Dam Engineering

Hydroplan’s specialist engineers have a wealth of experience of working on dams and major hydro projects in the UK and internationally.  Our experience includes dam safety evaluation of dams in Kenya and Vietnam, among others. In the UK, we can provide supervising engineers as well as construction and inspection engineers under dam safety legislation: Dam Safety under Reservoirs Act 1975, Reservoirs (Scotland) Act 2011 and Reservoirs (Northern Ireland) Act 2015

Dam and Reservoir Design

Hydroplan can provide the designs for concrete, earth fill and rockfill dams and has experience in grouting of dams, the design of HDPE membranes and cement-bentonite cut-offs.  We offer a full range of services for designing dams and reservoirs in all situations, including floods and run-off analysis, hydraulic design of spillways and embankment stability analysis.

Recent Jobs:

• Loch Dungeon, Burnhead
  The Loch Dungeon scheme included the upgrading of an existing dam to incorporate a newly improved spillway and hydropower intake.

• Loch Tearnait, Ardtornish
  The concrete dam at Loch Tearnait raises the existing Loch to give additional supply to two schemes one at Loch Tearnait and second at Rannoch. The concrete dam incorporates the inlet for the hydropower scheme.

• Loch Rannoch, Ardtornish
  Hydroplan designed the substantial concrete dam for Loch Rannoch taking advantage of the supply of water from the upper Loch Tearnait scheme. The project included grouting of the foundation rock and the design of a 10.5m high concrete dam incorporating the hydropower inlet.

• Lochan Blar, Appin
  The concrete dam at Lochan Blar raises two lochs to provide additional water for the Hydro scheme.

• Loch Beaulach Culaidh, Wyvis
  Hydroplan designed a concrete dam incorporating the hydropower intake to raise the Loch to provide additional water to the scheme. The concrete dam makes the best use of the site with the flank walls buttressed with rock fill.

• Loch Gainmheach, Ederline
  This was a challenging scheme in a remote area. Hydroplan undertook extensive investigations on the site which showed very difficult ground conditions including glacial sands and gravels, lake deposits and glacial till. The original scheme for a concrete dam proved to be unviable and a rockfill dam with an HDPE membrane was designed. This incorporated a cement-bentonite cut-off down to rock which in places was 5m deep. Despite the remote location and difficult ground conditions, the dam was completed on time and to budget.