HotAirTools.com - Helping to Build the Olivenhain Dam

CIVIL ENGINEERING PROJECT

Water supply is a major problem in large parts of the state of California, and hotairtools.com. has played its part in securing access through the construction of the Olivenhain Dam.

318ft WELDING PROJECT

UPGRADED UNIDRIVE 500

THE CHALLENGE

Overcome the water shortage and everlasting drought.

139 MILLION PROJECT

Reliable Equipment

THE SOLUTION

Using the Unidrive 500 (replacing the Triac Drive) to weld Geomembrane material.

THE PROJECT

How do you weld a 318ft vertical face? That was one of the major questions during the construction of North America’s tallest Roller Compacted Concrete dam, and with the help of Leister tools, the construction team was able to come up with an answer.

The $139 million dam, which is situated in Southern California, was commissioned by the San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) Emergency Storage Plan to supply water for local use. Drought is a constant issue in California, putting pressure on water supplies, and causing the authorities to look for solutions.

On this occasion, the authorities turned to a local civil engineering company, who set about constructing a huge dam capable of storing 24,000 acre-feet of water storage. With more than 80% of San Diego’s water being imported from hundreds of miles away, this extra water storage provides a vital safety net if that supply were to be cut off.

HotAirTools.com. ROLE

Designed to maintain functionality even in the face of a magnitude 7.25 earthquake, this project was filled with complexities throughout, with one particular difficulty being welding. Welding 318ft of geomembrane material is difficult enough, but when you’ve got to do it on a vertical surface, it becomes even more complicated.

However, when you’re working with great brands like Leister, you can always find the right tool for the job. With its industry-leading knowledge and experience with large-scale projects, HotAirTools.com settled on a Leister Triac Tool – the Triac Drive at the time, was the perfect tool for the job. This has now been upgraded and replaced by the Unidrive 500.

THE SOLUTION

The dam was welded from the top-down, with the welder suspended in the air and gradually lowered to the bottom. Of course, when you’re suspended hundreds of feet from the ground, you need a welding tool that’s lightweight and adaptable, and that’s exactly what the Triac Drive offered.

The dam was welded from the top-down, with the welder suspended in the air and gradually lowered to the bottom. Of course, when you’re suspended hundreds of feet from the ground, you need a welding tool that’s lightweight and adaptable, and that’s exactly what the Triac Drive offered.

With the help of HotAirTools.com equipment know-how and the great civil engineering team involved in the project, the San Diego Water Authority was able to complete its first major new dam and reservoir in 50 years.

WHY HotAirTools.com?

At HotAirTools.com we take the time to make sure you get the perfect tool for the job. We have a huge range of the highest-quality tools available, and the industry knowledge to make sure you pick the right one.

Whether it’s working on huge projects such as the Olivenhain Dam, or smaller bespoke projects, we work with you to make sure you’ve got everything you need to get the job done.

We pride ourselves on great service and working with our clients to get the best results is what we do, so we’re proud to list Olivenhain Dam as a major project we have contributed to.

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