Australia has a long history of dealing with drought — but is enough being done to cement the country’s valuable water stores? Waterproof dams that stand the test of time are integral to Australia’s water future, but require expert concrete work, solid knowledge of the sector and futuristic concrete technology to be effective for generations to come.
National supplier of concrete and construction products to major infrastructure projects, Danterr, was recently involved in the $94 million Kangaroo Dam Upgrade in South Australia, working closely with stakeholders such as SA Water, local government and the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to ensure that the dam is a secure source of water.
The important upgrades will assist in managing the potential for major flooding, and have increased the dam’s capacity to withstand earthquakes. In order to deliver the project in a financially and environmentally efficient manner, Danterr utilised its expert knowledge of concrete, equipment and water-stopping to contribute a multitude of future-proofing products to the upgrade.
In order to reach the best possible outcome, Danterr used internationally sourced products such as the Brazilian-made Jeene water-stopping range. With the highest levels of freshwater on earth, Brazil has some of the world’s most effective water-stopping technology, which Danterr has brought to Australia as a valuable construction tool for Australian dams.
In conjunction with Jeene’s product range, Danterr used Hydrotite for the upgrade project, which is a lining inserted into concrete joints that swells when water hits it, making the joints more waterproof. This was complemented by PVC Waterstops, which are attached to the back of the concrete or used inside the pour as extra waterproofing. With technology such as this, the likelihood of water loss due to leaks is significantly reduced.
According to Danterr’s Zeb Armstrong, there are several new dam projects in the pipeline for drought-prone Australia, and it’s imperative that they feature world-leading products and technology to last into the future.
Regarding Australia’s future dams, Mr Armstrong said, “We are the ones to hold them together.”
To view more of Danterr’s products and projects, visit the Danterr website: www.danterr.com.
