Bramhoek Dam, situated below the mountains near Ladysmith, Kwa-Zulu Natal, is 39m high Roller Compacted Concrete Dam (RCC), with a 335m crest Length. The dam structure forms the lower reservoir of the Ingula Pumped Storage Scheme. Structure includes a free crest spillway with a crest length of 40m over RCC.

Bramhoek dam was constructed by Bedford/Bramhoek Dams Joint Venture (BDJV) and has a capacity of 26.7 million m³ and an active storage volume of 19.1 million m³.

Bramhoek Dam Instrumentation consists of the following:

• Vibrating Wire Strain Gauges in and around the Outlet-Tunnel measuring RCC strain.
• Vibrating Wire Long Base Strain/Jointmeters measuring over induced joints.
• Vibrating Wire Thermometers measuring temperature.
• Thermistors measuring temperature.
• Vibrating Wire Foundation Piezometers for measuring pore pressure.
• Eight sets of Vibrating Wire 3-D Crackmeters measuring three-dimensional movement on the crest.
• Eight Vibrating Wire Tilt-meters measuring tilt.
• Vibrating Wire Transducer measuring seepage

Instruments installed in and around the Dam Embankment are intended to monitor:

• Tilt of the Dam;
• Measuring movement over the induced joints;
• Stresses and strain of the concrete;
• Total downstream seepage;
• Pore pressure build-up in foundation;
• Lake level water height.

Installed Instruments Specification:

Seepage (Dam)

• Geokon Vibrating Wire Transducers Vented Model 4580

Piezometers (Foundation, crump weir, lake level)

• Geokon Vibrating Wire Model 4500S

• Geokon Vibrating Wire Model 4500AL (V)

Joint Meter (Main Embankment)

• Geokon Vibrating Wire Model 4400

Strain Gages (Main Embankment)

• Geokon Vibrating Wire Model 4210/4200/4202

Tilt Meter (Crest)

• Geokon Vibrating Wire Model 6350

3D Crack (Crest)

• ITMsoil J3 - Vibrating Wire Tri-axial Joint meter

Temperature Gauge (Main Embankment)

• Geokon Vibrating Wire Temperature Sensor Model 4700

Data Acquisition System CR800/1000 (Valve House)

• Geokon Micro-1000 Data logger Model 8021

• Geokon Multiplexer (MUX) Model 8032

Designers: Steward Scott Incorporated (SSI), Arcus Gibb and Knight Piésold

Consulting Engineers: Braamhoek Consultants Joint Venture (BCJV) comprises three of the country's mayor consulting firms bramhoek_damly SSI, Arcus Gibb and Knight Piésold

Contractors: Concor Roads & Earthworks, Wilson Bayly Holmes-Ovcon (WBHO), Edwin Construction and Silver Rock (BDJV)