Itaipu Dam - Design, Construction, Environmental Effects and Fun Facts

Itaipu dam

Itaipu dam is the world's most powerful dam built in Brazil in 1984.In 1994, the American
Society of Civil Engineers selected the Itaipu Dam as one of the Seven Wonders of the
Modern World.

Start of the project

Itaipu dam is the world's most powerful dam built in Brazil in 1984.In 1994, the American
Society of Civil Engineers selected the Itaipu Dam as one of the Seven Wonders of the
Modern World.
1. It was supposed to generate 90,000 Giga Watts of electricity each year. In 2000, the
generating capacity of Itaipu reached 93.4 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), which supplied
93% of the energy consumed by Paraguay, and 20% of that has been consumed by Brazil.
The frequency of generated electricity is 50 Hz but on Brazilian side a power converter
transmits the 50 Hz into 60 Hz, which is the Brazilian grid frequency.
2. This amount is so high that it can fulfill London's electricity needs continuously for 3 years.
3. The project cost was estimated at that time to be 13.5 billion pounds and was completed
in 7 years by an army of 40,000 workers who took part in the project, of which 149 died in
accidents during the construction of Itaipu dam.
4. The key consultant engineer for the project was an Italian engineer named Piero
Sembenalli
5. The dam design showed that it was 18 times larger than Hoover dam in USA and 9 times
heavier than that. Moreover it produced 6 times more electricity than Hoover dam in USA
Constructed on bed rock of river bed.
6. River was re-routed. A 2km long and 80m deep channel was dug. It was biggest diversion
canal ever attempted. Mechanical diggers were used to dig the diversion canal and it took
three years for this channel to be completed.
7. Reservoir of the Itaipu dam is 100 m (330 ft) deep and has a size equal to the area of
Chicago
8. Its area reaches 1 350 sq. km, its length 170 km and its average width 7 km.
9. Population displaced was about 10,000 families

For compensation of the displaced people photographic survey was done but the results
were not accurate and precise so a door to door survey was conducted. The newly dug
channel was used on 20th Oct, 1978 by blasting the concrete blocks. Only half of the river
was diverted so cofferdams were built in the way of previous flow.

Cofferdam's stability was also checked by another engineer against torrential rains of
Brazil and River Parana's Floods 400 m height was needed for the dam to produce the
promised electricity Note: Higher the height of the dam walls more is the produced
electricity But the river bed was only 50 m deep. Solution was to built a series of
secondary dams running across the valley for 7 km.

An army of workers was needed for this purpose. Workers were collected from all over
Brazil-about 40, 000 of them. For these workers new houses hospitals, schools, parks and
 churches were built. Dam design showed that it was not to be supported by natural or
physical features, instead it was to be made so heavy that water would not move it. Thus
it had to weigh 61 million tons and Itaipu dam was named Gravity dams. Natural physical
features also support Hoover dam. The base of dams was wider and stood on sound solid
foundations. The walls were made hollow and machinery and powerhouses were also
installed therein to make the structure economical. During construction, in June 1979,
weak layer of crumbling rock was discovered in the bedrock. The crushing rock was drilled
out and replaced with a massive filling of 10 million pounds concrete of extra strength

The project was late by a few months because tunnels were dug to investigate the
crumbling rock, which was right below the dam walls weighing 11 million tons.

Water pressure at the wall was estimated to be equal to 4000 bulldozers pushing against
them Huge steel structures were erected to be filled in by concrete. As block of concrete
were very large, heat of hydration was also to be very large so aggregate was washed with
ice and 4 C concrete was produced and temperature only reached 7 C during pouring.

If concrete was to be poured the usual way it would not set properly because blocks of
concrete were very large, heat of hydration produced was also to be huge, causing cracks
to appear in the block boundaries, resulting in weakened concrete. Moreover,
temperature of Brazil was also 40C and during usual setting of concrete the temperature
would thus have reached 90 C due to heat of hydration, causing weak spots in dam. Sun
dried concrete is weaker so large-scale refrigeration plants were installed to ensure
maximum strength of the concrete blocks.

Note: Capacity of the refrigeration plants was equal o 50,000 domestic deep freezers.

The reservoir was the filled up with water by re-diverting the river. It took 14 days for the
river Parana's water to completely fill the reservoir up to a depth of 100m. To stop the
overflow of dam, spillways were built and designed to cope with 64 million liters/second
of water. When first tested it was the biggest man made water fall ever. It was 22 times
larger than the Niagara Falls in Canada. To dissipate the energy of high thrust water, a
slope (jump) was provided at the end.

Note: The water from the spillway had a high thrust and when if it were left to go directly
down the stream it would have caused the production of high-energy waves, hence
flooding. So, the water was thrown into the air. Hydraulic Engineers found out the angle
of jump by scaled models. Each turbine was 800 tons and transported by specially built
vehicles. Electricity was planned to be transferred 1000 km away to Sao Paulo and Rio de
Janeiro

Interesting facts about Itaipu Dam

1. The total length of the dam is 7235 m, with the crest elevation of 225 m. It is actually
several dams joined together - from the far left, an earthfill dam, a rockfill dam, a concrete
main dam, and a concrete wing dam to the right.
2. The maximum flow of Itaipu's fourteen segmented spillways is 62.2 thousand cubic
 metres per second. It is equivalent to 40 times the average flow of the Iguau Falls.
3. The flow of two generators (700 ms-1 each) is roughly equivalent to the average flow of
the Falls (1500 ms-1).
4. If Brazil were to use Thermal Power Generation to produce the electric power of Itaipu,
434,000 barrels (69,000 m3) of petroleum would have to be burned every day.
5. The dam is 196 metres high, equivalent to a 65-story building.

Environmental Impact of Itaipu Dam

1. 129 species of birds

2. 32 species of mammals
3. 9 species of reptiles
4. And, about 40,000 people were displaced

Speed of Construction of Itaipu Dam

1. With the speed of work that Itaipu dam was built, 20 story buildings could have been
made in just 55 minutes.
2. 140 tons of concrete trucks every 20 minutes were needed to fulfill the concrete needs of
the dam.
3. 40,000 workers were working day and night to make this megastructure a reality.
4. The course of the seventh biggest river in the world was shifted; as was 50 million tonnes
of earth and rock.
5. The amount of concrete used to build the Itaipu Power Plant would be enough to build
210 football stadiums the size of the Estdio do Maracan.
6. The iron and steel used would allow for the construction of 380 Eiffel Towers. The volume
of excavation of earth and rock in Itaipu is 8.5 times greater than that of the Channel
Tunnel and the volume of concrete is 15 times greater.

End of the project

1. Project was completed on May, 1984. The electric power cables were of such a length that
they could run 1-1/2 times around the globe.
2. Run and Maintained by Itaipu Binacional Company

History

The Itaipu dam is known as one of the seven wonders of the modern world due to its sheer
immensity. It spans the Parana River separating Paraguay and Brazil; each country owns half
of the 14,000-megawatt output that the dam produces. [1] To complete this project,
approximately 50 million tons of earth were removed during construction, and 18
hydroelectric generators each spanning 53 feet were placed into the dam (2 more were
added in an expansion in 2006 to bring the total to 20). As a result of their massive size, each
generator is capable of handling 160 tons of water per second. [1] Also, given the agreement
of an equal split of the output energy between the two countries, Paraguay has been able to
sell the excess electricity that they possess to Brazil and to other countries around the world.
The idea for the Itaipu dam began to take shape when the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of
Brazil and Paraguay signed the Act of Iguacu in 1966. This Act resulted in the exploration of
the Parana River as a potential energy source. [2] In 1975, construction began on the dam;
the 4.8 mile-long structure was completed in 1991, with an expansion completed in 2003
that resulted in an additional 1,400 megawatts of energy produced. [2] It is a concrete
gravity dam that has used enough iron and steel in its construction to build 380 Eiffel Towers
and 15 Channel Tunnels between England and France. [1] The reservoir feeding into the dam
is 170 km in length and can hold approximately 29.54 billion tons of water. [2] Given its
magnitude, it is able to supply a huge amount of power and bring positive international
attention to these two countries. However, there were some large consequences, both
positive and negative of building this dam. While its completion provided a large new energy
source for both countries, many families were displaced from their homes to accommodate
the new man-made structure shifting the course of the seventh biggest river in the world,
and an entire waterfall was lost in the process. [1]

Impact of Construction

There were both positive and negative effects on the local surroundings and communities as
a result of the building of the Itaipu dam. Initially, the project brought a boost to the
economy of Paraguay and allowed the development of an electricity market from which
Paraguay and Brazil have both benefitted to varying degrees. [3] However, the electricity
generated initially did not help Paraguay's economy greatly, as the upper class prevented the
move towards industrialization. Thus, the focus stayed on farming; as the dam was being
completed, Paraguay's main crops plummeted in value worldwide, causing economic havoc.
[2] During the push towards democratization, the market somewhat recovered and this
electricity was put into use to help develop industry in the country. However, there was also
much controversy about Paraguay's selling of excess energy back to Brazil on the part of the
Paraguayan people, worrying about the corruption of their government, but their voices
were drowned out in their government's signing of the Itaipu Treaty of 1973. [3] Another
negative impact of dam construction was on the surrounding natural wildlife. Though natural
protection projects were put into place throughout construction of the dam, large amounts
of forest along the Paraguayan side of the river had been destroyed. [2] Also, multiple
waterfalls and dips have been overrun by the development of the reservoir, destroying some
of the natural beauty of the region. However, much work has been done to save much of the
wildlife and vegetation that had the potential to be destroyed by the creation of the dam, as
programs put in place were able to save about 400 total species. [2]. One must also note that
59,000 people were displaced from their homes and forced to relocate as a result of the
construction of the dam. [4] This is a very large number, and a decision not to be made
lightly. However, it was deemed appropriate by the directors of the project, as the net
output of energy and benefit to Paraguay outweighed the inconvenience of this relocation.

Power Output and Comparisons

In 2006, the Itaipu dam expanded its capacity, generating 14,000 MW of electricity for use by
both Paraguay and Brazil. [2] As a basis for comparison, the Hoover Dam initially generated
approximately 1,951 MW when it is running at full capacity, and the Three Gorges Dam in
China has 26 power-generating units that together provide approximately 22,500 MW of
electricity. [5,6] The Three Gorges Dam is the most recently built dam of the three, and
provides energy to a rapidly expanding country that is consuming it in large proportions.
Paraguay and Brazil have been able to benefit the most from the large energy output
provided by the Itaipu dam, with Paraguay exporting most of this generated energy due to
its lack of consumption, and Brazil benefiting by having first rights to buy the excess energy
that Paraguay sells at a highly discounted price. [6]

Conclusion

Both Paraguay and Brazil have gained much in the development and operation of the Itaipu
dam. However, this benefit did not come without cost, as the displacement of such a large
amount of people and the destruction of a natural monument are decisions not to be taken
lightly. This source of hydroelectric energy has helped to reduce dependence on coal and oil
in both countries and has also resulted in a more connected relationship between the two
countries through their joint partnership. Though there were some heavy costs incurred, the
Itaipu dam emerged as an environmental, fiscal and political success; the ability to generate
such a large amount of hydroelectric energy has saved each country financially and has also
been a small step in reducing the world's oil dependence.

Itaipu is a hydroeletric power plant located in the border Brazil-Paraguay. Its feasibility
studies were carried out from 1970 to 1973, and the construction itself started at the
beginning of 1975. The first generation unit started to run in 1984.
The capacity of the plant is 14GW, which made it the biggest hydroelectric power plant until
the construction of the Three Gorges Dam, in China, completed in 2008. During 2011, Itaipu
generated 92,24 TWh, providing 17% of the total energy consumed in Brazil and 73% of the
Paraguayan consumption.
Background
The region where Itaipu is settled was a reason of land dispute between Brazil and Paraguay
since the colonial period. In the 60s the great hydroelectric potential of the Paran River to
produce electricity was proved and the dispute intensified. The military dictatorships
governments of the countries at that moment came up with a solution that would solve the
land dispute and provide energy for the increasing consumption in both countries,
represented by the construction of the power plant, through the Itaipu Treaty. Afterwards,
Brazil and Paraguay also signed an agreement with Argentina, since the Paran River is one
of the rivers that form the Ro de La Plata, meaning that a bad water management in the
dam flow could result in floods in Argentina.
Nowadays, the energy produced is shared by Brazil and Paraguay, but because of the
differences regarding demand, Paraguay sells a big part of its energy rights to Brazil. The
treaty between both countries expires in 2023 and since 2008 Paraguay has been claiming
for a renegotiation in the conditions of Brazilian energy purchases, creating a little tension
between the governments.
Challenges
100.000 workers participated in the construction of the facilities. In the peak times, about
40.000 workers were leaving in 9.000 houses at the margin of Paran River. At that moment,
the closest city was Foz do Iguau, which had a population of 20.000 people. A huge
infrastructure had to be built in order to support the intense migration toward the region.
At the construction site, the first task is to alter the course of the Paran River by removing
55 million cubic meters of soil and rock in order to excavate a 2 km detour. Later on, in 1978,
58 tons of dynamite exploded the two cofferdams that protected the construction of the
new course. The 2 km detour created was 150 meters wide and 90 meters deep.
Almost all the work was hired from Brazilians suppliers. Many companies became huge and
more representative in the Brazilian economy because of this project, and the project got
over the economic crisis during the 70s. In 1978, the site received 7,207 cubic meters of
concrete, which is a record in South America. The transportation in the site demanded more
than 20.000 trucks and 6.648 railways cars. Between 1978 and 1981, about 5 thousand
people were hired monthly, due to the peak of the construction and the high employees
turn over.
The dam was constructed about 1982. Before fulfilling the reservoir created with the rivers
water, a huge replacement of local populations had to be done, in parallel with programs to
protect local animals and plants. The first unit started to run in 1984.
The estimated cost for the plant was about US$ 10 billion and the real final cost was of about
US$ 14 billion, due to all the challenges faced and the impact of the economic crisis on the
project. For having an idea of the projects magnitude, the total amount of steel and iron
used are enough to build 380 Eiffel Towers. As negative effects, we can mention the
displacement of 10.000 families and the death of 149 workers during the construction,
besides many other accidents and diseases.
Conclusion
From a very controversial project, Itaipu became a very important source of energy to
support Brazilian economic growth. However, at the time it was built, there were fewer
concerns about social and environmental impact, so the construction was not conducted in a
very good way obviously taking into account the less developed technology and standards
available by the same time.
The cost was huge, but in the long run it would cost much more to generate energy from non
renewable sources. Comparing with other renewable sources, the cost is lower than the
alternatives available for Brazil. The conclusion is that the power plant keeps playing a very
important role on Brazilians development, but there are many lessons to be learned from its
construction. Furthermore, the success of the plant does not mean that the country has to
adopt the same technology in other regions, since the technology and knowledge about our
limits on impacting the environment and the society evolved.