Chavimochic project, stage III, Peru

Chavimochic project is a multi‐purpose project (agricultural, energy and population‐related). It consists of water catchment from the River Santa by means of intakes and diversion through open channels, tunnels, covered pipelines and special structures, over a length of 270 km to the Pampas de Urricape north of Paiján, benefitting the valleys of Chao, Virú, Moche, Chicama and new areas.

At this time, the first two stages have been concluded and the present Invitation to Tender Project consists of designing the third stage for improvement of 50,000 hectares and incorporation of 19,500 hectares of new farmland in the Chicama valley. Our participation was focused on the engineering design to support a contractor and operator for their preparation of the tender. Our scope was to provide engineering design including a dam using thick materials with a concrete screen (maximum height is 116 m and the crest is 770 m long) with an operative reservoir volume of 360 Hm3, a channel with maximum capacity for 37.4 m3/s, 113 km in length with sections in open channel, covered duct and 3 tunnels of 18 km in length, and an inverted syphon in 2.5 m steel pipes, 554 m long in the overhead section and 2,947 m in the underground section.