Field assessment of a locally-fabricated slip form machine for CFRD face slab construction: Lessons from Dhap Dam, Nepal

The use of slip-form machines in constructing the face slab of the concrete-filled reinforced dam (CFRD) is a new technology for Nepal and is the first of its kind. The assessment of the performance of a locally fabricated slip-form machine during the construction of a 24 m high dam at Dhap, Bagmati, Nepal, is presented in this paper. The methodology covers the fabrication, preliminary, and modified operations at the site, concluding with the lessons learned. The major problems encountered and corrective actions taken for smooth operations are discussed thoroughly. The final operation for each concrete panel width of 15 m was covered with a size 16 m x 2 m x 1.5 m slip-form machine, weighing eight tons, with a speed of 2 m/hr. From the performance observed, the two-end pulling design seemed to be more effective than the single-point pulling, and the workflow related to the concreting process was identified as critical. The exploration of challenges in workflow over the dam slope with local resources is the contribution of this research paper. This successful technological demonstration has developed a capable team of human resources to handle similar future projects through optimization.