Fall brought an unprecedented amount of rain across North Texas. But with the cooler temperatures and much needed moisture, excessive water runoff caused damage across the region, including Irving’s Brockbank Channel.
The City of Irving Traffic and Transportation Department’s Streets Division made expeditious repairs to a damaged portion of the channel, saving both time and money. The $25,000 project saved the city nearly $120,000 by using an in-house crew rather than procuring an outside vendor. The project also helped protect residents’ homes and property.
Assessing the damage
After the late September rains that washed through the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Streets Division crew members reviewed infrastructure throughout the city. During their assessment, crews noticed that an area of the Brockbank Channel had taken the brunt of the increased water runoff.
The runoff damaged the drainage structure, causing a 5- to 6-foot-deep hole along the channel floor, as well as cracks and erosion to the channel walls. As more rain loomed in the forecast, crews set a plan in place with the necessary staff, equipment and materials to complete the job.
Repair and rebuild
A new concrete mixing truck and equipment, that provides on-site production of concrete, played a big role in the repairs. Funding for purchase of the equipment was included in the Fiscal Year 2017-18 budget, and City Council approved the purchase in December 2017. The truck aids in the city’s efficiency, productivity and delivery of service.
With the help of the concrete mixing truck, Streets’ crews were able to repair the channel on-site as needed, as well as use the necessary amount of concrete. This critical piece of equipment provided crews a cost-efficient, reliable source for concrete delivery.
Crews worked quickly over the course of two days to rebuild the channel floor and to rebuild and reinforce the channel walls. In addition to the restructured concrete walls, crews laid 120 bags of cement, weighing 100 pounds each, on top of the wall to secure the property from possible future erosion.
The reconstruction of the Brockbank Channel, phase 3, will include this entire area as part of a four-phase drainage channel improvement project along the Delaware Creek Basin. Project bids have been awarded and construction will begin in December. The project is slated for completion in 2021.
Quick facts
The City of Irving Streets Division took immediate action to repair a fractured area of Brockbank Channel. Here is what it took to complete the $25,000 emergency repair project:
- 100 cubic yards of cementitious flex base (gravel and cement mixed) or the equivalent of 10 truckloads of material.
- 90 cubic yards of concrete produced using the city’s newest concrete mixing truck.
- 12,000 pounds of cement bags positioned above the channel wall.
- 15 Streets Division employees
- Two full days of work
- More than 300 man-hours
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