Successful dam test
The Niederpöbel flood retention basin goes into permanent service.

The construction of the Niederpöbel flood retention basin was done as part of the overall flood protection plan of the German state of Saxony. Following completion of construction in November 2019, the first test of the dam was carried out with the melting of this past winter’s snow. 600,000 m³ of water was held back in the retention basin, corresponding to a water depth of approximately 19,6 m and thereby meeting the test specification. After maintaining that water level for a period of several days and verifying the facility’s fitness for purpose, the water was let out through its two drainage pipes. This successful test paved the way for the transition to permanent service.

With its dam height of 28 m and a retention volume of approx. 1.2 million m³, the floodwater retention basin was created at the narrowest point of the Pöbel Valley, in an ecologically sensitive area with various nature/landscape protection areas. Designed as a large valley dam in accordance with DIN 19700, the structure with steel gates features temporarily closable ecological and road culverts and a floodwater release system. As part of the contracted engineering consortium, Inros Lackner was responsible for the hydraulic engineering, transport facilities, bridges and tunnels. The services provided included water management planning and structural engineering design, management of the planning permission process, environmental engineering, and construction supervision and management during the construction phase.