Guidelines on the Consequence Categories for Dams (October 2012)

Category: Guidelines

ANCOLD has prepared these important Guidelines to provide a consistent method of categorising the consequences of dam failure so that resources can be allocated according to the potential effects of failure on the general community.

These Guidelines replace the ANCOLD Guidelines on the Assessment of the Consequences of Dam Failure issued in May 2000 and follow a similar approach. However, they include quite significant changes aimed at providing enhanced description of Consequence Categories and making them easier and more consistent to use.

The Technical Working Group has made every effort to make these Guidelines straightforward to use by professional engineers and consistent with other ANCOLD guidelines.

However the complexity of determining the various parameters that make up each Consequence Category means that only experienced dam engineering professionals should interpret and use these Guidelines when making decisions that could impact on community safety, community cost and services, infrastructure, natural environment, heritage, and the owner’s and other businesses.

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Guidelines for Dam Instrumentation and Monitoring Systems (1983)
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As this current guideline contains useful information, the ANCOLD Executive decided to reprint a small quantity which are now available for purchase.

The Watching Brief Guidelines for Dam Instrumentation and Monitoring Systems (1983), established following the Dam Instrumentation Workshop in Sydney, continues to scan for information and topical developments related to the monitoring of dams using a range of instrumentation techniques. A position paper outlining the current status for the Executive is planned for 2013 and will provide a mechanism to move forward on the need for an updated guideline.

Members wishing to contribute papers, views, or information to the watching brief should contact Chris Topham via the ANCOLD secretariat [email protected]ancold.org.au
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Guidelines on the Environmental Management of Dams (2001)
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Guidelines on Tailings Dams – Planning, Design, Construction, Operation and Closure – REVISION 1 (July 2019)
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ANCOLD published the Guidelines on Tailings Dams in May 2012. The Guidelines have been widely used both in Australia and internationally.

Since 2012, there have been a number of tragic tailings dam failures which have attracted world-wide attention. This revision is ANCOLD’s initial response to these events and other relevant matters.

Some of the important matters covered in this revision include reinforcement of the need for robust management practices, updates on earthquake considerations to align with the ANCOLD Guidelines for Design of Dams and Appurtenant Structures for Earthquake (2019) and additional information on static liquefaction.

In regard to management practices, the need for users of the Tailings Guidelines to also take account relevant aspects of the ANCOLD Guidelines on Dam Safety Management (2003) must be emphasised. ANCOLD considers it essential that these two guidelines be used together by practitioners seeking to manage tailings dam safety.

ANCOLD is pleased to continue its contributions to the promotion of tailings dam safety. The work has been prepared through a great deal of voluntary work by the Tailings Dam Sub-Committee of ANCOLD, led by Mr David Brett.

As with all ANCOLD guidelines, this guideline is not a design code or standard and has been produced for the guidance of experienced practitioners who are required to apply their own professional skill and judgement in its application. Users must keep abreast of developments in the management and design of tailings dams and take those developments into account when using these guidelines.

The guidelines will again be reviewed when knowledge and practice have developed to a point when an update is required. Accordingly, ANCOLD welcomes comments from users and other interested parties.
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Guidelines

ANCOLD Guidelines on Risk Assessment (July 2022)
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Please note only available in hardcopy format.

The ANCOLD Guidelines on Risk Assessment were published in 2003. They have served the Australian dam community very well and are referenced internationally. Risk assessment is now the principal approach to manage engineering risks at water dams and now a developing practice for tailings dams.

These new guidelines on risk assessment replace the 2003 publication. They include updates to several sections taking account of developments in risk analysis methods and risk evaluation, from experience in applying those guidelines. As for ANCOLD (2003), these guidelines are directed to the practical application of risk assessment, as an aid to better dam safety management. Risk management is the end objective – risk assessment is a means to that end.

These guidelines have been produced by a Working Group of six members, all with significant experience with risk assessments for dams. A Reference Committee of sixteen members has been engaged throughout the development of the Guidelines.

The Working Group and Reference Committee include representatives of dam owners, consultants, universities, and regulators of dam safety. Six Australian states and the ACT were represented. Members and associates of ANCOLD have also provided input through risk workshops held with annual conferences.

Dam owners, decision-makers and analysts need to consider the current state of development of risk assessment in deciding how best to use and apply the process in reaching decisions on dam safety, having regard to their specific overall business risk management needs, and their community and legal responsibilities.

These guidelines also require consideration by dam safety regulators, who need to decide what part risk assessment can play in the discharge of their responsibilities. Deciding on the tolerability of risk is one of the functions of regulators.

ANCOLD continues to believe that the use and further development of risk assessment using studies of the traditional engineering standards-based approach as an input, as proposed in these guidelines, offers the potential for significantly improved dam safety management.

Risk assessment methods are continuously developing. ANCOLD recognizes that detailed aspects of these guidelines will be overtaken by developments within a few years and urges practitioners to keep abreast of new knowledge. Nevertheless, the framework and generic guidelines in this publication are essentially as detailed in ANCOLD (2003) and are expected to remain valid for many years.
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Guidelines

Regulation and Practice for the Environmental Management of Dams in Australia (June 2014)
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This document has been prepared as a companion to the 2001 ANCOLD Guidelines on the Environmental Management of Dams. Since the 2001 guidelines were published much has been learnt about the critical issues that drive environmental concerns for both dam practitioners and the broader community arising from the construction of new dams, dam upgrades or altered operational strategies. The objective of this companion volume to the 2001 Environmental Guideline is to increase environmental awareness by encouraging more sustainable planning, design, construction and operation inputs to large dams. As such this companion volume complements rather than replaces the existing 2001 guideline. This companion volume focuses on:
- Describing the complex Commonwealth and individual State regulatory environments that must be dealt with in all dam projects;
- Discussing key issues surrounding the practices for effective stakeholder and community consultation;
- Considering risk assessment for environmental matters associated directly with construction and operation, as well as the broader and more complex regulatory concerns of cumulative and consequential impacts; and
- Providing a series of technical Practice Notes on a range of environmental issues that dam owners/ operators need to be aware of in all dam projects
A series of Practice Notes has been presented in Part B setting out a brief overview of current knowledge on a range of technical and operational matters of interest to dam owners/operators. These are not exhaustive reviews of current knowledge but rather serve to raise a level of awareness on a range of issues that need to be considered at the various stages of planning, constructing, operating and decommissioning a storage with respect to environmental concerns.

The 2014 Guidelines are intended to be regularly updated to reflect the changing regulatory environment as well as increasing technical knowledge about environmental management.

The two guidelines should be regarded as companion volumes for reference, with the 2014 Guidelines providing a targeted and practical environmental perspective.

The Technical Working Group set out to make these Guidelines simple and straightforward, avoiding scientific and technical jargon so as to appeal to the broader audience it targets. I take this opportunity to thank the members of the working group for their efforts in bringing this document to fruition.

The Guidelines are not a ‘rule book’ but rather a document to raise awareness of significant environmental matters to be considered by all dam owners/operators. ANCOLD welcomes comments on these Guidelines for inclusion in future editions.
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Guidelines on the Consequence Categories for Dams (October 2012)

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Please note only available in hardcopy format.