Construction teams have begun a full-scale roller compacted concrete (RCC) trial at the Dasu hydropower project, marking a key step before RCC placement for the project’s main dam.
The trial is being carried out at a dedicated section near the dam site by engineers and technical specialists to validate construction methods, assess logistics and operational systems, confirm quality standards and provide training for the project’s workforce.
The RCC trial programme, including testing and evaluation, is expected to take four months to complete. Technical teams from the contractor, consultants and Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) will review the results before approving the start of RCC works at the main dam.
Main dam RCC placement is scheduled to begin later this year, subject to the availability of pozzolan material from the Gini area.
Construction activities are currently under way across 23 work fronts at the project, including the main dam foundation, underground powerhouse and underground transformer cavern. Crushing and batching plants required for RCC production are already operational.
The 4,320MW project is being developed in two phases. Stage 1, with a capacity of 2,160MW, is currently under construction and is expected to supply around 12 billion kWh of electricity annually to the national grid. Once fully completed, the project is expected to generate approximately 21 billion kWh per year.
Source: Muhammad Sohaib
