Daimer Bhasha Dam, Pakistan

Client: Pakistan Wapda

System Installed:

Digital inclinometer
Easy Connect (EC) inclinometer casing
In-Site data presentation software

Geomotion have recently provided instrumentation at the site of the proposed 4800 megawatt upcoming Dam, the Daimer Bhasha Dam, the world’s third highest RCC Dam located on the Indus River in Pakistan.

Overview

Agriculture is the backbone of Pakistan’s economy. Pakistan today is one of the world’s fastest growing populations, now estimated at over 150 million. Due to lack of large river regulation capability through sizeable storage, the country is already facing serious shortages in grain. If this is to continue Pakistan could become a food deficit country in the near future. There is a dire need therefore to build storage for augmenting agriculture production. Tarbela, Mangla and Chashma reservoirs have already lost about 5.3 million acre feet (MAF) due to sedimentation; it is estimated that by the year 2016 this loss would increase to 6.6 MAF, almost equal to the original combined capacity of Mangla and Chashma reservoirs. Due to complete stoppage of any sizeable multi-purpose storage development after commissioning of Tarbela Dam in 1976, sustainability of existing irrigated agriculture in Pakistan is in serious jeopardy.

The Daimer Bhasha Dam project is located on Indus River, about 315 km upstream of Tarbela Dam, 165 km downstream of the Gilgit-Baltistan capital Gilgit and 40 km downstream of Chilas. The proposed Dam would have a maximum height of 272 metres, and impound a reservoir of about 8.1 MAF, with live storage of more than 6.4 MAF. Mean annual discharge of Indus River at the site is 50 MAF, thus the Dam will impound 15% of the annual river flow. The Dam project would cover an area of 110 km2 and extend 100 km upstream of the Dam site up to Raikot Bridge on Karakoram Highway (KKH).

To monitor slope stability due to the height of the project, Geomotion proposed an inclinometer system with EC casing and were tasked with monitoring the inclination at all depths. With one hole around 290 metres deep, the system was possibly the deepest inclinometer installation anywhere in the world, monitoring successfully and retrieving data.

In addition to offering installation and services locally, Geomotion were able to train the client’s geologist and assist them with the technology transfer. The data was sent to the consultant Dam Lahmyer GMBH for interpretation using Geomotion’s in-site data presentation software; the data supplied will inform the design of the Reservoir of the Dam for its construction.