Cut-off walls are used to prevent unwanted movement – typically of liquids – in and out of the ground and they play an important role in large structures like dams. They act as seepage barriers to isolate an area both upstream – by retaining water in the dam’s reservoir – and downstream, protecting the river.
Creating a very deep watertight cut-off wall under the dam’s foundations is crucial to prevent any water penetration beneath the dam.
As a worldwide specialist in diaphragm walls, VSL-Intrafor can design and build highly effective cut-off walls. It has patented a proprietary method that significantly speeds up the construction of slurry walls and ensures almost perfect verticality even at depths of more than 90m. VSL-Intrafor’s experience also enables it to offer an alternative solution for sealing the rock under a dam by installing a curtain grout wall.
VSL-Intrafor’s role can include preliminary ground investigation if required, as well as a full design & build service that clients can rely on.