|
 |
| |
PROJECT: Ecuador Water Control Project |
|
| |
Trasvases Manabi Water Project, Ecuador
By replacing traditional "form and pour" methods with high production
shotcrete, the massive Trasvases Manabi Water Project in Ecuador
finished months ahead of schedule. Contractor Norberto Odebrecht
in conjunction with Shotcrete Technologies, Inc., and Commercial
Shotcrete, Inc. of Phoenix, AZ placed over six thousand cubic
meters of shotcrete in less than half the time it would have
taken by the specified method, and put the project a whole rainy
season ahead.
Centre de Rehabilitacion (CRM) of Manabi, chose Norberto Odebrecht
to construct the two hundred twelve million dollar project that
would provide a constant supply of water for drinking, irrigation,
and industrial use by optimizing Ecuador's seasonal rainfall
patterns. Having been on site since May of 1999, by July of
2001, the project was five months ahead of schedule and Danilo
Abdanur, construction manager, began to realize that he could
perhaps complete the entire project by the Rainy season (late
November), if he could come up with a much quicker method to
complete the spillway walls of the Conguillo Dam. At twenty
five meters high, sixty and one hundred centimeter thick walls
with a 1" tolerance and a minimum of six thousand cubic meters
of concrete, the specified "form and pour" method would not
meet Abdanur's aggressive schedule.
Kristian Loevlie, of Shotcrete Technologies, Inc. was called
in to meet with Odebrecht, the Owners and Engineers to discuss
the possibility of erecting these massive walls using shotcrete.
Having done high volume shotcrete projects all over the world,
Loevlie explained that good shotcrete is a high quality "in-place"
concrete, often with much higher compressive strengths. The
Group was convinced that this innovative solution would allow
them to meet their aggressive schedule.
With the decision made to shotcrete the massive walls, time
was of the essence and Shotcrete Technologies quickly pulled
in Commercial Shotcrete Inc. of Phoenix, Arizona for the application
expertise and supervision. Mix designs and testing using local
materials, and training local laborers were fast-tracked. Once
the shotcrete pumps arrived on site, the first two weeks were
spent on training and testing. Alberto Medina, of Commercial
Shotcrete and his various supervisors managed the entire process.
When the shotcrete application went into production mode, the
crews (using the' "hand-held" nozzling technique) reached a
daily rate of more than one hundred eighty cubic meters of shotcrete
using two pumps on two shifts.
The very workable "wet shotcrete" mix was placed through heavy
rebar and mesh directly onto a twenty-five meter high dirt excavation
requiring extensive temporary support. By using shotcrete, the
initial support and final one meter thick structural walls were
done simultaneously. ST-ALKALI FREE ACCELERATOR was used for
water control and temporary ground support.
This continuous process of excavation, reinforcement, initial
support, and final structure was very fast, efficient, cost
effective, and shaved months off the time traditional methods
would have taken. By the end of November, the spillway walls
were finished and ready for the rainy season.
According to Danilo Abdanur, Construction
Manager for
Odebrecht, the key to the projects success was choosing the
proper expertise, with the proper equipment, an efficient working
site, adequate support equipment, a well-trained crew, a consistent
mix design, and adhering to a daily maintenance schedule. However,
the biggest factor in the success of this project was taking
the perceived risk on a technology that he had not used for
this specific application.
The Trasvases Project is one of the many innovative projects
around the world for which Shotcrete Technologies, Inc. is known.
For the complete press release on this project click
here.
For
additional information about this or any other projects, please
call Shotcrete Technologies at (303) 567-4871 or send an e-mail
request with name and address to info@shotcretetechnologies.com.
|
|
|
