| Seismic safety
Water seepage barrier
Bauer Foundations Canada, a subsidiary of Bauer Spezialtiefbau GmbH, was recently tasked with executing the new water seepage barrier within the main earthfill section of the dam. The project, which is managed by Aecon/EBC General Partnership, includes constructing a low permeability plastic concrete cut-off wall on the middle earthfill dam to improve the water barriers and seismic performance of the earthfill section. In addition to the cut-off wall works, Bauer performed soil improvement on the soft sediments to reinforce the north earthfill dam.
Bauer’s construction tasks included installation of the plastic concrete cutoff wall as well as land and marine densification for the new upgraded eart-fill berms. A major challenge was minimising the environmental impact to the reservoir, Campbell River and surrounding park during construction, particularly close to the drinking water extraction point for Campbell River. The work began in October 2023 and was successfully completed in July 2024. Another phase of soil improvement will follow in 2025. The modernisation of the John Hart Dam involved a variety of technical and logistical challenges. “As a result, precise planning and the latest equipment were essential for work on Vancouver Island where variable soils and a hard basalt bedrock layer are present,” Project Manager Jeffrey Pattison said.
Among other equipment, two Bauer MC 96 duty-
www.waterpowermagazine.com | February 2025 | 15
cycle cranes, one equipped with a DHG V hydraulic grab and one with a BC 48 cutter, three BE desander systems from Bauer MAT Slurry Handling Systems, and one Bauer BG 30 were used for this work. The wintry conditions as well as the limited working space on both earthfill dams, made work even more difficult. In order to meet these challenges successfully, the project team relied on innovative technologies and digital tools such as b-tronic and Virtual Site Installer (VSI).
Above: For safeguarding work on the dam, a BAUER BG 30 was used for this soil improvement work along with other equipment.
Below: Harnessing their best team power and precision, the experts from Bauer mastered all the challenges. © BAUER Group
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