Hydro Dams

Highlighted Project: Ruskin Dam (Stave River, BC)

Built in 1930, Ruskin Dam provides power to over 33,000 homes in the Lower Mainland and has a production capacity of 114 Megawatts of electricity. However, the dam structure required upgrades to meet improved safety and seismic standards, while also increasing the efficiency and life of the units and surrounding structures. Construction work included stabilizing the Right and Left Abutments, Construction of 6 New Piers, Improvements on the Downstream Retaining Wall, and Bridge upgrades across the dam. Throughout this project, Kani was heavily involved in the upgrade work and served as a key subcontractor to the general contractor from 2012 to 2017, completing the work in 4 main phases.

Performing the upgrades at the Ruskin Dam and Powerhouse project included many challenges, as construction occurred while the dam and powerhouse were in operation. Challenges included, but were not limited to the following:

Working in tight spaces concurrently with other subcontractors completing other types of work
Working within strict environmental regulations and constraints – no drilling slurry was allowed leave the contained work area and all drilling wastes were required to undergo treatment before release
All work was completed on drilling platforms – small and powerful equipment had to be utilized
Maintaining schedule was critical, work was completed in both day and night shifts
Strict quality control procedures had to be followed and completed on time, in conjunction with the drilling activities

The work completed also covered a broad range of conditions, which resulted in Kani creatively modifying equipment to suit the requirements of the work and enlisting specialized crew and equipment to get the job done. More than 3,500 holes were drilled in this project, including the installation of bundled bar anchors with 12” diameter holes, anchor bar installation for Tower Crane Foundation and Temporary Bulkhead, and dowel holes to add stabilization to the dam structure, abutments, and buttress walls. Overall, Kani was very successful in the completion of the project, consistently providing the right solution for every challenge faced, and completing the work in the most efficient way while maintaining high quality work on this time-sensitive project.