Cross-border dam-construction drive - Civil Engineering Contractor bulletin , 08 June 2009
An important milestone has been reached in the construction of the Dikgathlong Dam – a project of the Botswana Department of Water Affairs. The flow of the Shashe River has been diverted so the dam wall can be built through the dry river bed in winter. The dam has been under construction for just under a year.
"A core trench excavation through a section of the Shashe River started at the beginning of May," says Tom Spiers, site representative for Jeffares & Green Consulting Engineers in Botswana. "A diversion conduit has been installed successfully; running parallel to but bypassing the river channel. This carries the dry-weather flow around the dam-wall excavation."
The diversion has been put to use by closing the upstream and downstream coffer dams, and the contractor is busy excavating the core trench through the dry river-bed section. The aim is to bring the main clay core up to river-bed level by the end of the dry season so that it will be suitably protected to allow the river to flow again along its natural course in the wet season.
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