Vaal River Eastern Sub-system Augmentation Project (VRESAP)
| Key Issues: | Water abstraction |
| Temporary works | |
| Client: | Trans-Caledonia Tunnel Authority (TCTA) |
| Country: | South Africa |
| Scope: | Design and Commission of temporary abstraction barge |
| Period: | 2006-2008 |
The delivery pipeline was coupled to both the shoreline and the barge by a 900nd compensator coupling.
The individual access walkways units weight approximately 8 tons.
| Background: | The Vaal Dam is the main raw water supply to the Gauteng area. |
| This water is utilised for both domestic and industrial purposes. Water being a scarce resource is therefore deemed as a national priority, with the needs of national interests being taken into consideration under the water allocation quotas on an annual basis. The water required was to be used within the Sasol complex as well as by Eskom. |
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| Work scope: | The project involved the design and commissioning of a floating barge in the Vaal Dam linked back to the shoreline for operations and maintenance.The operational period is no longer than three (3) years.The major items of works included the following: |
| Barge: | |
| Three (3) individual steel barges. Approximately 10 metres long x 8 metres wide, manufactured from 1900ND steel pipe. Each barge housed two (2) submersible pumps each capable of delivering 900 litres/ second. The total pumping capacity of the temporary abstraction barge is 5400 lts/ sec. The individual barge units weight approximately 36 tons. The barge components were floated in the water and towed to their final installation berth. | |
| Jetty: | |
| Two (2) individual pontoon sections. Approximately 30 metres long, manufactured from 1900ND steel pipe. The individual pontoons were linked together by I-beam connectors. The jetty section weighed approximately 32 tons. The jetty was launched as a single unit and towed to its’ final berth. |
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| Access Walkways: | |
| Three (3) individual steel gantries. Approximately 25 metres long x 2 metres wide, manufactured from various steel sections. Beneath the access walkway and within the gantry was a 900ND steel delivery pipeline. One end of the gantry was anchored to a concrete headwall on the shore side and the other end was anchored on the jetty. |