"Motivation drops when it rains"

Daniel Seliner is the construction foreman for the new Spitallamm dam. Every year, from May to October, at an altitude of 1,900 meters above sea level, he and 100 colleagues work against an imposing backdrop to raise a structure of the century. Here he talks about the highlights and challenges of a technical and human nature.

Daniel, what makes this construction site on the Grimsel special?

We are building a new dam in Switzerland for the first time in 30 or even 40 years. It makes me a little proud to be actively involved in building such a structure.

Why is the construction of the double-curved dam so technically challenging?

Actually, there is the knowledge, one has built 40 years ago also in such a way. The challenge lies in the implementation: the people with this specific experience are no longer working now. We concreted the first blocks in 2021 and have been gathering experience ever since. Now, in 2023, things are really running optimally. We were also able to bring many people from previous years back into the team and inspire them to work on this structure so that something good can be created here.

Construction of the Spitallamm replacement dam

Kraftwerke Oberhasli AG will replace the existing dam with a new one from 2019 to 2025. The old wall is in need of renovation, but it will be retained and flooded at a later date. With the replacement of the Spitallamm wall, the KWO ensures that the water from Lake Grimsel can be used for electricity production without restriction in the long term.

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How is work going on this seasonal construction site?

In winter we have three, four meters of snow here. In April, we clear the snow, the road and our workplaces with about 20 people. That takes about a month. Then within two weeks, we reinstall the site and within a month we ramp up the team from 20 to 100 people.

With this seasonal construction site, the teams are reassembled every year. What does that mean?

That's the biggest challenge. We don't have the same employees everywhere as we did last year. It's a very, very intense time in May and early June: we have to get to know the new people, the old ones have moved on over the winter. That's the only way we can get the most out of the team.

What does a normal working day look like for you during this intensive period in the summer?

I get up at half past four, make breakfast, shower. Then I drive about 30 minutes up to the construction site and am here around half past five. First I greet people and ask how things went during the night. Then I go to the office, take care of delivery bills and invoices, and plan the day. In the morning, I usually go back to the site for an hour or two to clear up any loose ends with the site management and the foremen. I spend lunch in the office, but around four o'clock I usually go back to the construction site with my laptop and work at my desk there until six or seven. Then it's also the end of the day for me.

Meeting in front of breathtaking scenery: Daniel Seliner with site manager Julia Geist

How do you keep up this intense rhythm?

The days are long, but we only work so intensively for six months. In the winter, you can take it easy, compensate for pent-up time, go on vacation for a month or two. Skiing or pursuing hobbies that come up a bit short in the summer. That's how you can come to terms with it. The construction site is special. I knew that when I came, that you really have to work a lot in the summer, and you can only take a week off. So I'm happy to do that.

This is not your first exceptional job site

Among other things, I was able to work for Implenia on the Gotthard from 2012 to 2013, and then I helped build the Hagneck run-of-river power plant in Biel. From there, I then moved to the Nant-de-Drance pumped storage power plant - another highlight. I was allowed to concrete the large cavern. Within two years, we built a building there and used the same amount of concrete as for the entire dam wall.

This is now your third season on the Grimsel. Highlights?

One highlight was the first block we concreted, block H39, pretty much right down there. Otherwise, it's a matter of concreting a block every day with the team. We are well on schedule and will finish on time. I'm proud of that.

How will you finish the season?

We'll be concreting until October 31 and then winterize the site. To do this, we remove all the scaffolding and everything that's loose. The blocks are covered with mats and the formwork is completely removed from the blocks on the flanks. Barracks, skips, water pumps - everything except the concrete mixing plant, the cranes and the barrack village - are cleared away and stored in the tunnels for the winter months.

And then it starts all over again in April....

In April, we then clear the snow again for about a month from the gravel plant, from around 1,650 m to here at 1,900 m above sea level. For six months, we will be concreting one block a day. And in the fall of 2025, we'll be finished.

One block per day: Foreman Daniel Seliner is responsible for the concreting work on the Grimsel

What is it like to work in the high mountains?

When the weather is nice, it's perfect in this really beautiful area! But the motivation drops up here when it rains. That's when the joy goes down, too.