Changuinola Dam


Changuinola I Dam, is located in district of Changuinola, in the Province of Bocas del Toro, in the western part of Panama. It is the largest roller-compacted concrete arch-gravity dam in the World.

Technical features

The design of the dam was conducted by Malcolm Dunstan & Associates engineering and construction company.
The construction of the dam started on October 25, 2007 and its first generator was operational on November 19, 2011. The roller-compacted concrete arch-gravity dam has a maximum height of and length of. The upstream vertical face arch radius is. The induced joints are spaced at intervals, with inducers installed in every second layer after compaction. The downstream face slope varies form 0.5:1 in the center and 0.7:1 on the flanks.
The RCC mix strength requirements were determined by a target direct tensile strength of. The composition of the high-paste RCC mix included: