CONSTRUCTION OF A DAM AND POWER STATION NEAR VIR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A000200110009-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 11, 2009
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: March 13, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2009/09/11: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA000200110009-8
CENT,R.AL...I.NTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
SECRET/CONTROL - U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY
SECURITY INFORMATION
This Document contains information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States, within the mean-
ing of Title 18, Sections 793 and 794, of the U.S. Code, as
amended. Its transmission or revelation of its contents
to or receipt by an unauthorized person Is prohibited
by law. The reproduction of this form is prohibited.
COUNTRY Czechoslovakia
SUBJECT Construction of a Dam and Power
Station near Vir
PLACE ACQUIRED
REPORT
DATE DISTR. 13,M arch 1953
NO. OF PAGES 5
REQUIREMENT NO. RD
REFERENCES
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
The site of the construction of a dam and . power' station is on the upper ieaohes
of the Svratka river at the foot of the Ceskomoravska Highlands between the
communities of Vir (050/N13),Hrda Ves and Chubodin. The dam is to be of
solid construction (concrete masonry).
The dam is, being built in order to control the spring water.floods and
prevent the wastage of water. The spring water floods are to be the main
source for stocking.the reservoir because the water from the Svratka river
is insufficient in quantity to drive the turbines in the power station.
3. The dam is also intended to drive the hydro-power station which is'to be in
operation for four hours daily and will supply power in peak hours. A
lower auxiliary dam will hold back the water which flows through the power
station piping during the four hours,' releasing the water gradually through-
out 24: hours, by an automatio"trap device.
Desoription
4. Width of dam at the foot of the foundation 39. m.
Width of dam at its top 8 in.
Length of the foundation about SO in.
Length at its top about 360 me
The height from the toot of the foundation will be about 70 m The dam has
the shape of an arch directed against the water-pressure. Tnside the dam
there are horizontal and vertical control shafts.
Construction
low .. N~
6. L. 'trough ;tibout one motor deep 1m being drilled and blasted to support
the bale of the dam and this is being laid out:with stones according, to the
25 YEAR
RE-REVIEW Approved For Release 2009/09/11 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA000200110009-8
 Approved For Release 2009/09/11: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA000200110009-8
SECRET/CONTROL -a U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY
Larsen system of trestle construction. Further down, thertrough is being
excavated by hand to prevent weakening the supporting layer by shock. The
depth of this further excavation depends on the nature of the rock,'which
is mostly Gneiss, except for one belt of weathered and decomposed mica slate
around'the middle,
6. After finishing the excavation, the trough is cleaned with blowers as well
as ordinary and wire brushes, and then washed out under pressure. Only
then is the casing for pouring concrete made and fixed with the aid of
concrete plaster, and all splinters and foreign matter are cleaned away once
more. After that, the actual pouring of concrete starts. Needle-vibrators
and domestic manufacture. The domestic machinery-is subject to frequent
breakdowns,
7, The pouring of concrete is done with a moist mixture which is brought to
the spot by a narrow-gauge field-railroad, onto bridges above the construct-
ionyand is then tipped into place. The mixture is evened out'by hand and
compressed by vibrators,
8. Concrete is made in two concrete mixers with a capacity of 2,500 liters each.
O.ne of them is of German make, the other a product delivered to
Czechoslovakia in the autumn of 1949, Before the latter concrete mixer was
delivered to the concrete works here, it was sent to the Kralove Pole Iron
Works in Brno, where the machine was copied. Above the mixer, there is an
automatic scale which weighs the quantity of ground stone, concrete and
water, the mixture of which then goes into the mixers
9. Building with concrete is done in blocks 20 x 20 x 1.5 m, Concrete is
delivered from Bystritge aad Persteynem by truck but a wire-rope railway is
n
w b
i
o
e
ng constructed for thi p
surpose
10. The laboratory takes samples of the concrete from the mixers and tests its
resistance against pressure and perieebility under a pressure of about
7- atmospheres. The concrete from the mixers has sufficient resistance
against pressure but is permeable and therefore has to be injected. The
head of the laboratory is Eng4 Cizek from Trio jmo.
Personnel
110 The director is Eng, (fnu) Lefner
12. The total-number of employees is about 2,000
directed here from all
t
,
par
s
of the Republio9 there are also about 300 foreigners (Hungarians
These 1'-reigners are all very bad and unreliable workers, Workers have boon
on striker several times because of low wages. About one third of the clerical
employees are CP memibers, the rest nonpolitical.
13. There are frequent changes in management, The former manager of the projeoti
Eng. (fnu) Pluhar, nonpolitical, was replaced by the chairman of the CP
organization of the Building Engineering Works in Brno, (fnu) Bova.
council was a r
good expert but neglected his work for the sake of political
t. i ..
Chief construction engineer, Eng.Mir. Sobotka, chairman of the CP she
ac ;1 ties ne was therefore rQp aced by Eng. (-Lefnero
(A Sketch of area'where the dam and power station are located.
(B) Sketch of"the- darii sites
(C) Legend explaining A sex (B)Q.
SECRET/CONTROL U,Sc OFFICIALS ONLY
Approved For Release 2009/09/11: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA000200110009-8
25X1.
25X1
 Approved For Release 2009/09/11: CIA-RDP80-00810A000200110009-8
SECRET/CONT L, - U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY
g
Sketch of area where the dam and power station are located
SE0RET/OONTR L U;,Sa OFFICIALS ONLY
Annex (A)
25X1,
Approved For Release 2009/09/11: CIA-RDP80-00810A000200110009-8
 Approved For Release 2009/09/11: CIA-RDP80-00810A000200110009-8
SECRET/00-NTROL - U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY
Sketch of the dam site
SECRET/CONTRCL - U.S. OFFtCI: ONLY
Annex (B)
Approved For Release 2009/09/11: CIA-RDP80-00810A000200110009-8
 Approved For Release 2009/09/11: CIA-RDP80-00810A000200110009-8
SEGRET/CONTROL - U. S. OFFICIALS OILY
Legend to Annex (B.)
1. Porter's Lodge
2. Main offices
3. Political and Geometrical office.
Accommodation for clerks.
. Fuel storage
.6. Vehicle repair shop.
7. Garages.
Storage for iron
Main ::storage
10. Electrical workshop and welding shop.
11. Locsksm th, blacksmith, tinsmith.
13. Compressors.
15. Power Station..
16. Canteen.
18, Auxiliary store.
.1!! Carpenter's sh9p
20. Office for foremen
21. Shed for machines
22. -. 27. Grinding shops, sorting sheds,
28. Transformer.
29. Shed for locomotive
30. Laboratory.
31. Saw-mill
32. Bending of iron bars for concrete.
33. Timber shed.
main road,
path
' 0 -__0 _.o wire-rope railway
concrete mixing shops.
Ann
line,
holder made of
stetovnioe Larsen"
(sheet iron)
S R,T/C0NTRCL - U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY
Approved For Release 2009/09/11: CIA-RDP80-00810A000200110009-8