Skip to main content

Doosan ADTs provide haulage for Kenyan dam project

In Kenya, a fleet of eight Doosan MT41 articulated dump trucks (ADTs) is being used to carry materials to a major dam project The Chemususu Dam in the Rift Valley, 250km north-east of the capital Nairobi is one of several dams being constructed with heavy investment from the Government of Kenya.The aim is to make access to safe water much easier, removing the need for the long journeys to remote water sources made every day by women and children from small villages across the country to fetch water for thei
April 3, 2013 Read time: 3 mins
Doosan ADTs constantly move up and down the steep mountain roads

In Kenya, a fleet of eight Doosan MT41 articulated dump trucks (ADTs) is being used to carry materials to a major dam project

The Chemususu Dam in the Rift Valley, 250km north-east of the capital Nairobi is one of several dams being constructed with heavy investment from the Government of Kenya.

The aim is to make access to safe water much easier, removing the need for the long journeys to remote water sources made every day by women and children from small villages across the country to fetch water for their families.

Works for the dam started in 2009 and will cover a total of 95 hectares with the dam providing a capacity of 11 billion m³ of water when completed.

The 695 Doosan MT41 ADTs, being used by a company called Frabo & Co, carry rock down the steep slopes of a nearby quarry and on to the site of the dam. Several million tonnes of rock must be extracted from the hillsides and transported to help form the gigantic dam wall which will have a height of 60m.

“During the rainy season, the dusty roads turn into slippery and very muddy surfaces. With their tandem bogie system, the Doosan trucks have no difficulty climbing up the slopes. They always have traction.
As a result, we do not have to stop working when the rain falls,” says Booker Mbugua, managing director of Frabo & Co. According to Mr Mbugua, some of the roads on the project have near-to 360° curves.

With the turning ring mounted at the front of the trucks, the Doosan ADTs are said to ensure excellent stability, preventing tyre wear and avoiding the use of a differential lock system.

To reach the dump site on top of the high stone wall at the dam, the operators have to drive backwards into a very narrow piece of road between the cliffs.

According to the operators, the visibility offered by the Doosan machines ensures that they can tip the load with no fear as they can see all around when driving in reverse.

The Chemususu Dam is due to be finished later this year, and it is estimated that it will produce a daily total of 35 million m³ of water, which is treated in a specialised plant before being distributed to the various neighbouring communities.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Asphalt paver performs well on difficult roads
    February 15, 2012
    Italian paving contractor VARESCO has made good use of its new AP500E paver from Caterpillar Paving on two difficult jobsites. One was a confined site with an abundance of manholes. The other one featured a road with a slope so steep the transport truck trailers were covered to prevent material from spilling out the back. The confined site required paving of an access road leading to a residential area in Merano, a town of 38,000 in northern Italy.
  • Doosan enters 10-tonne class with the DX100W-7
    October 18, 2022
    Doosan’s new 10-tonne DX100W-7 Wheeled Excavator is definitely a small medium-size machine and not a large compact. However, it offers the best compromise between compactness and agility and has the option of four-wheel steering and a crabbing mode, with two-wheel steering as standard.
  • Kenyan Government to undertake US$4.82bn MRTS project in Nairobi
    April 20, 2012
    The Kenyan Government is planning to invest US$4.82 billion in a major multi-modal infrastructure project to reduce Nairobi’s traffic congestion. The Nairobi Metropolitan Mass Rapid Transport System (MRTS) will include a new rail transport network, and a public road of 167km linking the city with key neighbouring towns and municipalities such as Athi River, Kikuyu, Kajiado, Kitengela, Limuru, Machakos, Ruiru and Thika. The MRTS project will be managed by Nairobi Metropolitan Transport Authority and th
  • BKT introducing three new construction tyres
    January 6, 2017
    BKT is introducing its new Earthmax Tyre range, the SR 47, SR 51 and SR 53. These three new tyres meet demands across a range of construction duties. The Earthmax SR 47 models are specially designed for rigid dump trucks operating under tough conditions in quarries. The SR 47 is said to offer high resistance, durability and stability. Meanwhile increased tread depth allows an extended wear life, boosting productivity and reducing machinery downtime.