| Operation & maintenance


removal and repair. With alternative techniques, say a handheld breaker, there tend to be layers of dust and damaged concrete with small cracks in the residual concrete. That profile can potentially compromise the bonding for new material.


In lifecycle terms, how can hydrodemolition- based repairs extend the service life of hydropower assets? It comes back to hydrodemolition’s impact-free nature and ability to eliminate microfractures. They can have a significant, negative effect on a dam’s structural integrity. There’s been extensive research on this, including a Life Cycle Cost analysis by the Swedish Cement and Concrete Research Institute. Their studies found that using hydrodemolition for concrete repair leads to a significantly extended life expectancy of 21 to 35 years, compared to 7 to 12 years with mechanical chiselling.


Many hydropower facilities operate under strict outage windows. How does hydrodemolition help reduce downtime and improve project efficiency during maintenance works? Like any project, proper planning is essential to fully experience hydrodemolition’s benefits. The method is much faster than using any handheld tool and can be utilised on any surface, even those in hard-to-reach areas, which are critical benefits when a crew is working under the high-pressure deadlines of hydropower facility maintenance. Since hydrodemolition can reach virtually anywhere on a dam, for example, crews sometimes find it’s an all-encompassing solution that answers a lot of their questions. Another key perk is the robotic action that repeats the same sequence time after time that other methods can’t replicate. That ensures that every second it’s operating is maximised for consistent concrete removal.


From a sustainability standpoint, how does hydrodemolition compare to traditional repair methods in terms of material removal, waste reduction, and resource efficiency? Helping operations achieve sustainability goals is certainly a point of emphasis for hydrodemolition. Of course, using water is necessary to perform hydrodemolition, but the industry has made great strides to minimise the amount. Further, using a water treatment system simplifies water management and creates a more environmentally sound operation. The system removes suspended solids and treats the water to the proper pH. Treated water then can be safely released back to the environment or recirculated through the hydrodemolition equipment. From a resource perspective, hydrodemolition


preserves and cleans rebar, so the existing rebar can be reused. And because microcracks are eliminated, the repair is expected to last longer. Additionally, the debris from hydrodemolition is easier to clean up because it’s gravel-like. It can simply be collected with a vacuum truck and hauled away for recycling, opposed to needing extra equipment and labor to clean up concrete debris of all sizes. Finally, hydrodemolition offers a dust-free work


environment. Silica exposure is a significant health risk when workers use methods that create clouds of dust. Because water is used for the removal, there is no dust.


Environmental protection is a key concern in hydropower projects. What environmental benefits does hydrodemolition offer


, particularly


in sensitive aquatic or protected areas? Water treatment systems are a considerable innovation in maintaining a sustainable, environmentally compliant hydrodemolition project at a hydropower facility. The process uses water and that water will have a higher pH along with concrete particles after it’s done its job. That can cause concern that the wastewater will contaminate a sensitive area, which is a nonissue with proper water management and a water treatment system designed for hydrodemolition. The system also provides proper documentation to help users adhere to even the strictest regulations. Contractors have successfully completed jobs in heavily protected areas that were made possible thanks to these water treatment systems. There have also been projects at hydroelectric power


plants where rather than safely releasing the wastewater from hydrodemolition after treatment, the contractor


www.waterpowermagazine.com | February/March 2026 | 31


Above: At the Keeyask Generation Project in Manitoba, Canada, crews removed 140m3


(4,944ft3


)


of concrete on a damaged concrete pier. Photo courtesy of Water Blasting and Vacuum Services


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