John Hart Generating Station

Replacement Project

August 2015

Community Construction Update

Report #26

Prepared by: Stephen Watson, BC Hydro

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

steve.watson@bchydro.com

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Project Update And Schedule Project Status:

• Adit B is complete;

• Blasting underway on Adit C (off of Adit B), with muck bay

complete and tunnel advanced 54 m, near to where the

tailrace tunnel (from the powerhouse to the river) will be

located;

• First bench of powerhouse cavern drilled, blasted and

mucked. Continued work on slashing out the bench;

• Drilling and installation of support for powerhouse ceiling

completed;

• Main access tunnel progress continues using a specialized

support system to get through the loose rock area;

• Ramp at new tailrace area (behind existing powerhouse)

constructed and prepared for tree removals at end of

August;

• All cofferdam piles installed by first week of September; and

• Dowels drilled and installed, forms built and concrete

poured for concrete infill on Block 1 of existing dam. A mass

concrete infill is required to support the dam and works in

advance of drilling the new water intake underneath it. 2 Cofferdam piles.

Project Update And Schedule

Project Schedule:

• July-September: Concrete infill at the dam to prepare

for new water intake work;

• August-December: Powerhouse vertical excavation;

• September: Tree removal and stripping for new surge

tank and tailrace locations to be completed;

• September-November: Tailrace (future water

discharge from the tunnel) excavation beside existing

generating station;

• September-December: Completion of cofferdam and

construction of retaining walls;

• Completion in 2016: Drilling and blasting now underway on power tunnel to water intake shaft (from

the powerhouse to the John Hart dam); and

• Completion in 2016: Main access tunnel to the

powerhouse.

3 Drilling within the main access tunnel.

Construction Pictures – Powerhouse Cavern

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The picture shows the first bench preparation for the downward drilling, blasting and

excavation of the powerhouse cavern. Each bench removal (layer of rock) has a downward depth of 3.5 metres.

Construction Pictures – Adit C

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Construction Pictures – Adits B and C

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Construction Pictures – Main Access Tunnel

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See the Point of Interest on the

report’s last page for information about this unique excavator.

Construction Pictures – Main Access Tunnel

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Overview of Cofferdam and Intake Works

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Water release

valve – flow

down Elk Falls

Canyon

Cofferdam

Water

passage to

tunnel

John Hart

dam

Time Lapse Camera – John Hart Dam

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Aug 5 Aug 12

Aug 19 Aug 26

Construction Pictures – Downstream of John

Hart Dam

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Construction Pictures – Downstream of John

Hart Dam

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Construction Pictures – Downstream of John

Hart Dam

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Work progression on the new water intake from the reservoir.

Construction Pictures – Downstream of John

Hart Dam

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Construction Pictures – Cofferdam

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Aug 2 Aug 9

Aug 16 Aug 23

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(To come on Aug 30)

Aug 30

Surge Tank • Pedestrians using the BC Hydro trails to the Elk

Falls Suspension Bridge should be aware of

increased construction traffic and activity along the

roadway running parallel to the south side of the

existing penstocks. Trail users cross this road to

access the footbridge over the penstocks and then

enter the Elk Falls Provincial Park;

• Beginning around September 9, for about a week,

tree removals will take place along the access road

that parallels the woodstave penstocks and near

the trail system. People should expect sporadic

delays of about 10 minutes to safely allow the

contractor to fall the trees; and

• The road will then be widened to allow for two-way

construction traffic to the new surge tank area.

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This picture was taken by the Brewster Lake Road Bridge

and shows a small section of the widened construction road that will extend about a kilometre down to the surge tank area. Above, an August 28 CR Mirror article about the tree

removal work.

Tailrace Work Area

• Work is beginning on the site of the new tailrace area, located on the north side of the

penstocks, between the Station View Trail pedestrian bridge and the existing powerhouse;

• A ramp was constructed to access the slope where trees are being removed (shown below);

• Trail users in the area may encounter 10-minute delays into early September during tree-falling to ensure public safety;

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Environment Update • Recycling: To reduce waste on site, InPower BC has

implemented a drink container recycling program – which

includes education for workers on site, a collection

system and returning them to the recycling centre. Four

large bags were returned on the first trip this month, and

the funds raised by those donations were donated to the

Campbell River Food Bank.

• Rescue and prevention: Underground workers were able

to capture a bat in the mine area and release it back

above ground. However, there have been some bats

stuck in the ventilation systems and not surviving. The

contractors have been working with environmental

professionals to grate off different areas to prevent bats

from entering. These adjustments have been successful

to date.

• Leaving it better than found: After test drilling was

completed near the penstocks, equipment was removed

from the area and the site restored. Along with general

restoration, crews pulled previously established invasive

holly from the surrounding park areas and trails were

raked, doing their part to improve the popular area.

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Recycling bottles from the site, and

below, holly removal along a trail.

John Hart Project Interpretive Centre

• The days the interpretive centre will be open will shift from five

days a week to three days a week starting September 8. The

centre will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday,

Thursday and Saturday. This will be in place through the fall,

winter and spring;

• The monthly visitor totals from May to August were as follows:

• May: 2,589 visitors for an average of 144 visitors per day;

• June: 2,648 visitors for an average of 139 visitors per day;

• July: 4,214 visitors for an average of 183 visitors per day;

• August: 4,037 visitors for an average of 183 visitors per

day;

• Through a partnership with BC Hydro and the Campbell River

Visitor Centre, a satellite Visitor Centre has been setup for a

few days a week in August and September beside the

interpretive centre to provide more information about regional

tourism opportunities;

• This year to date there have been 14,713 visitors through the

interpretive centre. A final tally for 2015 will be provided at the

end of the year; and

• From May 8 to July 31, BC Parks estimates about 47,000

visitors have viewed the Elk Falls suspension bridge.

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A new cedar bench was placed

in the centre for visitors to utilize while watching videos on the touchscreen TV. Another project

construction update video is planned to be added to the TV

around early November.

Business Profile – Strategic Natural Resource

Consultants Background: Strategic Natural Resource Consultants was established in 2003 and has since become a highly regarded

natural resource consulting firm on the West Coast. With offices in Port McNeill, Campbell River, Port Alberni and Nanaimo, SNRC’s focus is in resource and land management, professional forestry,

construction support services, environmental sciences, geomatics & GIS, and remote site project development.

Some notable utility developments that they have worked on include the Toba-Montrose Hydroelectric project, Kokish River hydroelectric project, Cape Scott Wind Farm, BC Hydro’s Interior to Lower Mainland

(ILM) transmission line project, as well as numerous other BC Hydro projects. SNRC is excited to be part of the John Hart project team, right here in their backyard.

What you may not know about them:

Strategic has recently launched its own drone, the multi-sensor Sassin X1. This unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is capable of obtaining high-resolution digital photography, 3-dimensional surface models, thermal and near infrared imaging, orthomosaic imagery, full HD 1080p video and more.

The Sassin X1 is completely customizable and can be configured to suit a variety of applications. SNRC’s

certified pilots operate within all Transport Canada regulations to ensure that the X1’s industry leading sensor array will capture the information their clients need safely, accurately and quickly.

Project role: Clearing Plan Development: Desktop analysis, field reconnaissance and clearing plan development.

Compliance to the Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP), Environmental Work Plan (EWP) and specific Environmental Protection Plans (EPP).

Timber Evaluation and Cruising: Determination of species distribution, timber volume and grade.

Danger Tree Assessment and Identification: Identification and management prescriptions associated with 21

Business Profile – Strategic Natural Resource

Consultants Danger Trees immediately adjacent to clearing areas. Special management prescriptions associated with

danger trees located in the Elk Falls Provincial Park.

Vegetation Inventory and Monitoring: Through Hatfield Consulting. Transect establishment for the location

and identification of invasive species within the John Hart project construction site.

People working on the project: Eight SNRC staff have participated on the John Hart project, led by their Environmental Department.

Services include professional foresters, professional biologists, geomatics (survey and mapping), certified arborists and accredited timber evaluators.

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Shelby Lefebvre and Dia Anderson

from SNRC at the John Hart project

site.

People Profile – Tony Dell About Tony:

Background: Born in South Africa, Tony graduated as a civil engineer from university

in Johannesburg. After spending four years in structural engineering, he

moved on to tunnel/rock engineering in 1980. Tony moved to Vancouver

in the mid-1990s and joined SNC-Lavalin in 2000.

Home: While Vancouver has been home base despite international work for over

20 years, Tony decided to move to Campbell River in October 2014 for the John Hart project given all the underground work that would require large amounts of his time and attention. Tony’s son, Brendan, based in

Nanaimo, works for BC Hydro on the transmission line side of the business.

Hobbies: In 1973, Tony spent one month’s salary on a camera, and photography (particularly landscapes) has been a

hobby ever since. He’s also taken up archery – after seeing the sign for the Campbell River Fish and Game archery range on the Hwy 28. He adds that grandchildren and Netflix also help to fill his spare time.

Project responsibility: As Lead Geotechnical Engineer, Tony is the designer responsible for the surface and underground

excavations. He’s been seconded from SNC-Lavalin to ASL-JV and works with a team of four in the Vancouver office on the design, along with four at the site who supervise and monitor the plan’s progress and

modify the designs as required. When modifications are required along the way, Tony leads that planning .

Quote: “When you’re working on a design-build project, it’s essential to be a team – we have to work together. This project is a job that combines innovation and professional interest, all within a beautiful city, and it has created a great team.” 23

Construction – Point of Interest

Each month, BC Hydro and InPower BC will

provide a construction fact, occurrence, or

situation.

• Excavator with a Popeye arm:

• The New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM),

which has been growing in use in Europe over

the last few years, is being implemented at the

John Hart project;

• The method is being used to work around the

area of unconsolidated ground located in the

main access tunnel, which includes installing

pipes along the roof and grouting between them

before excavating the loose rock below it;

• To take on this excavation work, Frontier-Kemper

has brought in a CAT 328 with a special arm,

nicknamed the “Popeye Arm;”

• The arm is very powerful, and can move side to

side as well as up and down, allowing for the

claw to work without the body moving. This

allows it to create the tunnel profile.

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