Location: Fargo, ND
Client: City of Fargo
Background
The Timberline area is home to some of the most luxurious and expensive homes within the Fargo-Moorhead metropolitan area in North Dakota. The neighborhood was developed directly adjacent to Rose Creek for the natural beauty the area provides. However, during the 2009, 2010, and 2011 spring floods of the Red River of the North, this area had to be protected using emergency flood control measures (HESCO barriers, sandbags, and clay levees) to prevent millions of dollars in potential property damage.
The Project
To eliminate these massive emergency protection efforts, the City of Fargo enlisted the services of Houston Engineering, Inc. (HEI) to develop a comprehensive flood protection solution for this neighborhood. The project had to balance the need for providing permanent protection while preserving the natural beauty and aesthetic value of the area. Due to the close proximity of the homes to Rose Creek, individual property interests were also incorporated into the final design.
The final project generally consisted of a combination of earthen levees, concrete form-lined floodwalls, and modular block retaining wall combination levees. In addition, several internal drainage structures were installed to control local drainage on the dry side of protection. A new gatewell structure was constructed to provide added protection to the area's storm sewer system and several other storm mains were also modified.
To enhance the aesthetic and public recreational benefits of the neighborhood, a vegetation restoration plan was developed and a new bike trail was installed as part of the project. Self-Consolidating Concrete (SCC) was also utilized to provide the best architectural finish possible for the floodwall. HEI pioneered this process for the F-M area and was nationally recognized for this innovation in
Concrete InFocus.
This project also received recognition from the
ND Ready Mix & Concrete Products Association in 2013 with
the Gold Star Award in the High Performance Wall Category.