Analysis of Dam Safety, Operations, and Emergency Planning Report

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of dam safety, sustainable operations, and emergency preparedness. It delves into the key issues associated with dam failures, including structural and non-structural aspects, and examines various case studies of dam collapses, such as the Austin Pennsylvania and Teton dam failures, highlighting the causes and consequences. The report emphasizes the importance of building off-site emergency preparedness and response plans to mitigate the impact of dam failures, focusing on minimizing environmental damage and protecting downstream populations. It also explores the impact of sustainable operations and monitoring functions on dams, discussing the need for continuous monitoring, visual assessments, and data collection to ensure dam safety. The report concludes by underscoring the significance of emergency action plans, documentation, and the involvement of qualified engineers in maintaining dam safety and minimizing potential risks.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
1

Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Key issues associated with safety of dams.............................................................................3
Importance of building off site emergency preparedness and response plan for dam failure or
emergency cases:....................................................................................................................7
Impact of sustainable operations and monitoring functions on dams....................................8
Investigate how the ICF(insulated concrete form)...............................................................11
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................13
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................14
2

Introduction
Sustainable and safety of dams is a project that includes analysing the different aspects of dams.
It is focused on structural safety of Dams, monitoring of operational safety and monitoring &
also the process of emergency planning. Changing external environment requires use of some
proper sustainable and safety measure that can help in having long-term survival of these dams
apart from the adverse changing conditions (Kuzior, Kwilinski and Tkachenko, 2019). Present
report is based on making a detailed evaluation of the importance of such sustainable operations
and monitoring functions of existing names. It is based on analysis of the sustainable operations
that is required to be understood because it has a potential impact on the safety of people living
downstream, damages to infrastructure property and environment.
MAIN BODY
Key issues associated with safety of dams
There are some of the complex reasons that are part of structural and non-structural aspects of
dam failure. There are many different sources of failure which can be traced as per the decisions
made during construction and designing process of dams. This generally arise because of
inadequate maintenance and operations mis management. Many failures also result from the
natural hazards that are earthquakes or large situations of flooding (Monteiro, da Silva and Neto,
2019). From the perspective of owners the structure of camp it is required to be understood to
evaluate the potential chances says of future failure. The international commission of last report
is conducted various studies of dam failures and accidents at are represented from the figures
presented below.
The below mention figure depicts the relative importance of three major factors affecting the
failure. These three events are about the same rate of incidence. More specific analysis is
required to be made on the various potential sources of failure that have to be taken into
consideration for dams. There are different characteristics of dams that have to be monitored as
part of problems that requires careful attention before development of a safety program.
3

(Source: DAM SAFETY: AN OWNER'S GUIDANCE MANUAL, 2021)
4

(Source: DAM SAFETY: AN OWNER'S GUIDANCE MANUAL, 2021)
There are three categories of structural failure as mentioned below:
Over stopping of flood:
Over stopping can be develop from various sources that may be because of inadequate spillway
design. Alternatively there are adequate spillways that may become clogged with debris. In
earlier situation it was oppose to other parts that includes abutments or dam to failure follow and
erosion. Concrete dams are effective to the foundation failure that is overtopping of earth
suffering from piping and seepage (Drobyazko and et. al, 2019). Foundation and overtopping
failures are lumped together that represents 82 percent of failures as per study of ICOLD
Failure by Dam type: The below mentioned figure depicts the relation between dams that have
been built and failed for various different dam types from year 1900-1969. Gravity dams are the
safest dams that are followed by fill dams and arch dams. Buttress dam’s posses the poorest
records and are used least.
Embankment or Earth fill dams: The main reason for embankment dams is the piping or
seepage. Other different types of hydrologic failures include erosion from the water flows and
overtopping. All types of earthen dams exhibit some CPS but this seepage can be controlled in
the amount and velocity. Seepage generally takes place through structure and if it is not
controlled it may lead to erosion of material from downstream slope and foundation backwards
to word the upstream slope.
5

This phenomenon of piping can be towards complete failure of structure. Piping action has to be
recognised why the increase seepage flow rate, sinkholes, discharge of muddy, discoloured water
and a Whirlpool in reservoir.
Earth dams sometimes fail because of hydrologic failure as sediments Erode at relatively low
water flow velocities. Hydrologic failures also result from the uncontrolled water flow over the
dam, around the dam and adjacent to it. It is related to erosion action of water on the foundation
of dam. The erosion as begin because of overtopping. In some special cases use of a well
vegetated or environment can withstand the limited overtopping of water flow.
Case 1 of dam collapse: Austin Pennsylvania it is the example of a foundation programme that
was found the cause of the failure of Pennsylvania in September, 1911. Evidently the reservoir
was filled and set sufficiently (Fatimah and et. al., 2020). Eventual failure has been occurred
because of overall weakness in the foundation of bond between concrete and the foundation.
Case 2 of dam collapse: Walnut Grove, Arizona: In year 1890 walnut grove
DamvonHassayompa River failed because of overtopping. Approx 150 people were killed in this
collapse. The major reasons identified for this failure was inadequate capacity of the poor
construction spillway and workmanship. A spillway was 6 X 26 feet blasted out of the rock and
was with the drainage area above the dam site of about 500 square miles. The spillway was not
able to provide the and after charging capacity.
Case 3 of dam collapse: Teton dam, Idaho: The Teton dam failure took place in year 1976 that
was attributed to internal erosion what is the core of dam deep in the foundation of the trans with
eroded soil particles which exists through channels (Salvia and et. al., 2019). There was
interference with dam highly previous abutment rock.
There was also destruction because of exiting revenues and removal of the outliers because of
reserve of water. There was existence of openings that were inadequate list drug joint that
develop through cracks in the core zone in the key trench. There was development of piping
through Main body of the dam that lead to complete failure. The design of dam was not
adequately taken into account the cause of the foundation condition and the overall
characteristics of soil that was used for filling of the key trench.
6

Importance of building off site emergency preparedness and response plan for dam failure or
emergency cases:
Development of safety program involves various phases that begin with the collection of existing
information, processing with detailed inspections analysis and further culminating it with formal
documentation process. Preliminary work can be accomplished by the dam owner with
assistance of local and state public agencies. In earlier times Dam collapse situations have caused
lot of wastage of resources and there have been harm cause to human population. There is
always a requirement to develop emergency preparedness both off site and on sire of dams.
There is also a prerequisite to have a proper response plan in case of dam failure and emergency
situations.
Having a proper response plan and offsite emergency situations can help in prevention of dam
failures and the serious consequences can be properly measured evaluated with time.
Save environment impact: emergency action plan are intended for helping the emergency
officials minimising the damages caused to structures property inhabitations. It is also very
important for minimising the environmental impact in the event of welding at is caused because
of dam failure and presence of other hazardous conditions.
Monitoring is a process that is related with visual assessment of conditions and analyse the initial
assessment of dam safety emergency measures. Monitoring is done to endanger or identify the
future risk that may be associated with Dam failures.
Response: response is an attempt to focus on mitigating the overall potential threats of public
safety and downstream property. There are many options that are focused on serving to protect
the dam it also requires to protect the downstream populations by reduction of possibility that is
arising because of uncontrolled release of water from impoundment. The safety professionals are
working towards protecting human life and working on president preventing damages to Dam.
A dam emergency plan is very helpful in assessing the overall conditions of a dam and its
components. It helps in conducting preliminary detailed inspection identification of the
continuous maintenance and repair needs. There is requirement for establishment of continuous
monitoring and periodic capabilities in long run. Building up of emergency action plan can help
in minimization of the adverse impact in situations where Dams can fail. Establishment of
operations procedures helps in the recognition of hazardous areas which might occur in future
and all the associated risk. There is also a requirement to document the safety program so that
7

there is proper information that is available at the times of need. In this respect it is very useful in
development of a safety phase process program that begins with collection of existing
information. After which there is a review of Information and proceeding towards retail
inspections and analysis of the collected information. All the preliminary work can be
accomplished by the owner of dams that can be provided assistance of local and state public
agencies. Depending on the seriousness and the number of problems that have been identified by
the initial assessment on the professional assistance of qualified engineers there can be
requirement of contractors.
Impact of sustainable operations and monitoring functions on dams
Impact of sustainable operations: there is increasing concern with dam projects leading to
irreversible environmental changes that are because of multiple, complex and negative system
artificial aspects are alerting the natural functioning of whole eco system that is associated with
it. It ranges from altering regime flows, changing of water chemistry and water temperatures.
The sustainability aspect of dams is related with the process of analysing the indirect and detects
impact of global change; the global change is regard as the phenomena that are taking place
across globe through air or water as part of environmental media. The overall conflict potential is
observed through phenomena that lies in the inertia of the overall earth system and is linked with
disconnection of various emission sources that might affect the human beings.
Loss of biodiversity is one of the problems that is accusing major impact because of dams, there
is aggravation caused by dam construction where there is changes of land degradation and
population growth affecting dams in a considerable manner.
Monitoring functions on dam: After there has been establishment of baseline one of the most
crucial step in dam protection is monitoring programs. It is most important activity performed by
various dam professions. The best scenario for dam safety emergency is that all conditions have
to be receding and stable. In this case if the situation is changing then it requires for development
of emergency resources as per expatiated repairs,
Monitoring function involves there is frequent visual assessments of dam conditions and there
can be respective collection of data that can be used for making required comparisons with the
baselines that have been established during initial assessments. Dam professionals are looking
for change at this stage. They are looking to answer several questions that includes are conditions
8

changing better or worse. For this there is need to keep all t he details during this monitoring
process that includes seepage rates, level readings and additional photos.
Monitoring frequency is also one of the most important considerations. If situation become
worsening then there is need of continuous monitoring. It requires multiple engineers and
inspectors who are working on sites for long hours. In this case the observations have to be made
and data is collected to clearly understand the reasons for failure. Monitoring has to be done in a
manner that does not endanger the inspector the neighbour. In some cases the actions are then
performed to protect dam from downstream populations and reducing the overall possibility of
uncontrolled release of water from impoundments. The foremost duty of a dam safety
professional in this is protection of human life and taking precedent and preventing damages.
Some of the steps include:
Evacuation: in the initial assessments there can be uncontrolled release of water that is one of
the most popular situations of dam failure that is observed. After that the downstream population
is at risk that has to be evacuated immediately,
Emergency repairs: in some situations there is need to focus on appropriate responses with
respect to downstream population. In this there is requirement to judge the emergency situation
to be stable or receding so that timely corrective actions can be taken as part of expedited repair
program.
Additional freeboard: Increasing of freeboard through construction of temporary berms or
parapet walls is also one of the basic responses that can be done in case of potential overtopping
event.
As per USACE recommendation berm can be formed with alternating header & structure courses
so that joints can be staggered, the basic construction diagram & overall material requirements
are mentioned below:
9

(Source: DAM EMERGENCY RESPONSE SUGGESTIONS FOR A DAM SAFETY ENGINEER’S
TOOLKIT AND CHECKLIST, 2020)
Potential impact of failure of dam on safety of people
Damages to infrastructure, safety and environment:
There is different hazard potential classification system of dams. The present classification
system is very numerous and varies in both state and federal system (Castaño-Sánchez and et. al.,
2018). There is hazardous potential classification system that has to be understood to analyse its
impact on various other aspects.
Presently there is build up if a classification system that can help in analysing the various aspects
of this system.
Low hazard potential: Dams are assigned the low hazard potential classification in case of
failure or id there is misoperation of results. There are no probable losses of human life and there
are environmental losses.
Significant hazard potential: Dams have to face the significant hazard potential that is airings
because of mis operation (Chenand and et. al., 2021). But there is no probable loss of human life.
In this there is disruption of lifeline facilities that are located in agricultural and rural areas.
High hazard potential: Dams are assigned with high hazard potential classification when there is
misoperations and probable loss of human life.
10

Discussion: The potential classification system of dams is based on the probable loss of human
life and various economic loses, disruption of lifelines and overall environmental damage. The
overall hazards take place when there is uncontrollable release of stored later. It leads to
remotely placing of a person in potential inundation zone (Nakayama. and Fujikura, 2017). The
temporality loss to human life exists when the person is temporarily part of potential inundation
area.
The hazardous potential classification is related to consideration of the impact of mis operations
of both normal & flood flow conditions the classification is assigned based on worst probable
scenario that mat result into various individual events affecting the resulting hazards from dams.
Example: In October 2005 and in may 2006 heavy rains have cause distress across various
multiple dams in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. There have been numerous private dam
safety professionals and numerous government professionals who response to emergency
situations. In this many engineers were asked to make rapid assessment of the situation and then
evaluate the overall potential risks that are arising to the downstream property & public safety
(DAM EMERGENCY RESPONSE SUGGESTIONS FOR A DAM SAFETY ENGINEER’S
TOOLKIT AND CHECKLIST, 2020)
Investigate how the ICF(insulated concrete form)
Insulated concrete form is affecting the present sustainable functionality of the building up of
many residential buildings. There is need to focus on various alternatives that can be used in
order to deal with the causes of greenhouse effects that is part of various residential buildings.
For this purpose to improve the sustainability element in building and construction process ther
are several elements that have to be considered in case of residential buildings:
11

Improves emergency efficiency: The overall combination of concrete and rigid foam is related to
an IFC foundation that can help in saving lot of energy (Abd Elkreem, 2018). The energy saving
process comes from the increased R value of the foam. The traditional foundation may possess R
value of 9. ICF foundations are having a R value of 17 to 26 that makes them more insulating.
Leading to energy to be kept to cool and heat the home where it belongs.
Durable & Weather resistant: With the recent natural disaster & hurricanes, rebuilding, people
building & retrofitting of the homes there is requirement to look for durability and weather
resistant. ICF foundations are made up of reinforced concrete that is resistant to worst weather.
Sustainable design: Many home owners and builders have been laying hearer emphasis on
having building construction with various environment fiercely materials that can lead to lower
impact on green house evolution of gases (Celik and Gul, 2021). There are many concrete
alterative that are to be focussed in such cases. Such as steel reinforcements within blocks cam
be made up from 99 percent of recycled materials that is ICF homes can be made better by
environment right starting from its constriction to the present situations.
Low maintained foundation: The traditional built homes require lot of repairs and maintenance,
there are further issues that might develop because of wood, mold and moisture, it may arise
because of damaged cause because of earthquakes, storms or winds, there is need to maintain
such homes for this purpose Insulated concrete form is one of the most preferred form where
there is prevention from exploding or bowing pout that is leading to reduction of greenhouse
gases and having high amount of sustainable measures.
From the above made analysis it can be said that ICF has lead to more maintained and high
durability constructions and structures, there is green designs and different reinforced concrete
alternatives that are used to deal with earthquakes, high winds and disaster without any type of
compromises.
12

CONCLUSION
The changing external conditions have lead to a comeoplet transformation in the overall
requirements of construction and management. Dam construction is also one of the popular
aspects that have complete transformed because of globalisation situation across different parts
of the world. The development of rapid response situations, inspector and quick access have lead
to dealing with the hazardous structures, presently there is use of many database structures that is
helping in dealing with uncertainties and risks that are associated with the process of dam
construction.
13

REFERENCES
Books & Journal
Abd Elkreem, T.M., 2018. Power Relations of Development: The Case of Dam Construction in
the Nubian Homeland, Sudan (Vol. 88). LIT Verlag Münster.
Castaño-Sánchez and et. al., 2018. Species introduction and taxonomic homogenization of
Spanish freshwater fish fauna in relation to basin size, species richness and dam
construction. Journal of Freshwater Ecology, 33(1), pp.347-360.
Celik, E. and Gul, M., 2021. Hazard identification, risk assessment and control for dam
construction safety using an integrated BWM and MARCOS approach under interval
type-2 fuzzy sets environment. Automation in Construction, 127, p.103699.
Chenand and et. al., 2021. Estimating the Frequency of Exposure to Uncertain Hazards: Impact
of Wind Conditions on Concrete Dam Construction. Journal of Construction Engineering
and Management, 147(2), p.04020167.
Drobyazko and et. al, 2019. Factors of influence on the sustainable development in the strategy
management of corporations. Academy of Strategic Management Journal, 18, pp.1-5.
Fatimah and et. al., 2020. Industry 4.0 based sustainable circular economy approach for smart
waste management system to achieve sustainable development goals: A case study of
Indonesia. Journal of Cleaner Production, 269, p.122263.
Kuzior, A., Kwilinski, A. and Tkachenko, V., 2019. Sustainable development of organizations
based on the combinatorial model of artificial intelligence. Entrepreneurship and
Sustainability Issues, 7(2), p.1353.
Monteiro, N.B.R., da Silva, E.A. and Neto, J.M.M., 2019. Sustainable development goals in
mining. Journal of Cleaner Production, 228, pp.509-520.
Nakayama, M. and Fujikura, R. eds., 2017. Restoring communities resettled after dam
construction in Asia. Routledge.
Salvia and et. al., 2019. Assessing research trends related to Sustainable Development Goals:
Local and global issues. Journal of cleaner production, 208, pp.841-849.
Wang and et. al 2018. Construction simulation approach of roller-compacted concrete dam based
on real-time monitoring. Journal of Zhejiang University-SCIENCE A, 19(5), pp.367-383.
Online
DAM SAFETY: AN OWNER'S GUIDANCE MANUAL, 2021 [online], Available
Throughhttps://file.globalacademicresearch.com/projectfiles/internal_cust_document/
DAMSAFETYANOWNERSGUIDANCEMANUALFEMA145_OwnersGuidanceManual_87_1
620349618.pdf
HAZARD POTENTIAL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM FOR DAMS TASK GROUP, 2020
[online], Available Through <file:///C:/Users/admin/Downloads/FEMA%20Federal
%20Guidelines%20HazPotential%20333_04-dam%20safety.pdf
14

DAM EMERGENCY RESPONSE SUGGESTIONS FOR A DAM SAFETY ENGINEER’S
TOOLKIT AND CHECKLIST, 2020 [online], Available Through< https://damfailures.org/wp-
content/uploads/2015/07/056_Dam-Emergency-Response-Suggestions3.pdf>
DAM EMERGENCY RESPONSE SUGGESTIONS FOR A DAM SAFETY ENGINEER’S
TOOLKIT AND CHECKLIST, 2020
https://damfailures.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/056_Dam-Emergency-Response-
Suggestions3.pdf
15