In late July, crews placed the final concrete slab for the valve house to provide solidity between the ground and the four-story building. Each of the seven slabs contains roughly 300 to 400 cubic yards of concrete and is 6 feet thick, unlike the standard 4-inch slabs in a typical house. The immense pressure of water descending through the Colorado Big Thompson Project (C-BT) and Chimney Hollow systems from Pinewood Reservoir require robust slabs that act as thrust blocks to secure the valve house infrastructure.  

Beginning in March, crews blasted and excavated approximately 72,000 cubic yards of material, then inspected and cleaned the area. Prior to placing the concrete slabs, crews installed steel rebar to reinforce structural stability below the valve house. Completing the valve house foundation – a key feature of Chimney Hollow’s water infrastructure – enables crew members to move on to other tasks and helps ensure project success.