The first filling of Chamshir Dam in Gachsaran County, Kohgilouyeh-Boyerahmad Province, has started, director of the project said.
“We have made use of all the observations and suggestions in the construction of the dam to and a committee is also monitoring the first phase of filling now,” Mahmoud Mahzarnia was also quoted as saying by Mehr News Agency.
The first filling of a reservoir can be defined as the increase in water level behind the dam from the time construction is completed until it reaches the desired operating level. Depending on the location, type, size and the intended purpose of a dam, the duration and rate of first filling could vary.
The initial filling of a reservoir is the first move made by the dam. A carefully managed first filling is crucial to the future success of a dam.
Because the first filling of a reservoir is a critical phase in the life of a dam, it is vital for dam operators and engineers to have as much control over the first filling as possible for conducting the appropriate surveillance, including the observation and analysis of instrumentation data.
Chamshir is the largest roller-compacted concrete dam in the Middle East, with a large hydropower plant adjacent to it.
A roller-compacted concrete dam has time and cost benefits over conventional concrete dams, as the former includes lower material costs associated with post-cooling and formwork.
Special Blend
RCC is a special blend of concrete that has the same ingredients as conventional concrete but in different ratios. It is a mix of cement/fly ash, water, sand, aggregate and common additives, but contains much less water.
Located 25 km southeast of Dogonbadan City on the Zohreh River, Chamshir Dam can hold 2.3 billion cubic meters of water and its hydroelectric power plant has three units with a total generation capacity of 176 megawatts.
The dam will supply water to household, agricultural and industrial sectors. Its water will irrigate 140,000 hectares of agricultural lands in Kohgilouyeh-Boyerahmad, Khuzestan and Bushehr provinces.
In addition, the hydropower plant can produce 482 gigawatt hours of hydroelectric power per year.
Since the beginning of the construction phase of the dam, there have been criticisms about the likely environmental issues it can bring about. However, the Department of Environment in Kohgilouyeh-Boyerahmad recently announced that the dam would not cause any environmental problems and rumors in this regard had no scientific basis.
Creating jobs, developing the infrastructure of tourism industry and promoting fish farming are among other important advantages of the dam, which can also help control floodwaters in the region.
