Innovation Summer 2026

COUGAR CREEK DAM CONSTRUCTION ACCESS ROAD

During construction of the Cougar Creek Debris Flood Retention Dam, near Canmore, AB, access to the upper third of the structure required a fit-for-purpose, steep (>12% grade) construction access road given the canyon constrained location. While dam construction was ongoing, SweetTech designed an access road that balanced performance, safety, and environmental stewardship. Given tight spatial constraints, SweetTech used a 6-m-tall lock block retaining wall with geogrid reinforcement and high-friction angle blast rock from the dam spillway construction to minimize upslope disturbance while facilitating access to the dam face and low-level outlet structure. Reusing blast rock from the spillway construction reduced material transportation and greenhouse gas emissions typically associated with a structure of this magnitude. SweetTech’s practical approach ensured safe dam access, minimized project costs, preserved the upslope adjacent provincial park lands, and enabled successful dam completion.

Company: SweetTech Engineering Consultants Participants: Andres Ocejo, P.Eng.; Eric Sweet, M.Eng., P.Eng.; Scott Sutherland, P.Eng. P hoto : G riffin M olenaar /S weet T ech E ngineering C onsultants

Innovation Summer 2026

41