On August 5, the Management Board of the Investment Project for Construction Works of Agriculture and Rural Development in Hue City informed that the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has just approved the adjustment of Component Project No. 8 on urgent repairs to ensure the safety of Thao Long Dam, Hue City, under the project for urgent repairs to ensure the safety of reservoirs and dams.
Earlier, in 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (now the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) issued a decision approving the component project for urgent repairs to ensure the safety of Thao Long Dam, with a total investment of over VND 348 billion. The project was assigned to the Management Board of the Investment Project for Construction Works of Agriculture and Rural Development in Thua Thien-Hue Province (now Hue City) as the investor, with construction expected to start in early 2024.
However, according to Mr. Truong Van Giang, Director of the Project Management Board, the field survey showed that the underground structural system of the work was almost completely damaged, and many essential items were seriously degraded. Therefore, the implementation of the project must be delayed to ensure that the evaluation of the current status is comprehensively, carefully, and meticulously carried out.
According to the approved adjustment plan, the urgent repair project of Thao Long Dam will be started in October 2025, with a total investment of over VND 348 billion. The project implementation period is 4 years.
Thao Long Dam is located in the lower reaches of the Huong River, in the area of Duong No Ward, Hue City. The structure is a saltwater barrier and freshwater reservoir combined with a traffic bridge, which was put into operation in 2008. According to experts in hydraulic engineering, this is the largest saltwater barrier and freshwater reservoir in Southeast Asia in terms of scale, integrated functions, and the role of regulating water for the entire lower Huong River region.
After more than 17 years of operation, the structure has recorded many seriously degraded items. According to the Hue City Hydraulic Exploitation Company – the unit directly managing and exploiting Thao Long Dam, many mechanical equipment has been punctured and oxidized; the electrical control system of the valve is damaged and does not meet technical requirements.
The concrete bottom beams are eroded, causing water leakage; the power station, hydraulic pump, and pressure reduction valve cluster are degraded and no longer ensure the pressure to open and close the valve.
Facing this situation, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment approved the adjustment of Component Project No. 8 on urgent repairs to ensure the safety of Thao Long Dam, under the project for urgent repairs to ensure the safety of reservoirs and dams.
The main items of the project include anti-seepage treatment of the dam foundation with Larsen IV steel sheet piles, 495m long (from compartment No. 1 to compartment No. 15), 13m deep; reinforcement of the scour hole and downstream conduit with rockfill and stone cages; spraying high-pressure cement-sand mixture to treat voids under the valve beam.
In addition, the project will replace 6 valves, overhaul and repair the remaining 9 valves; replace all water-tight bottom and side clusters at 15 valves for easy maintenance and replacement of gaskets; replace the upper and lower sill of the boat chamber compartment with stainless steel; replace the cylinder system for opening and closing the main valve and the water supply and drainage system of the chamber with new ones. In addition, the project will also upgrade the electrical control system, operation house, embankment combined with management road at both ends of the dam; lighting system, traffic bridge, signage system, etc.
According to the project owner, after the commencement in October – the rainy season in Central Vietnam, the contractors will focus on upgrading, repairing, and treating onshore works such as the electrical system, operation house, embankment, lighting system, traffic bridge, signage system, etc., while preparing essential materials and equipment for the construction of the important underwater part at the beginning of 2026.
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