Kiewit’s Post

Switzerland's landscape is not just picturesque; it's also dotted with dams critical for hydropower and natural hazard protection. In our latest article, 'Under Swiss Supervision,' we delve into the evolving landscape of Swiss dam safety regulations, addressing current and future challenges head-on. Key Takeaways: • Natural Hazard Protection Dams (NHPDs): With an increasing number of smaller dams built for civil and infrastructure protection, Swiss regulations are adapting. Our article explores the nuances between conventional dams and NHPDs, highlighting the need for tailored safety measures. • Alkali Aggregate Reaction (AAR): Aging Swiss concrete dams face the challenge of AAR, impacting dam safety. We discuss ongoing research efforts and the quest for a comprehensive framework to assess AAR effects reliably. • Seismic Considerations: Switzerland's aging dam portfolio prompts seismic safety updates. We delve into recent revisions in dam safety directives, seismic hazard analysis, and initiatives by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) to bolster seismic safety assessments. Join the conversation on Swiss dam safety. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/e4_iwfte #DamSafety #Switzerland #Infrastructure #Hydropower

#Design&Construction #Hydropower Projects #PumpStorage Projects #Delay Reasons In the past, numerous companies have attempted to enter the hydropower sector, only to encounter failure. The underlying causes of these failures often remained undisclosed, likely to protect the interests of employees who prioritize personal gain over safeguarding the company from losses and embarrassment. The insights provided here are also applicable to the construction of Pump Storage Projects, as the two share many similarities. 👉One significant factor contributing to failure is overconfidence. There’s a misconception that hydropower projects can be executed with just project financing and managerial expertise, similar to other industrial ventures with lesser technical manpower requirements. 👉Another critical oversight is neglecting the need for seasoned technical staff. This includes both construction personnel and designers who can ensure safe and optimized designs without resorting to numerous post-award modifications. 👉Financial limitations within the construction agency often lead to inadequate deployment of experienced staff and quality equipment on-site, causing substantial delays in project completion. 👉Clients may also contribute to scope creep under the guise of safety or maintenance enhancements, often suggested by so-called construction experts or inexperienced designers with managerial backgrounds. 👉The creation of unrealistic construction schedules at the behest of upper management is another pitfall. To meet these ambitious timelines, sites may take shortcuts, compromising technical specifications and design integrity. Such practices can lead to component failure either during construction or shortly after project commissioning. 👉Project sequencing is another area prone to mismanagement. Deviating from the planned sequence not only incurs cost overruns but also complicates subsequent construction phases, especially in hilly terrains where premature construction of lower-level components can be damaged by debris from above. 👉Lastly, disregarding the insights of experienced technical staff about real-time construction challenges based on actual site conditions and the capabilities of the construction agency can be detrimental. For a hydropower or Pump Storage Project to succeed, it’s crucial to have access to skilled construction engineers and designers including experienced geologists. Equally important is ensuring that all deployed equipment is in good working condition and available in adequate quantities.

In hydropower project many contract conditions are compromised, in the name of speeding up of work progress, for settling extra claims, to avoid arbitration, and to support financially constrained agencies, including in the name of geological surprise. However, despite all these relaxations, projects still suffer from huge time & cost overruns and finally constructed structures are also of poor quality and unsafe or sometime require repairs just after commissioning of the project. This is because, two main reasons of time & cost overrun including poor quality work i.e first reason pertaining to deployment of qualified & experienced as well as committed manpower and also sufficient in number and second reason deployment of proper equipments as per project requirement are never recorded and addressed. Furthermore, construction work is continued without required minimum manpower at all levels and also old junked equipments are used in construction resulting in poor quality of construction. #hydropower #construction #timelycompletion #qualitywork

Do you know what the Force-Activated Coupling System (FACS) is? After years of research and development, this new way to install precast concrete segments will be fundamental to provide a safer and more secure way to build tunnels for Snowy 2.0, the largest hydroelectric project under development in Australia. Read this interesting article to learn more! #Webuild

Do you know what the Force-Activated Coupling System (FACS) is? After years of research and development, this new way to install precast concrete segments will be fundamental to provide a safer and more secure way to build tunnels for Snowy 2.0, the largest hydroelectric project under development in Australia. Read this interesting article to learn more! #Webuild

Do you know what the Force-Activated Coupling System (FACS) is? After years of research and development, this new way to install precast concrete segments will be fundamental to provide a safer and more secure way to build tunnels for Snowy 2.0, the largest hydroelectric project under development in Australia. Read this interesting article to learn more! #Webuild #Webuild #Webuildvalue #Webuilders #Webuildinnovation #Webuildgreen #Webuildthefuture #Weinvestinsustainability #Webuildinfrastructures

Dams are incredible feat of engineering and construction that provides, Many benefits like hydropower.

Slope protection works ongoing on tanahun hydropower project

Do you know what the Force-Activated Coupling System (FACS) is? After years of research and development, this new way to install precast concrete segments will be fundamental to provide a safer and more secure way to build tunnels for Snowy 2.0, the largest hydroelectric project under development in Australia. Read this interesting article to learn more! #Webuild

Do you know what the Force-Activated Coupling System (FACS) is? After years of research and development, this new way to install precast concrete segments will be fundamental to provide a safer and more secure way to build tunnels for Snowy 2.0, the largest hydroelectric project under development in Australia. Read this interesting article to learn more! #Webuild