1 / 12Show Caption +Hide Caption –Workers from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources and Italian Company Trevi S.p.A. stand ready to unveil a new plaque that will hang at Mosul Dam, commemorating the 3-year partnership between the three countries of Iraq, the U.S. and Italy. The plaque was unveiled during a ceremony on June 15, 2019, at the Mosul Dam in Iraq. The Mosul Dam Project started in 2016 as a joint project among the Iraq Ministry of Water Resources, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Trevi in an effort to stabilize and repair the infrastructure of Mosul Dam. The dam, which is the largest in Iraq, and the fourth largest in the Middle East, supplies water, hydropower, irrigation and flood control to the region. (Photo Credit: TAD Public Affairs)VIEW ORIGINAL2 / 12Show Caption +Hide Caption –The men and women of the Mosul Dam Project stand on the top of the Mosul Dam spillway. The Mosul Dam Project was a 3-year partnership started in 2016 as a joint venture among the Iraq Ministry of Water Resources, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Italian Company Trevi S.p.A. in an effort to stabilize and repair the dam, and update the infrastructure of the dam. The dam sits in a valley along the Tigris River approximately 30 miles outside Mosul City in Iraq. It is the largest dam in Iraq, and the fourth largest in the Middle East, and supplies water, hydropower, irrigation and flood control to the region. (Photo Credit: TAD Public Affairs)VIEW ORIGINAL3 / 12Show Caption +Hide Caption –Exterior view of Mosul Dam. (Photo Credit: TAD Public Affairs)VIEW ORIGINAL4 / 12Show Caption +Hide Caption –Members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, and members of the Government of Iraq celebrate the completion of the Mosul Dam Task Force mission in Iraq by holding up the MDTF Mission Flag on the banks of the Tigris River in front of the dam. Pictured left to right are: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic Division Command Sergeant Major Randolph Delapena, TAD Commander Col. Mark Quander, Iraq Minister of Water Resources Director General Mahdi Rashid, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Matthew H. Tueller, Iraq Minister of Water Resources Jamal al-Adili, Mosul Dam Task Force Commander Col. Philip Secrist, Mosul Dam Project Manager Riyadh Ali, and Iraq Director General of Planning and Follow-up Jamal Mohsin. The dignitaries were visiting the MDTF on June 15, 2019, for a ceremony commemorating the completion the Mosul Dam Project, which started in 2016 as a joint project among the Iraq Ministry of Water Resources, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Italian Company Trevi S.p.A. in an effort to stabilize the infrastructure of the Mosul Dam. The Dam is the largest in Iraq and the fourth largest in the Middle East. It supplies water, hydropower, irrigation and flood control to the region. (Photo Credit: TAD Public Affairs)VIEW ORIGINAL5 / 12Show Caption +Hide Caption –Distinguished guests view the new plaque that will hang at the Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources building commemorating the 3-year partnership between the three countries. The plaque was unveiled during a ceremony on June 15, 2019, in Mosul Iraq. Pictured left to right are: Iraq Ministry of Water Resources Director General of Dams and Reservoirs Mahdi Rashid; Italian Ambassador to Iraq Bruno Pasquino; Trevi S.p.A Chief Executive Officer Stefano Trevisani; Mosul Dam Project Manager Riyadh Ali; Iraq Minister of Water Resources Jamal Abbas al-Adili; U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Matthew H. Tueller; and, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic Division Commander Col. Mark Quander. The Mosul Dam Project started in 2016 as a joint project among the Iraq Ministry of Water Resources, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Italian Company Trevi S.p.A. in an effort to stabilize the infrastructure of the Mosul Dam. The Dam, which is the largest in Iraq, and the fourth largest in the Middle East, supplies water, hydropower, irrigation and flood control to the region. (Photo Credit: TAD Public Affairs)VIEW ORIGINAL6 / 12Show Caption +Hide Caption –Iraq Minister of Water Resources Jamal Abbas al-Adili (back to camera) speaks to media, dignitaries from the U.S. and Italian Embassies, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Italian and Iraqi employees during a ceremony June 15, 2019, in Mosul, Iraq, held to commemorate the completion of USACE's work supporting the Mosul Dam Project. The Mosul Dam Project started in 2016 as a joint project among the Iraq Ministry of Water Resources, USACE, and Italian Company Trevi S.p.A. in an effort to stabilize the infrastructure of the Mosul Dam. The dam, which is the largest in Iraq, and the fourth largest in the Middle East, supplies water, hydropower, irrigation and flood control to the region. USACE's Mosul Dam Task Force acted as "The Engineer" for the joint endeavor. (Photo Credit: TAD Public Affairs)VIEW ORIGINAL7 / 12Show Caption +Hide Caption –U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Matthew H. Tueller, Iraq Minister of Water Resources Jamal Abbas al-Adili, and Italian Ambassador to Iraq Bruno Pasquino, attend the closing ceremony commemorating the Mosul Dam Project June 15, 2019, in Iraq. The Mosul Dam Project was a 3-year partnership started in 2016 as a joint venture among the Iraq Ministry of Water Resources, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Italian Company Trevi S.p.A. in an effort to stabilize the infrastructure of the Mosul Dam. The Dam, which is the largest in Iraq, and the fourth largest in the Middle East, supplies water, hydropower, irrigation and flood control to the region. (Photo Credit: TAD Public Affairs)VIEW ORIGINAL8 / 12Show Caption +Hide Caption –View of the Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources building, located at the Mosul Dam outside Mosul City in Iraq. (Photo Credit: TAD Public Affairs)VIEW ORIGINAL9 / 12Show Caption +Hide Caption –The U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, Matthew Tueller, speaks to media following a ceremony June 15, 2019, at the Mosul Dam in Iraq. Also picture are Iraq Minister of Water Resources Jamal Abbas al-Adili, and Italian Ambassador to Iraq Bruno Pasquino. The ceremony was held to commemorate the completion of USACE's work supporting the Mosul Dam Project. The Mosul Dam Project started in 2016 as a joint project among the Iraq Ministry of Water Resources, USACE, and Italian Company Trevi S.p.A. in an effort to stabilize the infrastructure of the Mosul Dam. The dam, which is the largest in Iraq, and the fourth largest in the Middle East, supplies water, hydropower, irrigation and flood control to the region. USACE's Mosul Dam Task Force acted as "The Engineer" for the joint endeavor. (Photo Credit: TAD Public Affairs)VIEW ORIGINAL10 / 12Show Caption +Hide Caption –Mosul Dam Task Force Commander Col. Philip Secrist (left) speaks to Italian Ambassador to Iraq Bruno Pasquino, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Matthew H. Tueller, Iraq Minister of Water Resources Jamal Abbas al-Adili, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Transatlantic Division Commander Col. Mark Quander and TAD Command Sergeant Major Randolph Delapena during a tour of Mosul Dam in Iraq. The dignitaries were visiting the MDTF on June 15, 2019, for a ceremony commemorating the completion the Mosul Dam Project, which started in 2016 as a joint project among the Iraq Ministry of Water Resources, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Italian Company Trevi S.p.A. in an effort to stabilize the infrastructure of the Mosul Dam. The Dam is the largest in Iraq and the fourth largest in the Middle East. It supplies water, hydropower, irrigation and flood control to the region. (Photo Credit: TAD Public Affairs)VIEW ORIGINAL11 / 12Show Caption +Hide Caption –U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Matthew H. Tueller (center with tie) speaks to members of the Mosul Dam's Iraq workforce following a ceremony June 15, 2019, in Mosul, Iraq. The ambassador and other dignitaries were at the dam to commemorate the completion of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers work supporting the Mosul Dam Project. The Mosul Dam Project started in 2016 as a joint project among the Iraq Ministry of Water Resources, USACE, and Italian Company Trevi S.p.A. in an effort to stabilize the infrastructure of the Mosul Dam. The Dam, which is the largest in Iraq, and the fourth largest in the Middle East, supplies water, hydropower, irrigation and flood control to the region. USACE's Mosul Dam Task Force acted as "The Engineer" for the joint endeavor. (Photo Credit: TAD Public Affairs)VIEW ORIGINAL12 / 12Show Caption +Hide Caption –U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Matthew H. Tueller (right) speaks to members of the Mosul Dam's Iraq workforce following a ceremony June 15, 2019, in Iraq. The ambassador and other dignitaries were at the dam to commemorate the completion of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers work supporting the Mosul Dam Project. The Mosul Dam Project started in 2016 as a joint project among the Iraq Ministry of Water Resources, USACE, and Italian Company Trevi S.p.A. in an effort to stabilize the infrastructure of the Mosul Dam. The Dam, which is the largest in Iraq, and the fourth largest in the Middle East, supplies water, hydropower, irrigation and flood control to the region. USACE's Mosul Dam Task Force acted as "The Engineer" for the joint endeavor. (Photo Credit: TAD Public Affairs)VIEW ORIGINAL
MOSUL, Iraq -- When a heavy downpour the morning of June 15, 2019, dumped even more water into the 32 billion gallons already in the reservoir of Iraq's Mosul Dam, it didn't faze the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) staff, the Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) employees, or the Italian Contractors working inside and on top of the dam, because they knew that despite record rainfalls this past Winter, Mosul Dam was standing strong.
In fact, the rain was a welcomed addition to the day because it cooled down the entire valley a few hours prior to the arrival of several dignitaries, including U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Matthew H. Tueller, Iraq Minister of Water Resources Jamal Abbas al-Adili, and Italian Ambassador to Iraq Bruno Pasquino, who were travelling to Mosul Dam to formally recognize the conclusion of the largest drilling and grouting project currently in the world, and to celebrate the full return of the drilling and grouting operations back to the Iraqis.
Mosul Dam -- Iraq's largest dam and the fourth largest dam in the Middle East -- is located along the Tigris River some 250 miles from the country's capital of Baghdad. The dam is 371 feet tall and 2.1 miles long and throughout its 33-year history it has continued to provide water supply, irrigation, flood control, and hydropower for the people of Iraq. It is a well-designed and well-constructed dam that is unique in that it requires continuous maintenance grouting operations due to the water-soluble geology under the dam.
According to Col. Philip M. Secrist III, USACE's Mosul Dam Task Force Commander, "Mosul Dam is effectively a construction project that never ends due to the scale of its maintenance drilling and grouting operations."
In layman's terms, Mosul Dam was built on a geologic foundation with layers of gypsum, a water-soluble mineral that is widely mined and is used as the main ingredient in many forms of plaster, blackboard chalk and wallboard. Because the dam was constructed on a water-soluble foundation, it needs constant maintenance grouting so the dam doesn't collapse as the foundation erodes.
The engineers building Mosul Dam recognized it would require a grout curtain (a mixture of cement, bentonite clay and water used to fill in the foundations' cracks and voids with a more stable material) to minimize the passage of water through the foundation. They constructed a grouting gallery at the base of the dam to reduce the challenges faced during the construction of the grout curtain and the required daily maintenance grouting.
In 2014, when ISIS overran the dam, the maintenance grouting operations ceased. Operations at Mosul Dam were already suffering due to the instability in northern Iraq. The dam was quickly liberated and MoWR personnel return to work; however, ISIS had ransacked the dam, damaging valuable equipment, looting supplies, and leaving workers without the resources required to adequately conduct grouting operations. International concern for Mosul Dam's stability grew and the Government of Iraq (GoI) recognized the need for outside assistance. Speaking at the ceremony Ambassador Tueller said "A partnership was then formed between Iraq, the United States and Italy to initiate immediate repairs." USACE and Italian Contractor Trevi S.p.A. were brought onto what became the Mosul Dam Project.
USACE, as a world leader in dam construction, operation, maintenance and repair, was requested to help with the stabilization and repair of the dam. The USACE Mosul Dam Task Force was formed and arrived in Iraq in September 2016 to serve as "the Engineer" for the Mosul Dam Project. Its job: Providing construction management, quality assurance, engineering and technical oversight and project management services in connection with a contract between the GoI and Trevi for maintenance grouting and rehabilitation of the bottom outlet of the Mosul Dam.
Speaking about the joint endeavor and the work performed by the Mosul Dam Project Team, Col. Mark Quander, Commander of the Transatlantic District under which the MDTF fell, said "The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Vision is 'Engineering solutions for our Nation's toughest challenges.' And sometimes that means helping other Nations solve their toughest challenges.
That was case when USACE was called upon to assist Iraq with the technical and engineering challenges associated with Mosul Dam. But the project was bigger than just engineering and technical challenges. This project truly required the multinational collaboration among the Governments of Iraq, the United States and Italy. Without all three diplomatic teams working together to outline the project scope, secure the appropriate agreements, and lay out the funding requirements, this project would have taken much longer and not been nearly as successful."
Quander said the engineering and technical complexities of Mosul Dam cannot be overstated. "The entire international team, to include USACE and our subcontractors, Trevi and their subcontractors, and the MoWR's staff skillfully navigated and achieved success on an unprecedented scale. We were able to complete our mission because we leveraged the talents of a broad array of subject matter experts combined with the MoWR's 30-plus years of experience working on Mosul Dam."
Working together the team stabilized the dam's geologic foundation and improved the infrastructure needed to operate and maintain the dam. This three-year stabilization process included constructing three new grout mixing plants, installation of information technology networks -- including a state-of-the-art computerized grouting system called T-Grout, purchasing modern drilling and pressurized grouting equipment, and filling the warehouse to ensure it is properly stocked with repair parts and materials. The project also included an Integration Program whose purpose was building the capacity of MoWR staff. The program resulted in 250 MoWR workers being trained on the most recent technology/grouting processes, dam safety, GIS, Instrumentation, and Engineering. As a result, MoWR's Mosul Dam Project Office is now fully in the lead of improved maintenance grouting operations at Mosul Dam.
Over 40,000 cubic meters of grout (enough to fill 40 Olympic size swimming pools) have been pumped into the foundation under the dam during the past three years. Since 1991, the MoWR had also placed 126,000 cubic meters of grout. Additionally, more than 700 instruments have been installed/replaced on the dam. Over 400 of these instruments are automated so near real-time measurements of the dam can be monitored for changes that inform the MoWR's dam safety professionals where to conduct future maintenance grouting.
Through its partnership with the U.S. and Italian Governments, Iraq has received an instrumentation-informed, well-equipped and highly trained team, capable of maintaining a more stable Mosul Dam for the people of Iraq. "Mosul Dam will forever stand as an example of what nations working together for a common cause can accomplish to support Iraq's commitment to improving the lives of all its people," said Ambassador Tueller.
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