Key facts
- We were the lead firm responsible for construction supervision and contract administration duties. Other services we provided include design review, assistance with procurement, resettlement advice and monitoring, environmental management and monitoring.
- This is the first major hydropower project in Vietnam funded by the Asian Development Bank.
- The project capex is around US$250 million.
- The scheme involved the construction of 110m high roller compacted concrete dam, an intake structure, a 3.2km long headrace tunnel of 7.2m diameter, 16m diameter surge shaft and a powerhouse.
- 24-hour a day working on site allowed a concrete placement rate of 75,000m3 per month to be achieved.
Challenges
- The steep and rugged terrain, isolated location and a work site spread over a large area make this a particularly challenging construction site logistically.
- A tight timescale constrained by rainy seasons and floods meant small delays could push completion back.
- Poor rock conditions on the left abutment required significant investigation, re-design and a revised construction methodology.
- Clear communication was challenging in the languages used on site: Vietnamese, Chinese and English.
Solutions
- The challenges have been met by the development of good, open working relationships between the client, contractors, designer and our site supervision team and a proactive approach to problem solving.
Value and benefits
- Vietnam has experienced rising electricity demand of over 15% per year – the project helps meet increasing power demands, while reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
- Our collaborative approach to solving the geotechnical problems at the left abutment contributed to significant schedule and cost savings.
- We helped transfer knowledge of international practices and standards in the areas of engineering, procurement, resettlement and contract management to the client, our local counterpart staff and the contractor.