Page 47 - SAICE book proof 2 LATEST JULY 2014

s a i c e
GAUTENG PROVINCE

• Vaal Dam. This major and crucial piece of
infrastructure is almost 1 900 m long and features
both concrete as well as earthfill sections. It was
completed in 1938 although several raisings of the
wall took place over time. At full capacity it holds 2.54
billion cubic metres of water and has a shoreline of
880 km. It not only serves as a reservoir, but has been
successfully used as a flood attenuating mechanism
by careful management of the sluice gates during
devastating floods and this saved millions in possible
damage to downstream infrastructure.

27°00’02.21” S, 28°13’12.68” E

17. roodeplaat Dam is north of Pretoria and a
popular place for water-related creation and one of only
three dams in this province that could be defined as
big dams. A number of years ago civil engineers had
to devise a novel way to insert a new off take structure
in the dam wall. Since the dam could not be emptied
to install the new valve, a watertight chamber was
constructed and lowered into the water on the upstream
side from where the work could be done.

25°37’44.15” S, 28°21’02.08” E

◊ Above: Roodeplaat Dam
◊ Below: Vaal River

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