Preparation of the entrance portal of the access tunnel for the construction of the bypass to the loading tunnel.
Night works in the access tunnel.
Placement of charges in blast holes in the access tunnel.
Concrete cast in the access tunnel.
Two-arm jumbo for tunnel boring.
Waterproof membrane for final tunnel lining.
Definitive lining with metal formwork in the bypass tunnel.
Plug with watertight door in the access tunnel.
Pelton type turbine impeller of the hydroelectric power plant.
«Rehabilitating the load tunnel of Ecuador's pioneering hydroelectric power plant, merging innovative engineering with technical rigor.»
Damage to the tunnel, between abscissae 4+900 and 5+100 km, led to the need for urgent repairs to restart plant operation, so rehabilitation work was designed, including the construction of a 520 m long bypass tunnel (D=2.70 m) and a 380 m long independent access tunnel.
The solution sought to ensure safe operation of the pipeline by locating the bypass tunnel in a more stable area with greater coverage, 75 m south of the area affected by the landslide.
The tunnel has an internal design pressure of approximately 8 bar, and the damaged section is isolated from the hydraulic circuit by plugs and drained to prevent the development of ground pressures.
Access tunnel length
Bypass tunnel length
Bypass tunnel hydraulic diameter
plant power
Lat: -1.079977
Lng: -78.447583
Tungurahua, Ecuador
