Levees play an important role in protecting public infrastructure in many cities and towns across the United States. This infrastructure includes
- Roads
- Hospitals
- Police departments
- Power and water plants
While levees may reduce the risk of flooding, they do not eliminate it. They should be considered a last line of defense, providing time for people to evacuate and move their belongings in order to lessen property damage and reduce loss of life.
According to the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), at least one-third of communities with a population of 50,000 or higher have some portion of their community protected by levees. If you live in a community greater than 1 million in population your chance of having a portion of your community protected by a levee increases to 50 percent.
Schemmer offers:
- Levee and roadway repair experience from flood events in 2011 and 2019
- Licensed surveyors in Nebraska and Iowa
- Geotechnical consulting
- USACE-certified in-house materials testing lab
- Quick mobilization
Schemmer's Levee Repair Services for the USACE
Schemmer is no stranger to providing emergency levee repair services when disaster strikes.
The Flood of 2019
During the 2019 flood event, the Missouri River Left Bank and Upper Pony Creek Ditch Levee System experienced significant damage. Schemmer's survey and testing services partnered with Weston Solutions for the Levee 611 - 614 rehabilitation project.
This task is fast-paced and has many challenges that present themselves daily. The four-mile stretch of the levee has many areas of work that are in need of rebuilding or repair.
The Flood of 2011
In addition to recent repair services, Schemmer also performed site surveying and geotechnical engineering levee repair services on the Missouri River Emergency Levee Rehabilitation project led by the USACE in 2013.
Levee repairs were at the top of the Corps’ priorities following the historic three-month flood that devastated the region in 2011. The high river stages caused drainage structure failure, considerable erosion along levees and removal of several access ramps. The fast-moving repair job was more than a patch. In some locations, new levees were constructed farther from the river than the old levee’s alignment.
Schemmer’s role in this massive emergency effort was to provide “Turn Key” services within 24 hours of request, including:
- site investigation
- initial site survey
- topographic surveys
- construction staking
- establishing control points
- pre and post survey of excavated and placed materials
- final As-Built services
In addition, geotechnical soil testing at specific locations along the levees was required. Strict Corp standards were followed while layers of compacted soil were surveyed and tested daily.
Design with Purpose. Build with Confidence.
Schemmer is a full-service architecture, engineering and construction field services consultant, providing responsible solutions for complex design and construction-related challenges. Founded in 1959, we are grounded in our past but remain fully committed to the future. Located in three States and six offices throughout the Midwest, Schemmer is providing services to clients from coast-to-coast and border-to-border across the United States.
