Simón Bolívar Hydroelectric Plant: Repair of the Water Intakes of Units 1, 2, 3, 4 and 9 of the I. Guri Powerhouse. Venezuela, 2008 - 2011.

In the water intakes, in the gap between the maintenance plugs and the operation gate, cracks, missing concrete sections and reinforcement bars exposed and bent were detected in some side walls and / or in the roof of the intakes. In some of the units, there was missing concrete in the seal frames of the downstream operating gate, which did not allow them to seal.

To enter the water intake, it must be lowered vertically through the niche of the operating gate, 90 m inside the concrete structure of the dam.

Fapco Hydro designed the system for the repair of the interstices of the units with problems.

In each unit that was intervened, the maintenance plugs were installed, the operating gates were dismantled. A small elevator and emergency stairs were installed fitted to the walls of the shaft. Work scaffolds were assembled inside the vane to allow reaching all the areas to be repaired.

All damaged concrete was demolished using a hydro demolition robot and jackhammers, and damaged reinforcing steel bars were removed. New reinforcing steel was installed, properly fixed with chemical anchors. Sprayed concrete was applied to replace the lost section of concrete taking care to rebuild the hydraulic profile of the intake structure.

In some cases parts of the operating gate seal frame were repaired, replaced and re-embedded.

Each unit took from 4 to 6 months, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in order to put each unit into operation in the shortest possible time.

The experience and expertise allows Fapco Hydro to provide practical and effective solutions to complex jobs in places with difficult access.

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