The Saluda Dam Remediation Project was the largest ongoing dam construction project in the United States during all three years of construction. During the 1970s, a Federal Regulatory Commission investigation into the seismic stability of the nation's dams deemed the 1930s-era earthen Saluda Dam unsafe, given that the city of Columbia, South Carolina, was located directly downstream and within the floodplain of dam failure. Yet, draining the upstream lake was not a preferred option. Instead, South Carolina Electric & Gas hired Barnard to build a backup dam immediately downstream.

This site proved challenging for many reasons. In addition to working around two active power plants, the site was bisected by a river, five large-diameter penstocks to the powerhouse, two large-diameter circulation pipelines to the coal generation facility, high-voltage transmission lines, and a high-pressure gas line. Unforeseen foundation conditions added to the challenge. Excavations below the dam demanded extensive dewatering and strict adherence to guidelines regarding the amount of excavation allowed open at any given time.

Yet, the project achieved an excellent safety record and met or beat all milestones. Some of Barnard's value engineering ideas cut a full year off of the anticipated lake refilling date. In addition, Barnard designed, implemented and patented a filter placement method applied in the dam embankment process. We designed a truck placement method for roller-compacted concrete (RCC) that allowed for a separate simultaneous placement of RCC with the all-conveyor system. This enabled us to place more than 18,600 cubic yards in a single day, setting a U.S. record in 24-hour RCC placement.

Over the course of three years, more than 600 hourly and 50 salaried employees worked a total of 1,225,000 man-hours. The majority of the project was constructed with multiple headings and crews operating on double shifts, seven days a week. The project's formal Partnering Agreement proved critical to its great success.

For all of this innovation and hard work, the project received three prestigious industry awards: the Associated General Contractors of America's 2006 AON Build America Award; the America Society of Civil Engineers' 2006 Opal Award; and the U.S. Society on Dam's 2006 Excellence in the Constructed Project Award. These are highest honors offered by these three organizations.