Waimea Community Dam
The Waimea Community Dam, currently under construction, is the largest dam built in New Zealand for over 20 years at a cost of more than $160m. Holcim is committed to providing the highest quality products and service to our customer on the project, Allied Concrete.
We are supplying GP Cement and Fly Ash to this once-in-a-generation construction. Once complete, the dam will:
- Secure the Tasman region's water supply for the next 100 years
- Improve water quality to provide a better environment for people, plants, fish and animals
- Strengthen the economy through the success of primary industries and the subsequent growth of associated secondary and tertiary industries
- Provide an estimated economic benefit to the Tasman region of $600-900m in the first 25 years.
Downstream view, looking upstream, September 2021.
Overview of upper spillway and embankment crest progress.
Allied Concrete is supplying concrete that includes fly ash (as a partial cement substitute) to reduce the heat generated during a large mass concrete pour. The added benefit from using fly ash as a partial cement replacement is the resulting lower embodied carbon of the concrete produced.
The carbon reduction achieved by using 30% fly ash in the concrete mix, is partly negated by other admixtures used in the concrete. As a result, the overall carbon reduction is lowered to 6%.
The project is due for commission in late 2022.
Images: Courtesy of Waimea Water and Daniel Sinoca on Unsplash.
