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Studio Pietrangeli

Zambia-Zimbabwe

Kariba Dam

Engineering services for rehabilitation of the existing dam

Zambia-Zimbabwe

Kariba Dam

This project foresees the rehabilitation for the safety improvement of the existing Kariba dam, a double curvature concrete arch dam 128 m – high on the Zambezi river, built between 1957 and 1959 and on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe.

This dam has a world record, creating the world’s largest reservoir (with a volume of 181 km3). This large reservoir is for hydropower use. Two underground power stations, the one on the North side supplies 960 MW to Zambia, while the one on the South side supplies 750 MW to Zimbabwe, for a total IP of around 1700 MW.

The main works for the rehabilitation include the reshaping of the plunge pool excavated by floods, comprising all the relevant works such as temporary cofferdam, roads, dam monitoring, spillway gates rehabilitation, etc.

Studio Pietrangeli (SP) is the Advisor for the European Union.

Lake Kariba – Zambia/Zimbabwe

PLACE

Republic of Zambia

CLIENT

2017 - in progress

YEAR

180 km³

World’s largest reservoir

Kariba Lake, 180 km³

Kariba includes the world’s largest reservoir,  180 km³. Technical consultant for rehabilitation of the plunge pool.

Main Features

  • Double curvature arch dam ( H = 128 m, L = 617 m )
  • Reservoir Capacity ( V = 181 km3 )
  • Spillway in the dam body ( No. 6 gated bays, Qflood = 9,000 m3/s )
  • 2 Underground Powerhouses ( North: IP = 960 MW, South: IP = 750 MW )
  • Plunge pool in the river bed excavated by the floods ( D = 80 m )
  • Temporary cofferdam with stop-logs ( H = 15 m )

Zambia-Zimbabwe

Kariba Dam

Engineering
Services

Conformity of the works with Contract documents

Monitoring of the progress of the works

Project Management assessment

Technical and Financial Audit

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