In 1964 Giorgio Pietrangeli created his own professional firm specializing in dam engineering. From the beginning, he successfully applied innovative and sometimes quite revolutionary solutions to dam engineering, using complex calculation methods which required the use of computers, very innovative at that time. Studio Pietrangeli’s first projects, in the 1960s, were the Legadadi and Busalletta dams (Ethiopia and Italy, respectively). Ingenious dam engineering solutions, which in some cases had never been constructed before, were applied starting our tradition of continuous innovation and research of the highest professional quality. The opportunity to work across many countries, dealing with different cultures and work methods, and the chance to share knowledge and to collaborate with various international experts, has greatly contributed to the growth of our company in the field of dam engineering. Today, after more than five decades of activity, SP has successfully designed over 250 dams of all kind: gravity and arch-gravity (RCC or concrete), arch, buttress, rockfill with bituminous or concrete face, rockfill with geomembrane, earthfill, earth-rockfill, rubber dams, etc. We have done all the engineering for dams of all sizes, from very small ones (few meters) up to the world’s largest dams (up to 250 meters high) working in 35 countries. Several of our projects are record-breaking such as Gibe III and Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. 250 m All the engineering from conception to commissioning 175 m Feasibility studies for our Batoka on the Zambezi, downstream Victoria Falls 10.5 Kmc All the engineering from conception to commissioning for our huge dam on the Blue Nile 180 kmc Technical consultant for rehabilitation of the plunge pool 330 m Consultancy and design services for some works of our dam in Tajikistan Studio Pietrangeli offers all the engineering services required to build a new dam or to monitor/rehabilitate an existing dam. We can provide all types of investigations (topographic, geological, hydrologic, environmental and social, etc.) and studies (hydrological, hydraulic, geological, geotechnical, environmental, social, financial, etc.) necessary to complete a dam project following best international standards. We always use innovative techniques and cutting edge instrumentation for our dam engineering services such as professional drones, 3D numerical hydraulic models, 2D/3D tomographic geophysics, etc.. Our team can design all the components of a dam project since our experts cover all the specializations needed (structural, hydraulic, civil, geological, geotechnical, mechanical, electrical, legal, financial, etc.) supporting our clients also for contractual issues. We have contributed to the innovation of dam engineering, applying techniques for fast-track construction to obtain world records, such as recently in RCC production, adopting innovative solutions such as, very recently, sprayed PVC membranes on high dam faces. We also provide all specialized engineering services to monitor the behavior of the dam during operation such as dam safety studies, dam break analyses, technical assessment of the dam conditions, etc. Studio Pietrangeli’s staff includes international consultants in the required specialized domains, coordinated and directed by the chief engineers of the firm having more than 40 years of experience in hydropower and dam engineering fields. Our senior engineers form an integrated team of experts which work side by side with passion and enthusiasm with junior engineers, who are embarking on this fascinating profession within dam engineering. The unique quality of SP’s projects starts with our internal organization of the activities. The development of a project envisages the simultaneous progress of the various component parts (drawings, calculations, reports, etc.) carried out by a multi-disciplinary group of people working together in the same room in a dynamic situation with real-time and continuous exchange of information and ideas. The complete set of project documents is kept physically in the same room, electronically on the server and on the cloud, easily accessible to the whole team anytime. We are constantly on the look-out for ever more advanced technologies to simplify and improve our work in the field and in the office enabling us to provide cutting edge dam engineering services. We have a full-time dedicated team to implementing new algorithms to be applied in dam engineering, from the simplest to the most complex, to diversify our calculation systems and verify the results through comparisons using different instruments. The newest and most evolved software to be found on the market is used to improve the quality of our work. We always use the most avant-garde technology such as Smartboards, maxi-screens, to work together as a team analyzing dam engineering topics from all points of view and to develop the various design aspects in minute detail. The firm’s best business card is its innovative projects in hydropower and dam engineering field, brought to successful completion through a strong partnership with its clients, together with the large and complex projects which have been accomplished. Some of our most recent projects include:
Dam Engineering since 1964for over 200 damsup to 300 m high
264 dams designed
in 48 countries
Our Dam Projects
Over the years our art in dam engineering has grown: each dam is unique and the experience gained lets us find tailored solutions for each project.
World’s highest RCC dam
Gibe III, 250 m
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for our Gibe III on Omo river
World’s highest arch-gravity dam
Batoka, 175 m
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World’s largest RCC dam
Grand Eth. Renaissance, 10.5 Km3
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World’s largest reservoir
Kariba lake, 180 km3
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World’s highest dam
Rogun, 330 m
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From the conceptual phase of a new dam project up to the monitoring of dams in operation
We assist our clients during all the phases of the project starting from the design and continuing through the supervision of works, commissioning and operation of the dam.
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— Recent Projects
The firm’s best business card is its innovative projects
