Hoover Dam Penstock Tunnels

At the Hoover Dam, steel pipes (penstocks) up to 30 feet in diameter carry water from the intake towers in the reservoir to the power plant and canyon wall outlets. They play a vital role, and PROForms^® structural fiberglass shapes are helping protect them from corrosion.

Challenge

Over the years, the penstock tunnel ceilings leaked water on the steel pipes, which was causing them to corrode. Because of the size and amount of pipe involved, replacement would not be an option. The Dam needed a way to protect the pipes from further damage, and PROForms^® structural shapes made of FRP (fiberglass reinforced polymer or fiberglass reinforced plastic) were the answer.

Bedford Solution

Bedford supplied PROForms^® FRP profiles, such as square bar and I-beam - cut to length - which provided the supporting framework for canopies of corrugated fiberglass over the pipes. The canopies have been in place for nearly a decade and they are still sheltering the penstocks from further damage and corrosion.