Denver and the USBR Labs!

For the first week of November, Kristin had to go to Denver for a "Value Engineering" study - a totally exhausting process where she learned a TON!  The highlight of the week was the trip to the Bureau of Reclamation's hydraulics lab and concrete lab.  For the fellow civil engineers - this stuff was so cool!

Here's one of the scale models - this is the description of the "problem"

The scale model - you can't see it - but there's a ton of various sized gravel in there

The end of the model, where the water is collected and pumped back to the beginning

After browsing the hydraulics lab, we headed to the concrete lab to see a large concrete break on a 5 MILLION pound press!  When it broke - the whole building shook!  The press actually sits on it's own separate foundation.

Before the break... 

You Tube Video of the break

 

After the break!

Hoover Dam Concrete mix!  Holy aggregate Batman!

 Info the press...

 Tension breaks from the same machine...

A butterfly valve after cavitation...how cool!