Seymour Whyte has been selected by the National Capital Authority (NCA), as the contractor for the Scrivener Dam Dissipator Strengthening Project in Canberra.
The project is a significant investment in ensuring the ongoing safety, efficiency, and environmental performance of one of Canberra’s most critical water infrastructure assets.
Scrivener Dam, which controls the water levels of Lake Burley Griffin, plays a vital role in flood mitigation, water management, and environmental conservation.
This project focuses on upgrading the dam’s dissipator, a concrete structure that absorbs the energy of water flowing over the flood gates, and prevents damaging erosion of the river channel downstream.
Seymour Whyte Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, John Kirkwood, welcomed the opportunity to deliver this landmark project.
“We are delighted to partner with the National Capital Authority (NCA) on this significant infrastructure upgrade,” Mr. Kirkwood said.
“This project reflects our shared commitment to delivering innovative, sustainable solutions that ensure the longevity and performance of critical assets like Scrivener Dam.”
The upgrades will involve advanced engineering to enhance the dam’s structural integrity ensuring the ongoing safe operation of the dam.
“With our extensive experience in complex infrastructure and water management projects, Seymour Whyte is well-positioned to deliver this critical upgrade safely, efficiently, and with the highest environmental standards,” Mr. Kirkwood added.
The Scrivener Dam Dissipator Upgrade will involve:
- strengthening the existing horizontal concrete slab of the dissipator by installing approximately 700 new anchors into the foundation rock of the dam at a depth of around 10-to-20 metres
- construction of a new concrete slab, half a metre thick, on top of the existing dissipator slab
- removal of existing and reconstructing new baffle blocks to match the increased thickness of the concrete slab
- installation of new instrumentation to provide critical real time information for the ongoing dam management
- reinforcing the adjacent riverbanks downstream of the dam to minimise erosion.
The work will be completed in stages to ensure the dam can continue to operate – with early works starting before Christmas 2024, main construction starting in March 2025, and the project to be completed mid-2027.
