2000 – Risk Assessment and Dams – Is it Safe?
S.G. McGrath
The use of risk analysis for dam safety is becoming more widespread. Dam owners are increasingly aware of the need for information on current and emerging practices from the world scene to determine how to proceed with the use of risk assessment. The paper summarises the findings of a Churchill Fellowship study into risk assessment for dam safety management. Dam owners, regulators and consultants from the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the United States and Canada were consulted for the study. Conclusions are drawn from the findings and recommendations made for future development.
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2000 Papers
2000 – Development in Non-Linear Finite Element Analysis for Dam Safety Management
Learn moreA.J. Crichton, A.W. Ford, and J.T. Williams
Developments in finite element analysis software are allowing more scope for their use in the stability review of Australia’s ageing dam population. Until recently, model simulation of structural discontinuities were outside the scope of routine dam safety assessment. Current state of the art finite element software puts complex joint modelling tools within the reach of the practicing dam engineer.
This paper describes the use of non-linear finite element techniques to assess the structural adequacy of the Julius Dam, a 26.5 m high multiple arch buttress dam in North-western Queensland. This structure impounds 127,000 ML behind its 399 m crest length for the Mt Isa water supply. The assessment of the structural adequacy included using non linear contact elements to model the sliding between adjacent arch barrels. Contact elements are able to simulate friction on an interface by allowing force transfer by friction under compression with no tensile strength. This tool is invaluable for assessing formed joints or defects within existing structures, as is demonstrated in the paper.
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2000 Papers
2000 – Development of a Comprehensive Approach to Consequence Assessment
Learn moreP.I. Hill, D. Cook, R.J. Nathan, P.A. Crowe, J.H. Green, N. Mayo
This paper describes the development of a comprehensive approach to estimating the consequences of failure of a dam. The approach considers separately the consequences in terms of potential loss of life, economic loss and damage to the environment and the development and application of the method involved professionals from a wide range of disciplines. The method has been applied to 28 dams in NSW.
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2000 Papers
2000 – Lyell Dam Rubber Dam Incidents
Learn moreI. R. Forster
Lyell Dam is a concrete-faced rockfill dam, located on the Coxs River, near Lithgow, NSW. The dam forms part of the Coxs River Water Supply Scheme, which supplies water to Delta Electricity’s Wallerawang and Mount Piper Power Stations. In 1994, the spillway capacity of the dam was upgraded, and the storage augmented with the addition of two 40 m long by 3.5 m high inflatable rubber dams to the spillway crest. An automatic deflation system, controlled by a programmable logic controller, was installed to provide a staged bag deflation sequence during flooding, and hence minimise the downstream impact of rubber dam operation.
Although the rubber dams and control system initially operated as designed, more recently, two uncontrolled bag deflations have occurred, which have caused flooding downstream and loss of significant storage volumes. In the first incident, a spontaneous uncontrolled deflation of the rubber dams released about 1600 ML, before the bags re-inflated automatically. An investigation revealed that the incident was most likely the result of design deficiencies in the control system. Recommendations were made for improvements to the system.
During the most recent deflation, one of the rubber dams failed by spontaneous rupture, and approximately 6000 ML of water was released from the dam. The Dam Safety Emergency Plan was activated to ensure persons at risk downstream were notified of the impending flood wave. A post- failure inspection of the ruptured bag suggested that the likely cause of failure was a manufacturing defect, which allowed air to penetrate the layers of rubber forming the bag. The rupture most likely occurred when the resulting air pocket expanded on exposure to the sun.
The paper examines the two deflation incidents in detail, and analyses the emergency response to the second incident.
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2000 Papers
2000 – Tailings Dam Rehabilitation at Kidston Gold Mines
Learn moreP.J. Ritchie and N.A. Currey
Kidston Gold Mines commenced operations in 1984 and built a dam to safely store the tailing waste from the ore processing. The dam was progressively raised 5 times (3 downstream and 2 centreline lifts) and has an active surface area of 310 hectares; stores 66 Mt of tailing and is 32 metres high at its maximum height. The dam was decommissioned in September 1997.
Rehabilitation planning for the tailing dam commenced in 1994 with an 11 hectare direct revegetation trial established in March of that year. A 40 ha trial was established in 1998. Both sites have been the subject of intensive scientific research by the (University of Queensland) Centre for Mined Lands Research group. This research assisted in understanding the issues of revegetation stability and sustainability, biological cycling, soil chemistry and surface erosion.The aims of rehabilitation is to meet the Queensland Department of Mines and Energy (DME) key closure criteria. These include; creating a stable landform, not only for the dam wall structure but also of low surface erodibility, maintenance of acceptable downstream water quality by controlling poor quality seepage and runoff and by meeting an acceptable final end land use criteria for the structure.
Ongoing research is addressing the long term hydrology of the tailing dam with an aim towards understanding the overall water balance. Three consulting groups are involved in what is considered to be a novel approach. Evapotranspiration rates from pasture and tree species have been measured during the 1999 wet and dry season. This information, along with climatic and soil suction data is then used as one of the key parameters for the unsaturated zone modeling. One output from the “Soilcover” model is seepage into the saturated zone in the tailing dam. Water movements in the saturated zone are being modelled using Modflow. The acid oxidation potential for the dam is also being evaluated in light of the long term water movements in the saturated and unsaturated zones of the dam. This process will allow short and long term prediction of dam seepage quality and quantities.
The geotechnical stability of the final dam wall structure as defined by the Factor of Safety, ranged from 2.0 to 2.3, which meets the long term DME recommended stability target FOS of 1.5 for slopes.
In order to evaluate the impact of metal toxicities in grazing cattle, a grazing trial has been established on the pasture covering the surface sediments of the tailing dam. This work is being supported by the Qld EPA, Qld DME, Qld Health and the NRCET, and will assist in understanding metal uptake in grazing animals on rehabilitated mined lands.
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2000 Papers
2000 – Dam Remedial Works in Western Australia
Learn moreRobert Wark, Nihal Vitharana and Michael Somerford
This paper reviews the history of dam remedial works on publicly-owned dams in Western Australia over the last 40 years. Projects have ranged from refurbishment of the facilities, through capacity upgrades to complete reconstruction. Major work has been undertaken on at least thirty dams. Most of these dams are now owned by Western Australia’s Water Corporation. The Corporation continues to undertake remedial works where necessary and now has a strategy in place for an on-going program of remedial works.
The paper outlines the scope of the work undertaken and why the work was required. The current status of the Corporation’s planning for an on-going remedial works program is also reported.
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