Civil-Related Considerations in New Development
CLEAN CURRENTS 2026
Time: 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
Day: 9/24/2026
Room Number: CC Central: Intelligence Theater
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Presentations are:
Managing Complex Geotechnical Investigations in Remote Sites - An Example from the Salt River Pumped Storage Project, presented by McKenna Hughes, Salt River Project, and Roberto Lucidi, Stantec
Temporary Works and Site Setup: Where Pumped Storage Budgets Are Won or Lost, presented by Will Edeen, Bechtel
Details about each presentation and the speakers are below:
Managing Complex Geotechnical Investigations in Remote Sites - An Example from the Salt River Pumped Storage Project
Presented by McKenna Hughes, Salt River Project, and Roberto Lucidi, Stantec
Developing greenfield hydropower projects in remote environments presents uniquely demanding geotechnical challenges, where large volumes of high-quality subsurface data must be collected, processed, and delivered rapidly to support critical design decisions for underground waterways, powerhouse, and dam infrastructure.
Once design decisions are initiated, the need for reliable geotechnical information becomes immediate, requiring investigation programs that can respond in near real time while maintaining technical rigor.
This presentation highlights an example from the proposed Salt River Pumped Storage Project in Arizona where constrained site access, limited water availability, and strict schedule limitations due to eagle nesting restrictions significantly influenced investigation planning and execution. These constraints required not only technical adaptability but also accelerated data turnaround to keep pace with aggressive design schedules.
To meet these demands, a multi-rig drilling program was deployed with helicopter support to access difficult terrain and sustain high production rates. Field and office workflows were tightly integrated, leveraging digital solutions for real-time data acquisition, automated processing, and rapid dissemination of the results. This approach enabled near real-time geotechnical interpretations updates, allowing the design teams to proceed with confidence while minimizing delays.
Despite the reduced schedules, the project successfully delivered robust geotechnical datasets, supported by advanced visualization and reporting tools that enhanced clarity and usability for multidisciplinary teams. The approach provided clear value by expediting design decisions, reducing uncertainty, and compressing the investigation-to-design feedback loop.
Key lessons learned (including logistics optimization, adaptive investigation strategies, and digital integration) demonstrate how complex geotechnical programs in remote settings can meet accelerated timelines without compromising data quality, ultimately adding measurable value to project delivery and team performance.
Temporary Works and Site Setup: Where Pumped Storage Budgets Are Won or Lost
Presented by Will Edeen, Bechtel
On new development projects, the permanent works get the attention but the temporary works decide the outcome. Cost overruns rarely originate in the dam, the waterways, or the powerhouse; they originate in the decisions made before the first concrete pour is ever done. This presentation examines the site setup and temporary works choices that shape construction cost and schedule performance on new pumped storage development:
� Temporary utilities - establishing water, gas, and power to usually remote sites
� Site layout - laying out laydown, batch plants, and access for efficiency and effectiveness
� Traffic and logistics - haul routes, sequencing, and access constraints
� Workforce housing - accommodating a craft workforce and sometimes developing a local craft workforce, and the productivity consequences
� Spare parts and equipment availability - holding the right inventory on site to keep critical equipment from becoming critical path
The unifying theme: indirects govern directs. How well the site is set up determines how productive the direct work can ever be. Owners, EPCs, and developers evaluating new pumped storage projects will leave with a practical framework for estimating, planning, and de-risking temporary works early - when the decisions are still cheap to make.
