John Hart Generating Station

Replacement Project

January 2016

Community Construction Update

Report #31

Prepared by: Stephen Watson, BC Hydro

(O) 250-755-4795 or (C) 250-616-9888

Twitter: @Puntledge Email: steve.watson@bchydro.com

2 Jan 10

Project Status

• Pole relocation on access road to new surge tank site

completed. Work beginning on developing the surge tank

site in preparation for excavation, which is set to begin in

February;

• Excavation of operating gate structure at the intake

underway and expected to be complete by end of

February;

• Cofferdam dewatering underway. A water leak (a typical

occurrence during this process) was found and is being

addressed prior to completion of full dewatering;

• Frontier-Kemper continues drilling and blasting within the

surge chamber, completing about 50 metres of 93 metres;

• The tailrace excavation is now to 21.5 metres, with

another 19.5 metres to go. The next rock level to be

excavated is expected to begin in early February;

• Excavation of the third rock level of the powerhouse is

nearing completion. 22 metres of vertical rock removed

with 18 metres remaining. This is where the main floor of

the powerhouse will be. Excavation of the fourth rock level

is expected to begin in early February; and

• Adit D (connecting power tunnel to main access tunnel)

completed at end of January.

The Economic Review did a story on

the Site C and John Hart projects with

the link below: http://issuu.com/evolutionbusinessmedia/docs/

er_issue_4_jan_2016_2_/37?e=0

Project Schedule

• For all the tunnelling works:

• Complete: Service Tunnel;

• Complete: Adit B;

• Complete: Adit C;

• Complete: Adit D;

• Spring 2016: Main access tunnel to reach

powerhouse;

• Spring 2016: Powerhouse excavation to be

completed;

• Fall 2016: Water intake works drilling completed;

• Winter 2016: Surge tank tunnel excavation to

power tunnel;

• Early 2017: Tailrace tunnel planned to be

completed; and

• Late 2017: Power tunnel planned to be

completed.

View from the powerhouse cavern and what

will be the main access tunnel entrance.

Construction Pictures – Cofferdam

5 Jan 10 With the cofferdam essentially complete, this is the final picture from this vantage point.

A new camera vantage point has been created to better capture the downstream work.

Construction Pictures – John Hart Dam Area

6 Jan 20

The before: February 2015.

Construction Pictures – Downstream Work

Area Below John Hart Dam Area

7

Jan 24 This is a new camera vantage. The comprehensive photo will be able to capture, over time, the

full development of the new water intake works to the tunnel and the water release valve that

will provide the fish habitat flows (currently being provided by the spillway gates) down Elk Falls

Canyon.

Construction Pictures – Downstream of John

Hart Dam

8

Construction Pictures – Downstream of John

Hart Dam

9

Construction Pictures – Surge Tank Area

10 The two-lane access road is complete, including the moving of our power poles.

Excavation of the overburden or soils for the surge tank area is underway.

Construction Pictures – Powerhouse Cavern

11

Construction Pictures – Powerhouse Cavern

12

Crews began work on the main access tunnel from the powerhouse. From Adit D,

crews are also working on the main access tunnel to the powerhouse. Work is now

happening on the main access tunnel in three different areas.

Construction Pictures – Powerhouse Cavern

13

Construction Pictures – Surge Chamber

14 Moving down on the second level within the Surge

Chamber, on the downstream side of the powerhouse.

Construction Pictures – Main Access Tunnel

15

Shows the

realignment

tunnel on the

left and the old

route to the

right. Probe

holes are

drilled ahead

in advance to

confirm solid

rock mass.

16

Construction Pictures – Tailrace

17

Testing & Modelling Of The Turbines

• Alstom/GE, InPower BC’s turbine/generator supplier, is

testing and modelling the conditions for the three new

units. The testing is proceeding well at a specialized

centre in France;

• Tests look at the efficiency, cavitation (formation of vapor

pockets – see small column of white water on the right),

and pressure and pressure fluctuation under various

water flows to mimic the conditions in the new tunnel

and generating station;

• The small-scale model turbine blades are shown with

the yellow arrow; and

• The steel pipe at the bottom right is called the draft tube,

where the water flows from the spinning turbine (strobe

lights give the turbines a stationary appearance).

Environment Update

19

• Maintaining water standards during the dewatering of the cofferdam has been a critical

environmental focus for the month. To stay within turbidity requirements during the quick

removal of water to determine the leak and make repairs, given the volumes of water pumped

out, the project team discharged water through one of the three John Hart penstocks. The

pumped water was very small in comparison to the penstock water flows to the turbines.

• The site may have been closed down over the holiday weeks, but that didn’t stop some

special visitors from dropping in. Sightings of an owl and wolf tracks in the snow were

reported by the small staff that stayed on during the shut-down period.

• Looking back on 2015, Hatfield Consultants had an opportunity to review all the work in

environmental management for the year. What were their greatest successes? “Making sure

everyone who is working on the project is included in how we all can help with environmental

protection,” said Hatfield’s Environment Manager Amber Ashenhurst. Starting with

environmental training with the new-worker orientation, to lunch-hour learning sessions,

award stickers and solution-building as a team – keeping the environment at the forefront of

everyone’s mind led to their highest achievements.

Dewatering (pump and

line) the cofferdam water.

People Profile - Francis Gonella

Background:

With a Bachelor of Engineering in electrical engineering from

the University of Victoria (specializing in electrical energy

systems, electromagnetics and photonics) Francis had worked

with Western Forest Products in Nanaimo, Capital Region

Emergency Services Telecommunications in Victoria and Ballard

Power Systems in Burnaby before joining this project in October

2014.

Home:

Born in Quebec City, his family eventually moved to California. At 16, Francis began moving around to play competitive ice hockey, spending time in places like Montana, Campbell River, Powell River, and North Dakota.

Hobbies:

Francis’ primary hobby is playing sports - mainly ice hockey – but he also enjoys mountain biking, fishing and camping.

Project Responsibility:

As Field Engineer for ASL-JV, Francis’ responsibilities range from site work preparation and execution, procurement of materials, to communication with sub-contractors.

“Working on the John Hart project has been a great opportunity for me to step out of my comfort zone and expand my knowledge in the area of civil construction. I am very eager to see what challenges the next few years will bring.”

About Francis

Construction – Point Of Interest

Cleaning debris from the John Hart dam water intake.

Each month, BC Hydro and InPower BC will provide a construction

fact, occurrence, or situation.

• On January 19, crews raked off and removed the grassy and woody debris that was building

up on the water intake trash racks. The debris, if left to accumulate, can cause pressure

problems within the penstocks that deliver water to the generating station. To safely remove

the debris, the amount of water drawn into the penstocks must be reduced; and

• BC Hydro has a fish flow target in the Campbell River below the generating station. With only

about 40 cubic metres per second coming out of the generating station during the one-day

cleaning process, the target river flow of about 85 m3/s was provided by spilling about 45

m3/s down Elk Falls Canyon. The spill down the canyon and over Elk Falls was about 10

times the normal flow rate (4 m3/s).

CHEK and CTV-

VI aired stories

on the Jan 19

activities and

viewer reactions

to the Elk Falls

flow. Story link: http://www.cheknew

s.ca/those-viewing-

elk-falls-in-campbell-

river-during-bc-

hydro-work-get-

quite-the-show-

132145/

Construction – Point Of Interest

Cleaning debris from the John Hart dam water intake.

Each month, BC Hydro and InPower BC will provide a construction

fact, occurrence, or situation.

22

45 cubic metres per second spill down Elk Falls Canyon.