How To Reduce The Possibility Of Dam Failure

If your enterprise owns or is responsible for the management of a dam, ensuring its integrity is obviously a key priority. Even a dam that's been correctly installed and maintained still has the capacity to fail, with potentially disastrous consequences.

Here we take a look at five key measures that need to be in place if the possibility of dam failure is to be minimised. For further information or expert advice, please reach out to Mike Barlow Earthmoving today!

Inspections & Monitoring

Dams rarely fail spontaneously - usually there are signs that indicate an increased possibility of failure. These may relate to external variables (such as a period of heavy rainfall that has dramatically increased reservoir volume, and therefore pressure on the dam), or problems with the integrity of the dam's structure - small cracks, uneven pressure, or a change in underlying geology, for example. Both the dam itself, and external variables, need to be subject to on-going monitoring.

As well as manual inspection and analysis of weather data, the use of remote sensing (which involves placing stress sensors on key parts of the dam, then analysing the data they provide) can also be of value.

Emergency Action Plan & Pre-planning

Way before any signs of potential failure arise, it's important to have compiled a comprehensive emergency action plan that details variables such as:

• What signs indicate a threat;
• The level of threat;
• Remedial action required (including who to contact and what measures to deploy);
• How the situation will be monitored and evaluated;
• and how the risk of a re-occurrence will be reduced.
  

The more detailed the plan is, and the more contingency options are put in place, the more likely it is that the risk of serious damage to the public, property downstream, or the dam, will be avoided.

Appropriate Remedial Materials On Site

To cut down the time lag between noticing a potential problem and responding to it, it makes sense to keep the materials needed for a timely response to the issue on site, in close proximity to the dam. There also needs to be appropriate vehicles and infrastructure in place to facilitate the emergency distribution of sandbags, gravel, riprap, geo-textiles and similar materials.

Dam Contractors