When Hurricane María entered Puerto Rico as a Category 4 storm two years ago, sustained winds of approximately 250 kilometres per hour caused estimated damage of approximately US$100bn, left the entire island without electricity, and broke the spillway of this important reservoir. CEMEX says the break was one of the most alarming issues that was addressed during this emergency, given the importance of this infrastructure for the entire island.
CEMEX supplied the more than 15,000m3 of concrete required to rebuild this crucial reservoir. This amount is equivalent to approximately 20,000yds3, from which approximately 17,000yds3 were of high strength fluid concrete and 3,000yds3 of structural concrete.
The project was carried out by the Del Valle Group construction company, at the request of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority and the United States Army Corps of Engineers.
“The repair of this important infrastructure was vital for Puerto Ricot,” said José Antonio Cabrera, director of CEMEX in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Haiti. "The reservoir not only generates renewable electricity for more than 200,000 residents, but also its waters are used for human consumption and the irrigation of a considerable part of the island. At CEMEX, we always seek to support the reconstruction of infrastructure affected by natural disasters and to promote the use of the best construction techniques and materials for the benefit of affected communities. That is how, from the beginning, we were clear about the importance of joining this major reconstruction projec."
The complex project was carried out over an eleven-month period and was completed in September 2019.
The project's different phases included the immediate stabilisation of the spillway structure and its subsequent reinforcement; the replacement of a water pipe that supplies 75,000, customers, or 300,000 people with potable water; the construction of a rock retention pond, using more than 100,000 tonnes of stone; the stabilisation of the slope near the dam’s intake tower; and the installation of a fixed cone valve to facilitate the control of the water level in the installation.
Built between 1919 and 1928, the Guajataca Reservoir serves more than 200,000 homes. Its waters are also used for the consumption of practically all the towns in the northwest part of the island, as well as for the region’s irrigation system.
