Uma Oya
Project description
In addition to generating electricity for the whole of Sri Lanka (>230 GWh/year), the aim is to develop the lower reaches of the Uma Oya river towards Hambantota
Every year an average of 145 million cubic metres of the Uma Oya river will be redirected to the Kirindi river system and used for irrigation. This site, on the edge of the central plateau, will use water to generate electricity. Located underground and with an installed power capacity of 120MW, the power station will be supplied with water by a 15.3km long penstock tunnel. The project requires a penstock tunnel, a connecting tunnel and further infrastructure works.
The Uva Province lies in the Sri Lankan highlands. The geological base is metamorphous rock (mostly gneiss) and is lightly folded. The ground-water table is close to the ground surface, and this led to high levels of water ingress during tunnelling.
We advised the main contractor and successfully optimised the layout of the facility. Amberg also took over on-site construction management between 2013 and 2017.
Special high pressure injections were used to minimise water ingress. Preliminary explorations with TSP (Tunnel Seismic Prediction) were also carried out in order to locate the water-bearing zones before the TBM began work. To prevent water inflow, the rock around the tunnel was injected with cement and sealed. These measures also allow the ground-water table to recover.
Project details
Objective
- Convey 145 million cubic metres of water a year for irrigation purposes
- Generate electricity (>230 GWh/year)
- Power capacity of 120 MW
- Direct water to the underground power station with a 15.3 km long penstock tunnel and a 628 m deep vertical shaft
Challenges
- Rural infrastructure
- Difficult geological conditions
Geology
- The project is being carried out in Precambrian crystalline with metamorphous rock in the Sri Lankan highlands.
- The rock formation contains lightly folded charnockite gneiss, quartzite and marble.
Amberg services
- Optimisation of facility layout
- Study and re-evaluation of the geological and geotechnical conditions
- Advising main contractor
For around 60 years, the renowned Swiss Amberg Group has been a leader in engineering and surveying services for railway, metro, underground and specialised civil engineering.
The family-owned company is an innovative knowledge, engineering and technology provider in the field of logistics and infrastructure for smart cities, hubs and networks. We provide outstanding solutions for our customers through innovatively combining above-ground and underground space utilisation.
Amberg Engineering
Engineering services for the construction of underground infrastructure
Planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of railway, road, utility and metro tunnels, as well as caverns
Amberg Technologies
Systems and solutions for railway and tunnel surveying
Acquisition, evaluation and refinement of measurement data in infrastructure construction
Amberg Infra 7D
Digital services in the infrastructure environment
Geo-monitoring, mobile mapping, digital construction, geomatics and inspection services
Amberg Loglay
Smart city and construction logistics solutions
Sophisticated logistics solutions for efficient and future-orientated construction projects
Amberg Infocon
High-quality design and BIM services
Design, BIM, consulting, PMC and IT solutions for architecture, engineering and construction
VersuchsStollen Hagerbach
The underground future lab
Extensive underground research infrastructure for testing and development, testing laboratory for building materials, training centre and event facilities
QAECY
Intelligent information
Analysing documents and data with artificial intelligence to create a unified view of reality
Your underground experts
- Rail tunnels, including high-speed rail
- Metro lines
- Tunnel and shaft infrastructure
- Caverns with large cross-sections
- Energy storage and utilities
Engineering at its best
- Numerous services for your entire project cycle, from feasibility, planning and construction to renewal of your infrastructure
- Trained specialists and experts in planning and design, geotechnics, and project management
Infrastructure experts
- Rail, metro and tunnels
- Underground spaces
- Mining and shafts
Systems and solutions
- Slab track, tamping, mapping, surveying and inspections
- Tunnel machine guidance
- Tunnel profile measurements and stakeout
- Undulation
- Layer thickness control
- Surface inspection
- Geological predicting during tunnel excavation
- Surveying, data analysis and maintenance
Digital infrastructure experts
- Data acquisition and processing
- Monitoring
- Measurement of geotechnical tasks
- Maintenance and operation
- Process optimisation and digital continuity
Solutions and services
- Geo-monitoring
- Mobile mapping
- Geomatics
- Inspection services
- Digital construction
Smart cities and construction logistics experts
- Manage stakeholders across the value chain
- Improve construction mobility in dense cities
- Unlock up to 50% of the true potential of assets
- Integrate circular economy principles into construction
- Use smart data throughout the supply chain
Solutions for construction sites
- End-to-end digital logistics processes
- Rapid prototyping and smart sensors (IoT)
- Logistics concept and manual (3D/4D)
- Integration of logistics data
- Logistics insights management (LIM)
- Construction logistics management (CLM)
- Management of external hubs and consolidation
Design and construction experts
- Design and BIM integration
- Coordination between different disciplines
- Information workflow setup
- Facility management and BIM integration
- Visualisation
Services
- BIM implementation and creation of models
- Clash detection, coordination and clash resolution
- Construction documentation and shop drawings
- 4D simulation and 5D estimation
- Underground utilities
- Laser scan to as-built models
- IT solutions – BIM integration with FM application
VersuchsStollen Hagerbach - The underground future lab
Recently named a research infrastructure of national importance, we have been providing the space and expertise to turn visions into innovations for over 50 years.
Your analysis and testing requirements
- Real scale test and prototype environment
- Analysis of construction material
- Training facility
- Unique location for your event
Our facilities and services
- Various test sites, test procedures and management
- Concrete and rock laboratory
- Training environment and syllabus
- Seminar rooms, event cavern and restaurant
AI agent as a service for the construction industry
- AI agent dedicated to the AEC industry
- Easy access to complex project information
- Helps in taking confident, informed decisions
- Opens data silos, unlocks all content and uncovers context
- Effortless interaction with your most valuable asset – your collective knowledge
Solution and services
- AI agent as a service
- Strategic consulting and training
- Development of tailored solutions