Government and Military Projects

Kentucky Lock Addition Upstream Monoliths

2011 - Grand Rivers, Kentucky

Built in 1935 by the Tennessee Valley Authority and maintained and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Kentucky Lock and Dam handles 50 million tons of barged cargo every year traveling up and down the Tennessee River. The Kentucky Lock Addition project was needed to increase the lock’s capacity to handle larger barges and heavier barge traffic with the construction of a new 1,200 foot lock. Construction on the project was originally started in 1998 but had been put on hold since 2009 due to lack of available funding. In 2011 the project was resumed after the award of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds.  

The lock addition includes the construction of nine upstream concrete monoliths. These monoliths are huge concrete sections of the new lock’s wall that are nearly 100 feet tall and require 130,000 cubic yards of concrete.  As part of the construction of the new monoliths, in 2011 Portland Bolt supplied several hundred galvanized F1554 Grade 55 anchor rods and bent anchor bolts, custom sleeve nuts, and custom manufactured 2¹⁄₄” diameter A354 Grade BD bent anchor bolts that were nearly 9 feet in length!  As an ARRA funded project, all materials provided were required to be 100% domestic.  With our 100 years of experience as a domestic manufacturer, the contractor knew that he could rely on us to provide the correct products, that the order would arrive on time, and that all materials would come with a full and complete certification package.

Do you have a project with a domestic requirement or a time critical delivery schedule? Contact one of our experienced estimators today to discuss how we can help you out! 

Fort Wainwright Hangar

2011 - Fairbanks, Alaska

Alaska, the fourth western state?  With Portland Bolt only a few hours away from steamship and barge docks, we can deliver product to Alaska in a timely fashion.  In August of 2011, Portland Bolt manufactured 19,000 pounds of ¾", 1", and 1¾" foundation anchor rods for a hangar in Fairbanks, Alaska in less than two weeks.  With our knowledge of the barge lines and their delivery schedules, we had the order on site a week later.  Let us know your preferred shipping company and we will arrange the shipment to minimize shipping times to any part of Alaska.  When the frost is on the way, call Portland Bolt for quick delivery on your large custom anchor bolts and fasteners.

Gustavus Causeway Replacement

2011 - Gustavus, Alaska

In April of 2011, the contractor who was constructing the new replacement causeway for the City of Gustavus, Alaska needed to procure large, custom tie-rod assemblies for the project.  The tie-rod assemblies were specified as 1-1/2” diameter hot dip galvanized steel and varied in length from 43’ to 53’overall. The contractor trusted Portland Bolt to manufacture these custom assemblies and utilized our tie-rod calculator to help determine the necessary clevis and turnbuckle sizes, as well as the appropriate rod lengths. Like many Portland Bolt orders, this project was on a time critical delivery schedule, due to the logistical constraints involved with barge transport of the assemblies to Alaska. Because of these constraints, it was critical that the entire order be manufactured and shipped on time. As promised, the order shipped on time and allowed the contractor to keep the project on schedule.

The causeway replacement project will consist of replacing the existing timber dock and approach with new steel structures that are capable of providing roll-on/ roll-off transfer for public transportation and freight. The existing dock will remain in place until the new dock is completed and the transfer bridge is on-site and ready to set. The new dock and approach will be open grate decked W beam structures supported by galvanized steel pipe piles. The dock will also incorporate a wave barrier feature to protect the floating transfer structures from the seasonal wind and waves coming off Glacier Bay.

Portland Bolt manufactures, galvanizes, and inventories a variety of bolts and specialty hardware for the construction of marine facilities of all sizes. Portland Bolt provides fasteners for projects ranging from small residential docks to multi-million dollar commercial marine projects all over the world.

Fall Creek & Lookout Dam Restoration

2010 - Lowell, Oregon Located on the middle fork of the Willamette River in western Oregon, Lookout Point Dam and Fall Creek Dam were both built by the US Army Corps of Engineers as part of the Willamette Valley Project. Originally completed in 1954 and 1966, respectively, both dams were scheduled for restoration work by the Corps in 2010. Both projects focused on rehabilitation and replacement of the hardware and connection components relating to the operation of the spillway gates. Both jobs were time critical, fast track projects, as all work had to be completed during the limited window of time during which the reservoirs behind the dams were drawn down to lower levels. When the contractor who was awarded the projects needed to order the custom anchor bolts and fasteners for the restoration, they trusted Portland Bolt with their time critical order. Portland Bolt was able to manufacture and deliver 3/4" A354 Grade BD and galvanized 1-1/2" A449 bent anchor bolts, as well as stainless steel threaded rods on a tight production schedule to meet the contractor's delivery needs. Our in-house hot dip galvanizing line and our experienced bending department allowed us to meet the contractor's critical delivery dates and keep the project on schedule.

Launch Pad

2008 - White Sands, New Mexico

As part of NASA's Constellation program, a new Launch Abort System (LAS) is being constructed at the flight testing facility on the U.S. Army White Sands Missile Range. This project is developing unmanned exploration of the Moon and Mars. The new launch pad will test the LAS during an emergency.

The foundation work on this site called for 1-1/2" ASTM F1554 anchor rods. Each grade 105 assembly consisted of 6 anchor rods, two 2-1/2" thick anchor plates, and a 6" long coupling nut attached to each rod then welded to the underside of the base plate. To ensure proper alignment, all-thread rod was threaded into the coupler prior to welding. The manufacturing and welding processes were completed in our facility. The assemblies were shipped to the jobsite in New Mexico ready for installation.