| Iconic dams
Yusufeli Dam,Turkey Carrieann Stocks, Editor of International Water Power and Dam Construction, has highlighted the Yusufeli Dam in Turkey, as having the potential to become an iconic structure
Yusufeli Dam stands as a pivotal achievement for Turkey in its pursuit of carbon-neutrality, serving as the focal point in the Coruh River hydropower development. This landmark project not only showcases Turkey’s progress but also underscores its commitment to sustainable energy. From an engineering standpoint, the project’s significance lies in the remarkable enhancement of FE modeling precision using cutting-edge software. This advancement enables a more accurate representation of real-world conditions, fostering a deeper understanding of the behavior of superhigh arch dams. Located on the Çoruh River, the Yusufeli Dam and its 558MW hydroelectric power plant was officially inaugurated in November 2023. With a total water storage volume of approximately 2.2 billion m3
, the dam is Turkey’s highest and
the world’s fifth highest dam in double curvature concrete arch dam type with a height of 275m. The Yusufeli Dam created a 33.63km2
reservoir area with a total storage capacity of approximately 2.2 billion cubic metres. The maximum crest elevation and the crest length of the dam are 715m and 490m respectively. The dam project also involves four balanced cantilever viaducts, including the 644m-long Tekkale viaduct, the 695m-long Yusufeli viaduct, the 340m-long Yusufeli dam viaduct,
and the 530m-long Silenkar viaduct, along with the construction of 110km of roads, 45 tunnels, 22 bridges, and 92 culverts. The other components of the project include the main power transformers, a 380kV switchyard, along measuring and protection equipment. The project included a total of 5 million 800 thousand cubic meters of concrete, 4 million cubic meters of body concrete, 1 million 800 thousand cubic meters of building (conventional) concrete. Within the scope of the project, a total of 70 thousand tons of iron and steel products were used, including 61 thousand tons of iron and 9 thousand tons of steel. The project is owned by the General Directorate
of State Hydraulic Works (DSI) Turkey, while a consortium of Limak Constructions, Cengiz Constructions, and Kolin Construction Company has been engaged in building the facility. The construction works on the project were
started with a ground-breaking ceremony held in February 2013. At full capacity, the Yusufeli hydroelectric power station is expected to generate approximately one billion and 888 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity annually. The construction equipment used for the
Yusufeli hydroelectric project included one 12tonne (t) 280 EC-H tower crane, two 10t
200 EC-H tower cranes, and four 6t 154 EC-H tower cranes. Five tower cranes were also used for the construction of roads as part of the project.
A joint venture of Limak Constructions, Cengiz Constructions, and Kolin Construction Company was awarded a contract worth approximately £167.50m ($266.74m) by the General Directorate of State Hydraulic Works for the development of Yusufeli dam and hydroelectric power project in November 2012. Andritz Hydro was contracted by the Limak-Cengiz-Kolin consortium for the design, manufacturing, supply, installation, and commissioning of the electromechanical equipment for the project in 2015. Andritz Hydro also received an order for the supply of intake structure, penstocks, along with gates, embedded parts, grip beams, trash racks, spillway, radial gates, hydraulic lifting systems, and slide valves in September 2016. Su-Yapi was contracted by Limak Construction Company for the preparation of detailed design and consultancy services for the Yusufeli dam, while IC Consultant, Austria, was subcontracted by Su-Yapi for the engineering and geological consultancy services of the project.
ARQ Consulting Engineers was responsible for the detailed final structural and thermal design analysis along with assistance in construction plant design and specification. Nurol Construction Company was awarded a contract worth approximately £76.00m ($98.37m) by DSI for four 152m-high viaducts in July 2017, while Gulsan Company partnered for the construction works of Yusufeli dam bridges. Botek Bosphorus Technical Consulting Corporation provided project consultancy services for the preliminary and final design of the dam access roads. Liebherr supplied 12 tower cranes for the construction works of the Yusufeli dam and roads, while Sangari supplied inclinometers, extensometers, joint gauges, water level gauges, and piezometers for the project.
Above: Yusufeli dam in Turkey
www.waterpowermagazine.com | April 2024 | 39
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