Rebuilding of the Chute-à-Caron (Saguenay, Quebec) dam

Work to be performed: concrete stripping and drilling of dowels.

Period: 1996 to 2000

Challenges and special requirements:

• Work had to be performed on a vertical surface, since the dam was 200 feet high
  
  
• Two demolition and drilling teams had to work the same area simultaneously, but at different heights
  
  
• Some areas were hard to reach
  
  
• Precision drilling was required on vertical planes for the installation of the dam gates, and on sloped planes in the case of the discharge carrier
  
  
• Greater worker safety was to be ensured, and risks of falling were to be reduced, by using drilling platforms, thus eliminating the need to use scaffolds
  
  
• A working method entailing the use of a mini excavator on a platform made it possible to complete demolition work at times when proceeding manually was impossible in view of the risks of falling created by icy conditions
  
  
• The working methods used made it possible to move equipment more rapidly, compared to the traditional method requiring scaffolds.

Equipment used:

• CAT E120B excavator
• Hydraulic chisel
• Hydraulic mini excavator
• Hydraulic and pneumatic platforms