest pre¬
liminary work
had been
finished
7; J ^
53S*-*.:r V
Work in full swing at Basin C with scores of men working, trucks plying back and forth carrying materials and the Basin floor assuming
shape. This photo gives a graphic idea of the magnitude of the job during the first stages of actual construction
Inspecting the work at Loudonville the day the first concrete was poured into the forms for the floor was a notable group consisting of,
left to right: Mayor John Boyd Thacher, 2nd, of Albany; Benjamin L. Smith, of the firm of Whitman, Requardt & Smith, engineers
in charge; Mayor Rollin B. Marvin of Syracuse; Lester W. Herzog, upstate administrator of the Works Progress Administration; William
P. Lynch, director of District 7 (Onondaga County) Works Progress Administration, and William B. Daley, director of District 2, Works
Progress Administration
'Mastic
Filler
Ixpansion bolts
-A4oz copper Cross,
, concrete
^Mastic- Painted
on Copper
ci tv of- al6awy , n-v.
DEPAETMENT OF WAT EE AND WATEE SUPPLY
FRANK J. CASS1DV- COMMISSIONtH.
DASIN 'C' OF LOUDONVILLE RE5EJZV01E
ISOMETBIC VIEW OP
EXPANSION JOINT
IN BE5EBV01B LINING
Whitman, Qequardt tf Smith Engineers
February , 1337.
14oz Copper Strip
;oncrete
otic- Point
Concrete
Joint
Cope Oak-um
59"* Welded Mesh Eeinfbrcamant- to* 6"
-Joint Mastic
-Building Paper
Basin 'C
iV
Elevation
Ground
Shaker Road
6" Concrete Lining
Tunnel Entrance
STRUCTURE
46 CI Sup?lu
I. I I Ift c°"au,t'
vXC1 Inlet l Outlet
LONGlTUD INAL SECTION Or GATE-HOUSE, TUNNEL AND TUNNEL CNTRANCC STRUCTURE
Basin 'C* Loudonville Reservoir
6'Wire Fence
The gunite work was carried on simultaneously
with the building of the concrete slabs, and necessarily
followed after the work done by the WPA forces. At
the completion of the lining, a small amount of gunite
work remained to be done. This was completed in time
to admit water into Basin C on November 25. Because
of the large amount of water required to fill the basin,
it was desirable to admit it at intervals, during which
time the basin was inspected and observations were
made as to the water-tightness of the construction.
The basin was completely filled on December 21, and
will store water throughout the Winter months as a
protection for the concrete lining.
Basin C is now structurally complete with ninety-
three million gallons of additional water in storage
at Loudonville. The work remaining is sufficient to
provide employment to several hundred men during
the Winter and early Spring. They will be engaged on
installing underground concrete culverts and form¬
ing drainage ditches which will be useful in prevent¬
ing surface water from overflowing the walls of the
basin and causing contamination of the drinking
water. A brick super-structure will be built on the
concrete gate house, which has been carried up to a
level several feet above the water line. A concrete arch
bridge will span the space from the basin wall to the
gate house.
During less favorable weather, the work will be
confined to the trimming and grading of the reservoir
grounds. With the coming of warmer weather, the
grounds will be improved by seeding and sodding and
the necessary planting. The existing road will be ex¬
tended to the new basin and the Shaker Road, along
the City's property, will be improved. Finally, the
closing gap in the new fence will be filled in, the con¬
struction forces will be withdrawn and the Depart¬
ment of Water and Water Supply of the City of Al¬
bany will assume control of the new basin.
The drama that has been enacted at Loudonville is
little known, even to the residents of Albany. Here is
the achievement: About twelve months ago, many
hundred men in Albany were in need. WPA launched
a project, demanding the utmost in engineering skill
and accepting no substitute for a high standard of
workmanship. To reach the goal the accomplishment
must exceed the progress in building the original res¬
ervoir. The coming of Winter served as a stop-watch
to render an accounting, for there could be no com¬
promise on the completion of the lining or the water-
tightness of the structure.
The project was started at the end of November,
1935. Preparatory work of clearing, stripping and
general grading was advanced during the extreme
cold of the next few months. Pipe lines were installed
and tunnel constructed at times when the men could
not work to advantage in the open. With the advent
of Spring efforts were concentrated on lining the huge
howl. Fifty per cent of the entire project was per¬
formed during the months of May, June, July and
August. The concrete lining was built at a rate of
progress thirty-three per cent greater than was ac¬
complished in the construction of the former basins.
Exactly twelve months after the first survey stake was
driven, water was turned into Basin C. Within four
weeks, a lake covering 665,000 square feet filled the
hollow to a depth of thirty-one feet, where once the
water disappeared like magic after each successive
rain.
The covering of the hollow was a difficult and stu¬
pendous undertaking. It was necessary for this enor¬
mous area of concrete lining to hold ninety-three mil¬
lion gallons of water without the assistance of the
underlying soil, which offered no resistance to the
escape of any water that might find its way through a
joint or a construction defect. The extent of the cover¬
ing may be compared to a circular wall, forty feet in
height and three miles in circumference. That the pur¬
pose has been accomplished is demonstrated by the re¬
sults for a period of six weeks after the basin was
filled, during which time the drop in water surface
has averaged only three-eighths of an inch in twenty-
four hours.
Albany has added incalculably to its resources by
providing this addition to its excellent water supply.
The security of the supply was strengthened. Destitute
men were taken from the humiliating futility of relief
and were permitted to take a part in this contribution
to the City's future welfare. Of secondary importance is
the cost to the City of Albany, which was no greater
than would have been the burden of providing home
relief.
The engineering features of the Loudonville Res¬
ervoir are unusual and should be of general interest.
The reservoir basins are located at the northerly lim¬
its of the City, at an elevation sufficient to provide
adequate pressures for the high service district. The
supply conduit from the filtration plant enters the
City from the south, completely crosses the City, ap¬
proximately through its center, and terminates at the
Loudonville Reservoir.
There is an important advantage in supplying water
to the distribution system of the City at one side, when
an equalizing reservoir is located on the opposite side.
With this arrangement, the principal distribution
mains are connected directly to the supply conduit
and the filtration plant can operate at a uniform rate
throughout the twenty-four hours. During the day
time when the consumption is at peak all the water
from the filtration plant can be taken into the City
mains and the excess supplied from the distribution
reservoir. At night, when the demand is at a min¬
imum, only a portion of the supply enters the distri¬
bution system and the balance is discharged into the
Loudonville Reservoir, serving to replenish the water
withdrawn during the daytime.
17
At time of excessive draught, water will flow into
the principal feeders of the distribution grid from two
directions. The velocity in the supply conduit under
these conditions will he less than if the same amount
of water entered from one direction only. Since the
friction loss varies as the square of the velocity, the
location and arrangement of the Loudonville Reservoir
reduces the fluctuations in pressures throughout the
City to a minimum. Expressed differently, the method
of supply from two directions approximately doubles
the capacity of the principal supply mains in the dis¬
tribution system.
The piping at Loudonville is so arranged that it is
possibleto o[>erate the three basins either jointly or sep¬
arately. Each basin can be disconnected from the sys¬
tem when necessary. Drains are installed to permit
the emptying of any single basin. For the construc¬
tion of Basin C. the fortv-eight-inch supply conduit,
after crossing the Shaker Road and continuing north¬
ward within the reservoir property, terminated oppo¬
site the dividing dike between Basins A and B. At
this point a thirty-six-inch branch pipe line was in¬
stalled in a tunnel connecting with the gate house for
these two basins. This branch serves as an outlet for
Basin B and as an inlet for Basins A and B. Water
enters Basin B at the gatehouse and is withdrawn from
the basin at the opposite end, thus providing cir¬
culation. This is accomplished by placing a
check valve on the outlet pipe, which
prevents the incoming water from
flowing through this pipe.
Where the supply
conduit crosses
the Shaker
Road
a second branch pipe line, also thirty-six inches in dia¬
meter. extends from the conduit to the south end of
Basin A. A check valve on this line controls the di¬
rection of flow and forces the water to enter Basin A
at the gate house and to leave the basin at the oppo¬
site end through this line. With this arrangement
water enters the basins only at a time when the pres¬
sure in the supply conduit is greater than the level
of the water in the basins. Conversely, the basins sup¬
ply water to the City whenever there is a reduction
of pressure in the conduit.
At. the time of the original construction at Loudon¬
ville a twenty-four-inch cast iron drain was installed
for emptying the two basins and conveying the sur¬
face drainage from the area tributary to these
basins. This drain, about 4,000 feet in
length, is connected to the Patroon
Creek sewer, near the west-bound
tracks of the New York Cen¬
tral Railroad.
In adding the
third basin
Panoramic
view of Basin
C, built by WPA
labor as part of Albany's
mountain water supply sys¬
tem. Picture shows huge basin,
as construction was nearing comple¬
tion and project about finished
to the system, it was necessary to maintain the
same flexibility of operation. To accomplish
this, the forty-eight-inch supply conduit was
extended to the north for a distance
of about 700 feet, where provision
was made for the connection
of a second forty-eight-
inch conduit in
this
sub-struc-
ture are pipe eon-
nections and valves
that control the water
entering Basin C at the inlet
tower and permit the water to he
withdrawn from the basin, either at the
lowest level or at a point fifteen feet below the
water surface. Under normal operation the higher
outlet will be used, the lower serving as a drain.
A check valve of the non-slam, tilting-disc type
prevents the incoming water from entering the basin
at the gatehouse, and forces the water to travel
through the pipe line to the inlet tower. This line con¬
tains a valve of the cone plug type located within the
gatehouse sub structure. A similar valve is installed
on the drain connection. The upper outlet at the gate¬
house is controlled by a sluice gate mounted on the
outside of the wall. The sluice gate and cone plug
valves are equipped with extension stems connected
to operating stands which are mounted on the floor
of the gatehouse.
The superstructure of the gatehouse is of selected
common brick of the Colonial type ornamented with
Imperial Danbv Marble trim from Vermont quarries.
The roof is of slate with copper cornice and flashing.
Within this building is a hand-operated traveling
crane of five tons capacity. Several large openings
are provided in the floor to permit the removal of
heavy castings with the use of the crane. Subway
grating is installed in these openings and this grating
is covered with ornamental steel plates.
The gatehouse of Basin C is at the East end of the
tunnel, the substructure extending from the floor of
I he tunnel to a level five and one-half feet above the
water line of the basin. A concrete arch bridge spans
from the gatehouse to the side of the basin. Within
the
future.
Duplication
of the present
supply conduit is in¬
cluded in the plan for the
second stage of development of
the Hannacrois-Catskill supply.
At the end of the forty-eight-inch main,
a thirty-six-inch branch line extends to the
new gate-house of Basin C. This line is installed
in a tunnel which is of the same size as the tunnel
connecting with Basins A and B. A thirty-six-inch
inlet pipe extends from the gatehouse completely
across the new basin to an inlet tower at the far end
of the basin. This pipe line is supported on concrete
pedestals placed directly on the lining.
21
A tunnel entrance structure is at the opposite end
of the tunnel. The top of this structure is composed
of pre cast concrete slabs, which can be removed when
it is necessary to lower a pipe section into the tunnel.
At this same location there is a connection from the
thirty-six-incli branch line to the twenty-four-inch
drain. By closing a valve on the thirtv-six-inch line
and opening a valve on the connection, Basin C can be
completely emptied.
The tunnel from the Shaker Road to the new gate¬
house is of the horseshoe type. It is eight feet, eight
inches wide, at the springing line and seven feet, two
inches high at the center. The lining is of reinforced
concrete with a thickness of fourteen inches at the
side walls and arch and a thickness of eighteen inches
at the floor. The tunnel was constructed with the use
of steel liner plates one-quarter inch thick. The ex¬
cavation was entirely completed before the construc¬
tion of the lining was started.
As indicated on the cross section, a construction
joint was provided at the floor level, making it pos¬
sible to build the floor as the first operation. The side
walls were poured up to a construction joint at the
springing line to facilitate spading of the concrete
up to this level. Forms were then erected for the arch,
leaving an opening in the timber lagging near the
key. The concrete was placed in the two sides of the
arch through this opening. The lagging was placed in
the key and the concrete was packed in the remain¬
ing space behind the forms.
When the former tunnel was constructed at Loudon-
ville most of the excavation was in sand and gravel
and. at intervals, pockets of large boulders were en¬
countered. On removing these boulders and setting
the liner plates it was impossible to hold back the
superimposed earth and small cave-ins occurred. Sim¬
ilar conditions were encountered in building the new
tunnel for Basin C. Cave-ins were of no consequence
except in the vicinity of the new basin. To remedy this
condition, two-inch grout pipes Were placed in the lin¬
ing of the tunnel for a distance of 100 feet from the
gatehouse. After the tunnel was completed, grout
was forced behind the lining through these pipes, thus
preventing possible future settlement, with resulting
damage to the lining.
The thirty-six-inch pipe line to Basin C was placed
to one side of the tunnel and was supported on con¬
crete pedestals with the bottom of the pipe eighteen
inches above the floor. The tunnel is of sufficient width
to provide ample space between the side wall of the
tunnel and the pipe for pouring and repairing the
joints. The clearance on the opposite side of the tun¬
nel will permit the transporting or removal of a pipe
section in case of repair to the line. The west end of
the tunnel is connected to the twentv-four-inch drain!
and in the event of failure of a pipe section the escap¬
ing water can be drained from the tunnel and gate¬
house substructure through this connection.
In the design of the lining for a reservoir to meet
conditions such as exist at Loudonville, consideration
must be given to several factors that are of great im¬
portance. The control and operation of the reservoir
with the arrangement of the gatehouse and pipe lines
affect the general plan. Fluctuations of water surface
and possible change of water level determine the type
of construction around the margin. The density and
permeability of the supporting soil have a direct bear¬
ing on the details of joint construction.
Basin A is elongated in shape, converging to a point
at the south end, which is 1,2.10 feet from the dividing
dike separating the two original basins. The distance
across Basin A at its widest point is about 500 feet.
Originally this hollow was extremely irregular. After
grading the slopes and removing the earth to depths as
great as six or seven feet it was not possible to main¬
tain a regular alignment on the periphery of the basin
or a uniform inclination for the side slopes.
Basin B is of more regular outline with a width of
400 feet and a length of 600 feet. In constructing the
lining of this basin a constant side slope of one on
two and one-half was established and the bottom was
built to an even grade.
The original basins were constructed with a lining
of concrete eight inches thick sub-divided into slab
units by joints to provide for expansion and contrac¬
tion of the lining. The entire area of concrete was
covered with a layer of gunite one and one-half inches
thick. The joint construction of the concrete lining
extended through the gunite covering with the use
of copper expansion strips along these joints.
Observations of these basins since they were placed
in service were of value in formulating the design of
the lining for Basin C. It was noted that changes in
temperature and exposure to extreme weather con¬
ditions had less effect on Basin B than on Basin A.
This is altributed to the more regular shape and con¬
tour of the former basin. These results indicated the
advantage of eliminating re-entrant angles in the out¬
line of a reservoir and reducing to a minimum the
construction of intersecting surfaces which are con¬
vex upward. Such surfaces on expansion develop
forces which tend to lift the lining.
The first principle to be established in the design
of Basin C was the grading of the area. The topo¬
graphical survey indicated that it would be possible
to develop a basin of very regular outline, approx¬
imating the shape of an egg, with a length of 1,150
feet and a width of 800 feet. The most favorable shape
of a basin from the structural standpoint to allow ex¬
pansion and contraction is that of a saucer. In de¬
veloping the grading plan this principle was followed
and although the total excavation was only 74,000 cubic
22
yards the final outline contained no re-entrant angles.
Uniform side slopes were established around the en¬
tire perimeter. The distance from top of slope to bot¬
tom was maintained at eighty-two feet, six inches.
Adjacent to Basin B the slope was controlled by
the outline of the dike at the north boundary of this
basin. A slope of one on three was used since it was
inadvisable to place an embankment on the existing
dike because of possible future settlement. For the
remaining perimeter of the basin the slope was estab¬
lished at one on five and one-half with short sections
on each side to provide a transition from a steep slope
to the flatter one.
The topography of the ground also determines the
method of bringing the water into and out of the
basin. The low point of the hollow was near Basin B
and the gatehouse was located at this end of the new
basin. The floor was graded to drain to the gatehouse,
and a piping arrangement was adopted which admits
the water at a point farthest from Basin B and with¬
draws the water at the gatehouse.
In flic design of a reservoir lining, where the effi¬
ciency of the joint construction is of major importance,
it is necessary to reduce the length of joints to a min¬
imum. This can be accomplished by using a uniform
pattern of slab arrangement and making use of slab
units of standard size, as far as possible. Several
studies were made and the plan adopted proved to be
the most efficient. Under this plan the standard slab
is twenty-two feet, six inches wide and fifty feet long.
In the bottom of the basin the pattern is arranged
with short side of the slab parallel to the longest
tangent of the basin periphery.
The outline of Basin C is composed of six tangents
connected by curves at the points of intersection.
Along the tangent length otf the side slopes the strip
consists of standard slab units at the bottom fifty
feet in length and shorter units at the top of the
slope. At each curve the slopes are constructed of
slabs twenty-two feet, six inches wide with the longer
dimension parallel to and concentric with the boun¬
dary wall of the basin.
Huge tank trucks such as these ran in a steady stream from the concrete mixing plant
to the reservoir. Photo shows one truck emptying its load into one of the forms.
The type of lining adopted for Basin C is a com¬
bination of reinforced concrete and gunite to an over¬
all thickness of eight inches, combining the advantages
of each of these materials as gained in the construc¬
tion of the original basins. The reinforcement of the
lining is a welded steel mesh, weighing approximately
1.70 pounds per square foot, and composed of cold
drawn steel wires of 4/0 size, spaced six inches on cen¬
ters. The reinforcement is approximately twenty-five
hundredths per cent of the area of the concrete. The
joint between the slab units is formed by first const ruct-
ing a concrete sill six inches thick and sixteen inches
wide with the top surface even with the sub-grade of
the lining. The sill is covered with a layer of build¬
ing paper and the slab units are poured three-fourths
of an inch apart. This joint space is centered on the
concrete sill. The sill prevents unequal settlement of
adjoining slabs and the use of building paper facili¬
tates movement of the concrete slabs under changes of
temperature.
Along all joints the top surface of the concrete is
depressed to a depth of two inches and for a width of
twenty-eight inches on each side of the joint. Within
this area the concrete is six inches thick, while the
remainder of the slab is eight inches thick. The joint
space is filled with an asphaltic mastic to a depth of
two inches and the top of this space is caulked with
five strands of tarred rope oakum The purpose of the
joint mastic is to assist in sealing the joint, while the
tarred rope oakum was placed to exclude dirt and
other foreign materials from the joint during con¬
struction.
Directly above the center of the joint is a copper
strip crimped to form an inverted U of three-quar¬
ter inch width and one and one-half inch height.
The side flanges of the strip are five inches in width
with the outer edge turned up vertically to a height
of one inch. The strip is made from a sheet of four-
teen-ounce copper fifteen and one-half inches wide.
Before placing the copper a thin layer of asphaltic
mastic is applied to the surface of the concrete and
to the under side of the copper strip. After the strip
is in place it is held firmly to the concrete surface
with one-quarter-inch by five-inch-180 degree bend
hook expansion bolts spaced twenty-four inches apart.
A thin layer of asphaltic mastic is then applied to the
top surface of the copper. The copper strips were fur¬
nished in lengths of approximately twelve feet and
were placed with a lap of four inches on adjoining
strips. To seal the lap the under-side of the inverted
U was partially filled with mastic.
At joint intersections special tees and crosses were
formed by brazing together two or more sheets of
copper. Adjoining copper strips were lapped in the
same manner as along longitudinalqoints. The copper
tees and crosses were also attached to the concrete
with the use of hook bolts.
With the copper materials in position a layer of
galvanized welded steel mesh reinforcement twenty-
four inches wide was placed in the depressed area on
each side of the joint. This reinforcement was wired to
the edge of the copper strip and, in addition, was at¬
tached to a row of one-quarter-inoh by four-inch-90
degree bend hook expansion bolts spaced four feet
apart so as to place the reinforcement one inch above
the surface of the concrete. The depression was then
filled with a two-inch thickness of gunite composed of
one bag of Portland cement and three cubic feet of
Cow Bay sand. In applying the gunite a metal tem¬
plate was placed on the top of the ridge of the copper
strip to form a notched groove. This groove was later
filled with expansion joint filler of low melting point.-
The joint as described possesses many features
necessary for water-tight construction on soil of per¬
vious character. In this joint several lines of defense
were set up for preventing the escape of water. The
joint filler not only accomplished the purpose of af¬
fording protection to the resilient portion of the copper
strip but also served as a seal for the top of the joint.
The copper strip is the feature that insures the water-
tightness. It is held to the concrete slab by the ex¬
pansion bolts along the outer edge of the strip and
by the sheet of gunite, which is firmly attached to the
concrete with wire mesh and additional bolts. Under
the copper is a layer of oakum which when moist ex¬
pands and serves as a water-stop. The next defense is
the mastic in the bottom of the joint and, finally, the
layer of building paper fills the space between the
under-side of the slab and the surface of the joint sill.
This type of joint construction was employed over
the entire area. At the margin of the basin, a wall
was constructed to the outline as shown in one of the
illustrations. The lower portion of the wall was built
to a forty-five degree slope with the present water sur¬
face at the bottom of the slope. With this out¬
line it is possible at any time in the future to raise
the water surface of the basin two feet without caus¬
ing possible damage to the wall from ice action. Joints
were provided between adjoining wall sections and the
space filled with cork.
The reservoir has been filled with water for a
period of several weeks and the observations have
demonstrated the effectiveness of the joint construc¬
tion. The reservoir will remain filled during the Win¬
ter and will be emptied in the Spring for purpose of
cleaning. The lining stands ready to perform its func¬
tion of storing ninety-three million gallons of water
within the glacial hollow, during these variable weath¬
er conditions of heat and cold.
24
EZRA B. WHITMAN
GUSTAV J REQUARDT
BENJAMIN L.SM1TM
WhIXMAK R£QUARDT AND SJA\Tf\
~ Engineers -
TBLB PrtON E
VERNON 340?
VERNON 2404
WEST BIDDLE STREET AT CHARLES
BALTI,MO RE, /vE\RYL/\ND 75
75 State Street,
Albany, Hew York,
February 4, 1937,
Mr. Lester W. Herzog, State Administrator,
Works Progress Administration,
Old Post Office Bldg.,
Albany, New York.
Dear Mr. Herzog:
As engineers for the City of Albany, we have been closely connected
with the construction of the City's new distribution reservoir by the Works
Progress Administration. We know of the necessity of finding employment for
large numbers of men in the Pall of 1935, and the dispatch with which the work
was started, after decision was made to inaugurate this project. We have shared
the responsibility and concern of the City and the Government, in the completion
of this large undertaking within a year, realizing that failure to do so would
be harmful and costly.
Basin C of the Loudonville Beservoir increases the storage of filtered
water within the City of Albany to one hundred and ninety-three million gallons.
This extension of the gravity water supply of the City, which within recent years,
enabled Albany to discontinue for all time, the use of the unpalatable water of
the Hudson River, represents a step in the progressive development of the new
Hannacrois-Catskill supply.
The design and construction of Basin C was not a simple problem. It
involved the placing of approximately twenty thousand cubic yards of concrete in
the lining of a glacial hollow, covering more than fifteen acres. It was necessary
for the lining to be water-tight, since the sandy soil was of no value in retaining
the water. This type of construction required the best grade of workmanship, and
it was necessary at all times, to maintain such a standard. Basin C is of similar
construction to the original basins, which were previously built, tinder contract,
as part of the new supply. The concrete lining of the new basin was started
June 5, and completed on November 14, 1936, representing a performance of thirty-three
percent greater than on the original basins. Water was admitted into Basin C
exactly one year after the starting of surveys on November 25, 1935, and the basin
was completely filled on December 21, 1936.
The new reservoir is an asset to the City of Albany, and contributes to the
security and dependability of the new gravity supply. The excellent performance in
the construction of the project is a creditable accomplishment by the Works Progess
Administration and the City of Albany.
Very truly yours,
BLS:LJF