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The Eklutna Hydroelectric Project, Anchorage, Alaska

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The Eklutna Hydroelectric Project, Anchorage, Alaska STOLEN FROM RICHARD D. REGP THE ALASKA EARTHQUAKE, MARCH 27, 1964: EFFECTS ON TRANSPORTATION, COMMUNICATIONS, AND UTILITIES Effect of the Earthquake Of March 27,1964, on The Eklutna Hydroelectric Project, Anchorage, Alaska By MALCOLM H. LOGAN With a Section on TELEVISION EXAMINATION OF EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE TO UNDERGROUND COMMUNICATION AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS IN ANCHORAGE By LYNN R. BURTON GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 545-A UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STEWART L. UDALL, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY William T. Pecora, Director UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1967 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price 35 cents (paper cover) THE ALASKA EARTHQUAKE SERIES The U.S. Geological Survey is publishing the results of its investigations of the Alaska earthquake of March 27, 1964, in a series of six professional papers. Professional Paper 545 describes the effects of the earthquake on transportation, communications, and utilities. Where needed to complete the record, reports by individuals from organizations other than the Geological Survey are included in the series. Thus, this description of the Eklutna Hydroelectric Project-a key part of south-central Alaska's power system-was requested from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation; so, too, was the section on the use of television for investigating damaged under- ground utility lines. Additional chapters in Professional Paper 545 mill describe the effects of the earthquake on The Alaska Railroad and on highways, airports, utilities, and communications. Other professional papers describe the field investigations and reconstruction and the effects of the earthquake on com- munities, on regions, and on the hydrologic regimen. CONTENTS Page Page Abstract - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - A1 Effects-Continued Television examination of earth- Introduction and acknov ledg- Penstock, surge tank, and quake damage to underground communication and electrical ments-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - anchor block ------------ Powerplant and associated systems in Anchorage, by Geologic setting-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - Lynn R. Burton ------------- The first 24 hours- - - - - - - - - - - - - structures- - - - - - - - - - - - - - Introduction-- - - - - - __- - - - - - - Effects on individual features Tailrace-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Underground systems- - - - - - _ - - - - - - of the Eklutna project- .---..- Transmission lines-- Equipment - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Eklutna Dam --_---------- Substations-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - Procedure---------------- Intake structure ------ - - --- Other earthquake effects in the Damage to systems-------- Tunnel and gate shaft - - - - - area----------------------- Interpretation of data---- - - ILLUSTRATIONS FIGURES Page Page Page 1. Index map of the Eklutna 14. Photograph of Eklutna power- Photograph showing damaged Hydroelectric Project---- A2 plant before the earthquake- A15 pump in project office---- - A20 2. Topography and surface ge- 15. Photograph showing piling Typical section of tailrace ology of the project area- - 3 in the powerplant founda- channel-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 20 3. Schematic plan and profile of tion- -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 26. Photograph showing cleaning- the Eklutna project- - -- - _ 4 16. Geologic section through up operation at outlet of 4. Map and section of damsite surge tank, penstock, and tailrace conduit-- - -- - - - - - area showing explorato~ powerhouse- - - - - - - - - - - - - 27. Plan, section, and chart giv- work----_----------____ 17. Typical ground settlement ing summary of damage 5. Photograph of spillway gate resulting from the earth- to tailrace conduit - - - - - - structure--- - - - - - - - - - - - - - quake------__---------- 28. Aerial photograph showing 6. Aerial photograph of intake 18. Plan view of powerplant locations of cracks near area showing network of giving measurements of the powerplant- - --- -- --- cracks- - _ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - settlement and deflection- 29. Aerial photograph showing 7. Geologic section showing lo- 19. Photograph of machine-shop Eklutna Lake area------- cation of earthquake dam- foundation, showing sep- 30. Photograph of truck-mounted age to intake structure- - - aration of backfill mate- television equipment being 8. Geologic section along the rial from concrete footing- loaded at Denver for its line of the pressure tunnel- 20. Photograph showing damaged flight to Anchorage- - - - - - 9. Photograph of debris depos- 20,000-kva transformer con- 31. Details of television probes- ited in Eklutna tunnel- _ _ duit and terminal box---- 32. Arrangement of television 10. Geologic section through gate 21. Photograph showing damaged equipment during exami- shaft - - - - _ - _ - - - - - _ - - - - _ - heating-sy stem piping in nation-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 11. Geologic sect~on through the floor of the automotivc 33. Topographv, surface geol- surge tank-_------------ repair shop __------------ ogy, and location of frac- 12. Section through surge tank, 22. Sketch map of major earth- tures in underground penstock, and anchor- quake cracks in power- communication and elec- block area- - -------_--_- plant area- - ------------ trical systems- - --------- 13. Photograph showing earth 23. Photcgraph showing cracks 34. Axial view of breaks in the settlement over penstock in pavement of Eklutna ducts, as seen on the tele- anchor block------------ roadway-- - - - - - - - - - - __- - - - vision monitor screen---- - THE ALASKA EARTHQUAKE, MARCH 27,1964: EFFECTS ON TRANSPORTATION, COMMUNICATIONS, AND UTZLZTZES EFFECT OF THE EARTHQUAKE OF MARCH 27, 1964, ON THE EKLUTNA HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT, ANCHORAGE, ALASKA By Malcolm H. Logan, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation ABSTRACT The March 27, 1964, Aliasha eaa- ported from Eklutm Lake to lthe power- consolidated sediments and overburden quake and its a&&ed aftershocks plant at tidewa'ter on Knik Amd Cook which densified and subsided during the caulsed damage requiring sever'al million Inlet by an underwater intake con- earthquake. Structures built on bed- dollars worth of repair to the Ekluitna nected to a 4.46-mile tunnel penstork. rock experienced little or no damage. HydroelMc Project, 34 miles north- The primary damage caused by the Underground communimtion and elec- east of Anehomge. Eleotric mice earthquake was at the intake structure trical 'systems in Anchorage mere exam- 6nom the Eklutma powerplant was inter- in Eklutna hke. No damage to the ined with a small-diameter television rupted during the early phase of the power tunnel wzs observed. The pile- camera to lmte damaged areas requir- Mamh 27 eanthquake, but was restored supported powerplanit and appurtenant ing repair. Most of the damage was (iaixrm.1'btently)until May 9,1964, when strudures, Anchorage and Palmer sub- concentrated at or near valley slopes. the plant was cl& for inspection and stations, and the twnsrmi~ssionlines suf- Thw parts of the systems within the wpai~. fered minor damage. Most damage majar slide areas of the ciity were Water for Eklutm project is tram- occurred to facilities construoted on un- destroyed. INTRODIJCTION AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Eklutna Hydroelectric The lake is 7 mi'la long and is fed Although this report does not Project is a 30,000-kw (kilomtt) by melt maker from Eklutna Gla- discuss earthquake-damage reha- power development designed and cier, 4 miles ajbove the lake, and by bilitation, the repair of facilities constructed by the Bumau of Rec- precipi'tation runoff from a 119- damaged by the great Alaska lamation, U.S. Department of the square-mile watershed. Water is earthquake of March 1964 was dif- Interior, Ito bring urgently needed transported from the lake by an ficult, hazardous, and cositly. electric power to the rapidly ex- underwater intake connected ,to a Transmission poles had to be set panding mekropol~itmarea at An- 4.46-mile tunnel and 'tunnel pen- on steep icy mountain slopes; chorage, Alaska. The project was bstwck through Goat Mountain to \~eakened precast-concrete con- constructed during lthe 4-year pe- 'the powerplant (figs. 1,2,3). The duits could be strengthened only riod 1951-55. The powerpht project is for power production by working under 40 feet of near- (fig. 1) is lmted 34 miles north- only. Transmission lines, operat- freezing \\-ater; and sand and eagt of Anchorage on the Glenn ing at 115 kv (kilovolts) and ter- gravel were mucked from 4.46 Highway and is supplied by water minating a* substation facilities, miles of 9-foot tunnel requiring fmEklutna Lake, about 10 miles extend noPth to Palmer and south access by means of a 220-foot by road from the Glenn Highway. to Anchorage from the plant. vertical ladder. Al A2 ALASKA EARTHQUAKE, MARCH 27, 1964 CANADA 1000 MILES 1.-Index map of the Eklutna Hydroelectric Project. EFFECTS ON EKLUTNA HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT, ANCHORAGE EXPLANATION I I I - ./ FLOOD PLAIN 1$:::.:.</i< Glacial till Graywacke containing argillite inclusions Greenish-gray metagraywacke Thin-bedded argillite and some thin beds of graywacke Contact -,-I--75 Fault, approximately located Showing dip of fault plane 73 _L Strike --and- dip of beds Shattered zone o33 Drill hole 10 Test pit 700u 0 700 2100 FEET CONTOUR INTERVAL 500 FEET 2.-Topography and ourfare geology of the project area. ALASKA EARTHQUAICE, MARCH 2 7, 19 64 ' diameter gate shaft 115-kv transmission H igh-water line PLAN 3.-Schematic plan and profile of the Eklutna project. The decisions, actions, and
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