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Dam Inspection & On-the-Job Training in Añasco, PR

NRCS Caribbean Engineer Rolando Collazo leads on the job training for Pathways students at Ajies Dam in Añasco, PR on 1 July 2021.

In July 2021, NRCS Caribbean engineers conducted field inspections on Daguey and Ajies Dams in Añasco, PR, as part of the dam assessment and design process to repair the dams to pre-Hurricane María conditions. The activity also allowed our engineer to provide on the job training to Pathways students

Ajies Dam Inspection ROV setup_1Jul2021.png

In July 2021, field inspections were conducted on Daguey and Ajies Dams in Añasco, PR. These inspections are part of the dam assessment and design process to repair the dams to pre-Hurricane María conditions. These projects are funded by NRCS through our Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWPP) with the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER) as the project sponsor.

NRCS Engineer Rolando Collazo joined contractors Luis Jorge Diaz and Pully A. Torres from Torres Rosa, Inc., and John Wolfhope and Matt Moses from Freese-Nichols, Inc., to inspect the condition of the Ajies Dam principal spillway conduit (250 linear feet of 30-inch diameter reinforced concrete pipe) from impact basin to riser across the earthen dam using ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) equipment (right and below). The equipment used included a Crawler robot, industrial camera, LED light, tether, control box, and control panel to visually inspect the internal condition of the pipeline and its joints.

Ajies Dam Inspection - ROV deployment in spillway conduit_1Jul2021

Above left: Luis Jorge Diaz and Pully A Torres from Torres Rosa Inc. and John Wolfhope and Matt Moses from Freese Nichols deploy the ROV to inspect the principal spillway conduit; Above right: The ROV inspects conditions of the Ajies Dam principal spillway conduit (30” Reinforced Concrete Pipe).

DNER personnel provided access to the site and coordinated support from the local Emergency personnel. As part of the field visits, Eng. Collazo provided on-the-job training (OJT) to 5 new Pathways student interns. They were taught about the proper usage of basic measurement tools and measured distances and slopes of the earthen dam embankments.

Photo below, clockwise from top left: Eng. Collazo (left) provides basic measurement tools training to new Pathways student interns on 1 July 2021; Eng. Collazo (center) provides OJT inspection training to Pathways students at Ajies Dam; Eng. Collazo (left) with Pathways students (Jorge Santana, Gincarlo Medina, Nanette Torres, Miguel Colón and Anthony Arroyo) at Ajies dam; Eng. Collazo demonstrates embankment-slope measurement to Pathways students.

Engineer Rolando Collazo leads on the job training for Pathways students at Ajies Dam on 1 July 2021

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