Historic Slater Mill - Raceway Restoration
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Caputo and Wick Ltd. has assisted Slater Mill in Pawtucket, RI, with several restoration/ rehabilitation projects through the years, and the latest assignment involved rehabilitation of the primary raceway. We assisted the Client and project architect, Haynes DeBoer Architects, Inc., in preparing contract drawings, project permitting, and construction administration. Key project elements included repair and repointing of the raceway retaining walls, head-gate replacement, and sediment removal within the raceway and partitioned areas under the mill building. We established early coordination with USFWS and RIDEM Fisheries Biologists and prepared the necessary permit applications through RIDEM’s Freshwater Wetlands and Water Quality Certification Sections. In preparation for the restoration activities, work areas at the head gate and throughout the raceway were isolated from the Blackstone River currents via coffer damming and insertion of an inflatable plug in the headrace culvert. Sediment was then removed mechanically with small equipment and lawfully disposed of at a licensed off-site facility. All sediment-removal work was performed by TMC Services, Inc. In the top photo, the raceway inlet (headrace outlet) is located at the stone retaining wall in the foreground, and the heavy accumulation of river sands and debris that has deposited and mounded across the raceway at the upstream face of the Mill building is clearly visible in the dewatered condition. Sediment accumulated downstream of the Mill building is evident in the middle image, and the bottom image shows sediments accumulated at the approach of the tailrace (large opening at image center) and at an inlet for operating a paddlewheel (at gate shown at right). Sediment within partitions under the Mill building was removed primarily by vacuum and occurred as a precursor for the renovation and restarting of a large historic turbine for generating additional electric power. Comparable views of the restored channels (several years later) are reflected below.
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