Low cost erosion control structures applied to a Brazilian hydroelectric power reservoir case - the project phase

The impact caused by the construction of hydroelectric plants involves the entire ecosystem inserted therein, in addition to various economic and social factors. Therefore, to be sure that the hydroelectric power plant will be explored in your maximum potential should be a permanent objective to the managers of these plants. The presence of reservoirs in areas not flooded before, and in most cases in large extensions, has been causing significant erosion's process, that has impacted on the expenditure on electrical energy generation of the plant and on the conditions of land use of the region involved. The solution involves not only having an engineering proposal to solve the problem, but have an answer that involves low cost projects and having sustainability for its maintenance. For this purpose alternative solutions were designed to treat different types of representative erosion of the most common cases found in Brazilian hydroelectric’s reservoir, in this case applied to HPP of Itumbiara, located between the states of Minas Gerais and Goias. The technical proposals involve concepts already consolidated in geotechnical area, but gathered here aiming low cost and sustainability. It is expected, therefore, that the solutions will keep under control the silting process in affected areas and cicatrize the processes that are in progress.