Lessons from a dam incident
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Published:2004
R C Bridle, 2004. "Lessons from a dam incident", Long-term benefits and performance of dams: Proceedings of the 13th Conference of the British Dam Society and the ICOLD European Club meeting held at the University of Kent, Canterbury, UK from 22 to 26 June 2004., Henry Hewlett
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Panel Engineers learn much when they are called out to deal with dam incidents. This paper attempts to share the lessons from an incident at an anonymous dam. Fifteen lessons are identified, which if followed, will lead to a greater understanding of the properties of dams and their behaviour if failure threatens. It is recommended that this knowledge be used to compile ‘emergency handbooks’ to equip those handling emergencies to take previously planned measures to minimise the risks to lives and property downstream and to release water quickly from threatened dams.
Learning From Experience
Anonymous Reservoir
Anonymous Acknowledgement
The Symptoms and what Caused them
Getting to Know the Dam
Impacts of Improvement Works at Old Dams
Safety First
Rapid Drawdown
Emptying Capacity
Downstream River Capacity
Critical Reservoir Capacity
Constant Surveillance
Deformations on the Run up to Failure
Survey Movement Monitoring
Fill Types and Failure Modes
Warning the Public and Assistance with Evacuation
Preparing for Dam Disasters
Being Prepared and ‘Emergency Handbooks’
Incident or Disaster?
The Limits of our Knowledge and Using what we Know
Summary of Lessons
References
