Works are continuing on the second phase of Keepit Dam’s safety upgrade.
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The $100 million-dollar upgrade is due to be completed in mid-2019, with the first phase fully completed in 2013.
The contract will see the dam become fully compliant with NSW Dams Safety Committee standards for extreme weather events and seismic activity.
“The Keepit Dam Safety Upgrade Project will ensure the dam continues to comply with contemporary safety standards for extreme floods and earthquakes. The current phase of work involves the installation of post-tensioned cables on the concrete section of the dam wall,” a WaterNSW spokesperson said.
SRG was awarded the $24.4 million construction contract in 2016 and are installing “world record capacity anchors” into Keepit Dam.
The spokesperson said more than 70 per cent of demolition and concrete surface preparation works for the dam monolith blocks, and drilling for cable anchors has been completed. In addition, more than one kilometre of post-tensioning anchor cables have been installed on the dam crest and the overflow section of the dam, and more than 25 tonnes of reinforcement bars have been installed for spillway pier bearing pad construction.
Next on the agenda is the continuation of drilling and grouting starter bars and reinforced concrete construction for the spillway piers, with plans to start drilling of inclined holes for cable anchors through existing concrete of the spillway piers.
“Installing, stressing and testing anchors will continue over the next eight to 10 months,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said the NSW Dams Safety Committee visited the dam in June as part of a country tour, an event held twice a year, which allows the committee and staff to travel to regional NSW to talk with dam owners and inspect dams first-hand.
“Of particular interest was the upgrade project underway at Keepit. The group spent several hours at Keepit on day one of the country tour,” the spokesperson said.
“There were fruitful discussions around technical and other project issues with representatives from SRG and Water NSW.”
Preliminary electrical relocation works were carried out ahead of the second stage, which started in July 2017.
The WaterNSW project is funded by the NSW Government, with public access to the wall cut-off until 2019.