Loch Ericht Refurbishment

This project for Scottish & Southern Energy involved construction work on the Dalwhinnie and Ericht dams at Loch Ericht. Owned and operated by Scottish & Southern Energy plc, the 24km reservoir supplies the Rannoch Hydropower station as part of the Tummel Hydro Electric Scheme.

Following a statutory inspection in June 2000 under the Reservoirs Act 1975, both dams were subject to more severe design flood standards, the result of which was that the freeboard and overtopping protection was inadequate. The refurbishment works included the raising and extension of both dams, the strengthening of the upstream and downstream faces at Dalwhinnie Dam and improvements to the spillway basin at Ericht dam.

At Dalwhinnie Dam the principal works carried out were extensions to the abutment core walls in mass concrete, raising of the wave wall by 2m in pre-cast concrete and infill at the dam mitres. In addition the upstream and downstream faces and dam crest were protected with open stone asphalt.

At Ericht Dam a wave wall 1m high was constructed in reinforced concrete, with a berm constructed above the dam crest level, armouring to the crest and rip-rap protection to the upstream face. In the outlet channel of the dam, concrete encapsulation was provided to the scour penstock and reinforced concrete strengthening installed in the spillway.

 
Ultimate Client: Scottish & Southern Energy
Value: £1.3 million
Location: Dalwhinnie, Perthshire



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