Phase 3 of the Viet Nam-New Zealand Dam Safety Project was launched on 25 July 2023. The project is building capability and resilience within Vietnamese communities to manage the risk of dam failure. New Zealand Ambassador to Vietnam, Hon Tredene Dobson, and the Viet Nam Vice Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), Mr Nguyen Hoang Hiep, were joined by project partner representatives to celebrate the launch of Phase 3 at a meeting in Hanoi.
Viet Nam has over 7,000 dams, many of which are in deteriorating condition. Supported by $7.5 million funding under the MFAT New Zealand Aid Programme, Phase 3 doubles the number of sites of the previous two phases of the project to a total of nine major dams in seven large river basins and more than 300 medium dams to provide improved safety for dams and disaster risk management for downstream communities.
The project team from Damwatch Engineering, GNS Science from NZ, and local partner Thuyloi University is working with the Viet Nam Government, dam managers and downstream communities to develop dam safety solutions that can be delivered down to the local level. This includes the:
Phase 3 of the Viet Nam-New Zealand Dam Safety Project was launched on 25 July 2023. The project is building capability and resilience within Vietnamese communities to manage the risk of dam failure. New Zealand Ambassador to Vietnam, Hon Tredene Dobson, and the Viet Nam Vice Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), Mr Nguyen Hoang Hiep, were joined by project partner representatives to celebrate the launch of Phase 3 at a meeting in Hanoi.
Viet Nam has over 7,000 dams, many of which are in deteriorating condition. Supported by $7.5 million funding under the MFAT New Zealand Aid Programme, Phase 3 doubles the number of sites of the previous two phases of the project to a total of nine major dams in seven large river basins and more than 300 medium dams to provide improved safety for dams and disaster risk management for downstream communities.
The project team from Damwatch Engineering, GNS Science from NZ, and local partner Thuyloi University is working with the Viet Nam Government, dam managers and downstream communities to develop dam safety solutions that can be delivered down to the local level. This includes the:
The river diversion that allowed the 52m high Waimea Community Dam to be constructed was closed on 25 May 2023. The contractor Fulton Hogan-Taylor JV then constructed permanent plugs and installed isolation valves to allow reservoir filling to commence. Reservoir filling is now underway.
The dam, a public private partnership between the Tasman District Council and Waimea Irrigators, is the first large dam to be constructed in New Zealand in 25 years. The reservoir will hold 13 million cubic metres of water to provide water security to the region.
The reservoir will be filled in stages by keeping the water level at hold points for extended periods to allow for testing and engineering measurements. When it rains there will be times when water will need to be released to return the reservoir to a set level, and then when ready, the reservoir level will be built up to the next hold point. The objective is to have the reservoir full and dam commissioned by December, to provide shareholders and community with confidence ahead of summer.
The river diversion that allowed the 52m high Waimea Community Dam to be constructed was closed on 25 May 2023. The contractor Fulton Hogan-Taylor JV then constructed permanent plugs and installed isolation valves to allow reservoir filling to commence. Reservoir filling is now underway.
The dam, a public private partnership between the Tasman District Council and Waimea Irrigators, is the first large dam to be constructed in New Zealand in 25 years. The reservoir will hold 13 million cubic metres of water to provide water security to the region.
The reservoir will be filled in stages by keeping the water level at hold points for extended periods to allow for testing and engineering measurements. When it rains there will be times when water will need to be released to return the reservoir to a set level, and then when ready, the reservoir level will be built up to the next hold point. The objective is to have the reservoir full and dam commissioned by December, to provide shareholders and community with confidence ahead of summer.
Steve McInerney from Damwatch presented a paper on Laos Small Hydro Dam Safety Reviews at the recent ICOLD conference held in Gothenburg in Sweden.
The paper noted the capacity building necessary to ensure dam safety practice met the requirements of Regulations and described our experience with training local Laos engineers in dam safety practice during the Covid 19 period.
Steve McInerney from Damwatch presented a paper on Laos Small Hydro Dam Safety Reviews at the recent ICOLD conference held in Gothenburg in Sweden.
The paper noted the capacity building necessary to ensure dam safety practice met the requirements of Regulations and described our experience with training local Laos engineers in dam safety practice during the Covid 19 period.
Damwatch is very proud to be awarded in association with contractor Fulton Hogan-Taylor Joint Venture and client Waimea Water Ltd the Excellence in Concrete Infrastructure Award at the Concrete NZ Nauhria Industry Awards of 2023. This award was for the slipformed upstream Embankment Concrete Face (ECF), the waterproof component of the 52m high dam. The slipforming method of concrete placement on the sloping face minimised the need for joints in the final structure. The Concrete Face of a 300mm thick reinforced concrete slab comprising 800 tonne of reinforcement and 3,800 cubic metres of concrete, with PVC waterstops to seal panel joints.
Damwatch is very proud to be awarded in association with contractor Fulton Hogan-Taylor Joint Venture and client Waimea Water Ltd the Excellence in Concrete Infrastructure Award at the Concrete NZ Nauhria Industry Awards of 2023. This award was for the slipformed upstream Embankment Concrete Face (ECF), the waterproof component of the 52m high dam. The slipforming method of concrete placement on the sloping face minimised the need for joints in the final structure. The Concrete Face of a 300mm thick reinforced concrete slab comprising 800 tonne of reinforcement and 3,800 cubic metres of concrete, with PVC waterstops to seal panel joints.
Members of Engineers Ireland in Wellington, New Zealand were invited to meet with President of Engineers Ireland, John Power for a meeting kindly hosted by Damwatch Engineering.
John welcomed the opportunity to meet with members and anyone who was thinking of joining Engineers Ireland and to give an update on the work of Engineers Ireland. This event also offered attendees the opportunity to network with fellow engineers.
Members of Engineers Ireland in Wellington, New Zealand were invited to meet with President of Engineers Ireland, John Power for a meeting kindly hosted by Damwatch Engineering.
John welcomed the opportunity to meet with members and anyone who was thinking of joining Engineers Ireland and to give an update on the work of Engineers Ireland. This event also offered attendees the opportunity to network with fellow engineers.
