El Cajón Dam
General Information
| Structural Type: |
Arch dam
|
|---|---|
| Function / usage: |
Hydroelectricity plant
|
| Other name(s): | Francisco Morazán Hydroelectric Project |
| Completed in: | 1985 |
Geographic Information & Related Structures
| Location: |
Honduras, North America |
|---|
Technical Information
Dimensions
| height | 226 m |
Cost
| cost of construction | United States dollar 775 000 000 |
Materials
| dam structure |
concrete
|
|---|
Chronology
| 1986 | The reservoir is filled to capacity, but cracking and leaking occurs that potentially could erode the dam. |
|---|---|
| 1993 | Leaking reaches excessive levels and water color indicates that the rock underneath the dam is becoming increasingly porous. Dam failure is feared, but none of the remedial grouting seems to have any effect. |
| Winter 1994 - April 1995 | Special measures are taken to fill the rock cavities below dam level: First, 8 650 wooden and plastic balls are injected, but while they remain in place, the grout injection still fails. Lastly, 25 000 polypropylene feed sacks are injected to create a mesh inside the karsts to retain the grout. This solution proves effective. Leaking is reduced from 1600 liters/hour to less than 100. |
| 24 April 1994 | A power surge knocks out electricity throughout Honduras. Flooding of the powerhouse almost occurs, but the turbines re-start and power the sump pumps just in time to save the powerhouse. |
Participants
Currently there is no information available about persons or companies having participated in this project.
Relevant Web Sites
There currently are no relevant websites listed.
Relevant Publications
There is no relevant literature listed in the database.
Internal Information
| Structure-ID: | s0002551 |
|---|---|
| Created: | 11/01/2002 |
| Last Updated: | 27/02/2013 |