James Bay Dam
James Bay Dam
Key facts
Location
Canada, JamésieDelivery
October 1992
Client
Société d'énergie de la Baie-James
Contractor
Bouygues Travaux Publics
Construction of a dam in extreme conditions
From the top of its 58 metres, it proudly overlooks the Grande Rivière basin in northeastern Quebec. Located 37 kilometres from the river’s mouth, the James Bay Dam—whose construction began in 1973—is the most downstream of a large hydroelectric structure. In this subarctic region, where winter temperatures regularly approach -40°C, this titanic project, completed in 1992 by Bouygues Travaux Publics as part of a consortium, still stands today as a remarkable human and technical achievement.
Key figures
- 58
- meters high
- 350
- meters long
- 355 000
- m³ of concrete
Colossal resources for a record timeframe
To build this 350-metre-long dam on a site located more than ten hours from the nearest town, no less than 355,000 m³ of concrete and 16,000 tonnes of steel were required.
Operations were carried out at breakneck speed to meet very tight deadlines (32 months) and to complete the civil engineering works for twelve groups of alternators with their water intakes, a roof structure, a gravity dam, and a service area.
Gallery
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