Dam in the middle of mountains

Svartavatnet Dam

12 lamellas and Heidelberg Materials’ concrete

The Svartavatnet Dam is the dam creating the reservoir that supplies water to the city of Bergen, Norway. It was completed in 2014, replacing a smaller dam.

The new dam in Svartavatn consists of 12 lamellas compressed by the water. It is 40 meters high and raises the water level by 15 meters compared to the old dam. This increases the reservoir volume from 2.7 million m³ to 8.6 million m³.

The ready-mixed concrete for the project was delivered by Heidelberg Materials.

The Svartavatnet Dam was awarded a price for excellent building construction in 2016. The award is named “Damkrona”, meaning “the crown of the dam”, which in Norway is the expression for the crest of the dam. 

Project Data

  • City of Bergen

    Owner

  • NCC Construction AS

    Contractor

  • 2014

    Completion

  • Construction Manager: Erstad Lekven Bergen AS

    Additional facts

Dam in the middle of mountains

Svartavatnet Dam. The Svartavatndam is the dam creating the reservoir that supplies water to the city of Bergen, Norway.

Bergen kommune

View from the dam down into the valley

Svartavatnet Dam, Norway. The Svartavatndam is the dam creating the reservoir that supplies water to the city of Bergen, Norway.

Gunn Eklund Breisnes

A crane rises next to a rock face, surrounded by a construction site with scattered materials in a valley crisscrossed by water and roads.

Svartavatnet Dam, Norway. The Svartavatndam is the dam creating the reservoir that supplies water to the city of Bergen, Norway.

Jim Heldal

A large concrete dam under construction features several tall, vertical concrete walls with scaffolding and construction machinery, including cranes and an orange excavator at the foot of a rocky slope.

Svartavatnet Dam, Norway. The Svartavatndam is the dam creating the reservoir that supplies water to the city of Bergen, Norway.

Heidelberg Materials

Two individuals in high-visibility jackets survey a large concrete wall at a construction site, surrounded by rugged terrain with rocks and some vegetation.

Svartavatnet Dam, Norway. The Svartavatndam is the dam creating the reservoir that supplies water to the city of Bergen, Norway.

Heidelberg Materials

A large concrete dam under construction featuring numerous support structures and construction machinery, set against a backdrop of rocky terrain beneath a clear sky.

Svartavatnet Dam, Norway. The Svartavatndam is the dam creating the reservoir that supplies water to the city of Bergen, Norway.

Heidelberg Materials

A crane rises next to a rock face, surrounded by a construction site with scattered materials in a valley crisscrossed by water and roads.

Svartavatnet Dam, Norway. The Svartavatndam is the dam creating the reservoir that supplies water to the city of Bergen, Norway.

Jim Heldal

A crane rises next to a rock face, surrounded by a construction site with scattered materials in a valley crisscrossed by water and roads.

Svartavatnet Dam, Norway. The Svartavatndam is the dam creating the reservoir that supplies water to the city of Bergen, Norway.

Jim Heldal

A construction site reveals the foundations of a large structure with exposed rock and earth, surrounded by scaffolding, concrete forms, and pipes amidst natural vegetation.

Svartavatnet Dam, Norway. The Svartavatndam is the dam creating the reservoir that supplies water to the city of Bergen, Norway.

Gunn Eklund Breisnes

Dam in the middle of mountains

Svartavatnet Dam. The Svartavatndam is the dam creating the reservoir that supplies water to the city of Bergen, Norway.

Bergen kommune

View from the dam down into the valley

Svartavatnet Dam, Norway. The Svartavatndam is the dam creating the reservoir that supplies water to the city of Bergen, Norway.

Gunn Eklund Breisnes

A crane rises next to a rock face, surrounded by a construction site with scattered materials in a valley crisscrossed by water and roads.

Svartavatnet Dam, Norway. The Svartavatndam is the dam creating the reservoir that supplies water to the city of Bergen, Norway.

Jim Heldal

A large concrete dam under construction features several tall, vertical concrete walls with scaffolding and construction machinery, including cranes and an orange excavator at the foot of a rocky slope.

Svartavatnet Dam, Norway. The Svartavatndam is the dam creating the reservoir that supplies water to the city of Bergen, Norway.

Heidelberg Materials

Two individuals in high-visibility jackets survey a large concrete wall at a construction site, surrounded by rugged terrain with rocks and some vegetation.

Svartavatnet Dam, Norway. The Svartavatndam is the dam creating the reservoir that supplies water to the city of Bergen, Norway.

Heidelberg Materials

A large concrete dam under construction featuring numerous support structures and construction machinery, set against a backdrop of rocky terrain beneath a clear sky.

Svartavatnet Dam, Norway. The Svartavatndam is the dam creating the reservoir that supplies water to the city of Bergen, Norway.

Heidelberg Materials

A crane rises next to a rock face, surrounded by a construction site with scattered materials in a valley crisscrossed by water and roads.

Svartavatnet Dam, Norway. The Svartavatndam is the dam creating the reservoir that supplies water to the city of Bergen, Norway.

Jim Heldal

A crane rises next to a rock face, surrounded by a construction site with scattered materials in a valley crisscrossed by water and roads.

Svartavatnet Dam, Norway. The Svartavatndam is the dam creating the reservoir that supplies water to the city of Bergen, Norway.

Jim Heldal

A construction site reveals the foundations of a large structure with exposed rock and earth, surrounded by scaffolding, concrete forms, and pipes amidst natural vegetation.

Svartavatnet Dam, Norway. The Svartavatndam is the dam creating the reservoir that supplies water to the city of Bergen, Norway.

Gunn Eklund Breisnes