Brazil is finalizing construction at its Foz do Chapec� hydroelectric plant. The last phase, a rockfill dam, was completed last April. The project used asphalt instead of clay as the main component of the sealing nucleus—a first in Brazil. The choice of this technique resulted from a number of advantages the contractors and owners of the project researched in Europe.
Asphalt allows for faster construction, even during the rainy season, says Miguel Zerbini, technical director of the consortium in charge of construction, Chapec� Energia. “Conventionally ... rockfill dams [are] sealed with a clay nucleus or concrete face,” he says, “but the asphalt nucleus [made it possible] to meet the schedule.”