Abstract
El Puente de Santolea is a roller-compacted concrete (RCC) tailing dam built to regulate the flow of the river during the heightening works of the existing dam and to maintain a constant level afterward, guaranteeing environmental protection and offering recreational uses.Unexpected initial complications (namely time limits and climate conditions) were faced requiring measures which guaranteed the dam execution. For this purpose, novel construction methods were developed in the European area (vacuum chute), execution innovations (“open air” bottom outlet, RCC stepped creager) were proposed, and advantage was taken of the versatile RCC technique to adapt to different climate conditions. All this rendered great results in water tightness and finishing and reduced the execution time.Execution also involved issues concerning environmental protection especially because the reservoir is located in a birds SPA (special protection area). Thus, a suitable aggregate-processing method was designed together with a new blasting procedure for excavations during the breeding season. With these measures and the use of the vacuum chute that works by self-gravity, lower energy was consumed and dust and noise emissions were minimized.
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