URS joint venture to support California dam and levee safety programs

OAKLAND, CALIF. — A joint venture between URS Corp. and GEI was selected by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District to provide engineering services in support of its dam and levee safety programs.

Under the contract, the joint venture will perform a wide variety of services to help ensure the safety of the region’s dams and levees, generally within the South Pacific Division’s military and civil boundaries, and for any of the division’s customers. These services will encompass investigation, studies and design leading to the construction of flood management structures, including major dams, levees and channels and associated appurtenant structures and construction phase services.

Project work will include subsurface investigations, geophysical and strength testing, materials testing and materials property development, seismicity and seismic parameters, and seepage and stability analyses. URS also will perform borrow site investigations to determine suitability of materials, periodic detailed inspections and/or risk assessments of dams or levees, design/construction parameters, and designs for dam and levee safety remediation.

In addition, URS will develop design alternatives, construction plans and specifications and cost estimates. Other project support efforts may also include site reconnaissance, environmental and wetland assessments, wildlife and habitat assessments, and historical assessments.

In addition to the dam safety program, the contract will support the Corps with critical inspection and assessment of the 15,000 miles of California levees that provide critical flood protection for urban and non-urban areas. The Levee Safety Branch of the Corps is facing an accelerated schedule to complete the inspection and assessment by the end of 2012.

For more information about URS Corp., please visit www.urscorp.com.