Fundação Renova

LOWERING RIPRAP AT THE PEQUENO RIVER COFFERDAM

Published in: 05/18/2020

Emergency Actions

Works should last about 20 days 

On Tuesday, May 12, the works to lower the riprap near the Pequeno River protection cofferdam, in Linhares (ES), kicked off. The intervention will contribute to the better drainage of the water at the site. 

The riprap is a structure composed of stones and other materials that were placed during the construction of the protective cofferdam. This structure contains the flow of water that passes through the site and prevents the contact between the waters of the Doce River and those of the Juparana Lagoon. Since this is the end of the rainy season, there is no risk of contact between the waters so that the structure can be lowered. 

In agreement with Aecom, which conducts judicial inspection ordered by the 12th Federal Court of Belo Horizonte (MG), the riprap must be lowered at the upstream side and downstream side of the current protective cofferdam. Thus, the riprap that is close to the 7-meter high level will be lowered to the 6-meter level. 

Security amid Covid-19

The works at the Pequeno River are being carried out in accordance with preventive measures to ensure the safety and protection of the health and well-being of employees and the population of Linhares, considering the spread of the new coronavirus.

In total, ten local and essential workers are involved in the intervention. Following the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO), employees that are most at risk for the disease will not be assigned.

These are the actions that were adopted at the workplace:

– easy access to alcohol hand sanitizer and spots to wash hands with soap and water;

– mandatory use of masks and protective glasses;

– a minimum distance of 1.5 meters between workers;

– meals served in take-away boxes, with disposable cutlery; and 

– reduced occupancy in vehicles used to transport workers to guarantee more space between passengers. 

Cofferdam at the Pequeno River

If the river level increases, the cofferdam can be raised. This happens with storms or heavy rains, which trigger warning systems so that safety measures are taken in time, increasing the height and preventing contact between the waters. 

The structure was built with a height of 6 meters, in compliance with the court decision issued by the 12th Federal Court of Belo Horizonte (MG). The day before the works started, the water level of the Pequeno River upstream of the protection cofferdam was 7.45 meters. The river level, located downstream of the cofferdam, was 5.51 meters. 

The Renova Foundation continues its efforts to monitor the water levels of the Doce River.

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