Intertechne has reached the milestone of 500 dams inspected, reflecting more than three decades of experience in hydraulic infrastructure, power generation and dam safety management. The journey began with the company’s first hydropower projects, when its teams were responsible for monitoring dams during reservoir filling and throughout their first years of operation. This early work established a technical culture that would later become one of the foundations of the company’s current dam safety program.
Following the establishment of Brazil’s National Dam Safety Policy (PNSB) in 2010, the sector adopted new guidelines, and Intertechne expanded its activities beyond projects originally designed by the company. As the regulatory framework matured and technical requirements became more stringent, the market evolved, leading Intertechne to strengthen its processes and methodologies. This effort intensified from 2018 onward, with the expansion of the team, standardization of procedures and adoption of tools that enhanced traceability and the quality of technical assessments.
Today, Intertechne carries out dam inspections throughout Brazil, supported by a technical base in Curitiba and operational support in several state capitals. Internationally, the company has conducted safety assessments in Angola, at the Laúca, Cambambe and Capanda hydropower plants, and at the Chaglla hydropower plant in Peru, while also maintaining a presence in Argentina and Bolivia. The structures inspected range from large hydropower dams and water supply systems to industrial and agricultural dams.
One of the main challenges faced by the teams is the wide range of scenarios encountered in the field. Differences in materials, scale and operating history require tailored assessments combining document reviews, field inspections and risk-prioritization methods. In addition, extreme events increasingly require rapid responses and coordination among different areas of expertise.
A notable example was the company’s response to the extraordinary floods in Rio Grande do Sul in 2024, when Intertechne was called upon to inspect eight dams affected by the event. Teams were mobilized while the floods were still underway, contributing to emergency assessments, followed by Special Safety Inspections, as required by Brazilian regulations in cases involving atypical events.
The technical team involved in the inspections comprises more than 100 qualified professionals, including civil and geotechnical engineers, hydrologists, electromechanical engineers, geologists and instrumentation specialists. The development of this expertise has been supported by internal training, academic development and the formalization of procedures, as well as the creation of reference materials to guide inspection practices. The use of technologies such as drones, digital field-recording tools, instrumentation analysis and advanced engineering studies, including finite element analysis and computational fluid dynamics (CFD), has further increased the accuracy of technical assessments.
For the professionals leading the program, reaching 500 inspections represents more than a significant volume of work. It reflects the role of engineering in risk prevention and in protecting lives and communities. The milestone also represents the trust placed by public and private asset owners in a team capable of working in complex environments, providing consistent technical assessments and responsibly supporting the structures throughout their lifecycle.
