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Who we are

Anchored in Switzerland and internationally active, WALO is managed as a family business in the 4th and 5th generation. For over 100 years, WALO has focused on the combination of consistency and innovation.

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What we do

WALO is active as an innovative total solutions company in all markets of the construction industry. The family-owned company has established itself as a reliable partner in the construction industry and infrastructure projects in Switzerland and worldwide with its decades of experience and the permanent development of sustainable as well as economical solutions.

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Projects

We have successfully implemented many challenging projects. Therefore, we proudly let our references speak for our work.

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Products

Whether residential, industrial, healthcare, outdoor or for sports and leisure facilities - seamless floor coverings have to meet a wide variety of requirements on a permanent basis.

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Career

Good buildings and thus satisfied customers require precise construction work. All our employees, from unskilled workers to engineers, play a key role in ensuring that we achieve this goal time and time again.

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Locations

With our locations in three countries, we are successfully active for you worldwide.

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Obernau Dam, Germany

WALO took on a small-scale project for the modernization of the Obernau dam's hydraulic structures for flood protection and recreation. With tight time constraints, WALO installed a controlled lining system and removed sediment buildup while reshaping the dam crest.

Case Study Description

The Obernau dam in Hesse, Germany serves both as ﬂood protection facility and a recreation area, popular with walkers and cyclists. A state ﬁnanced program is funding the modernization and upgrade of the hydraulic structures at the dam. Part of this work included the installation of a controlled and monitored lining system at the upstream dam surface. At the same time, the sediments that had built up in the reservoir were removed and the dam crest was re-shaped.

The main challenge for this project was that the work needed to be completed in just one season (summer) as the dam’s primary function is flood protection, so no risk could be taken of the project running over time.

This is one of the smallest projects that WALO has been involved with and competitors would have considered it too small to undertake. However, technical expertise was still of paramount importance, especially given the tight time constraints, and WALO is quite willing to undertake even small scale projects which can beneﬁt from the company’s particular expertise. The existing lining system was removed by milling off 10-20 mm, a new 100 mm bituminous drainage layer was placed and a new 80 mm Dense Asphaltic Concrete (DAC) layer was installed across the dam surface, some 6,400 m2 on a slope with a 1:2 incline. The drainage layer was divided into four different sections (bays) with vertical DAC barriers built within it for control purposes and extra security. The joint constructions to the plinth and spillway were also renewed.