Technical overview
This project is special due to various constraints. Weather conditions were harsh (the average temperature in January was minus 23°C). During the concrete work throughout the winter, we installed wood-frame shelters and oil heaters in order to maintain temperatures at a minimum of 10°C during the curing period. Added to this constraint was the isolated site location, which made the provision of materials difficult, all under a very tight schedule.
The project’s geological conditions were characterised by a mountain interspersed by numerous continuous cleavage planes, often very close to one another, poorly crystallised and welded, with almost vertical dips and a slope towards the excavation interior.
Construction of the 1.2-kilometre long river discharge channel includes excavation of 93,000 m3 of overburden and 67,000 m3 of rock. Additionally, 35,000 m3 of stone was placed on geotextile membrane to stabilise the slopes and the bottom of the discharge channel.
And from an environmental standpoint, we set up a wastewater catch basin prior to discharge into the river.
