Safety Evaluation and Visual Inspection of Existing Dams
International Technical Seminar and Study Tour
September 15 - 25, 2008
(Denver, Colorado, USA, with site visits to Utah, Idaho, and Nevada)
Registration Form
Special Note: This seminar follows the Association of State Dam Safety Officials Dam Safety 2008 Conference to be held in Indian Wells, California, September 7–11, 2008. For additional information see www.damsafety.org .
Introduction/ Seminar Objectives In most countries throughout the world, interest in the safety of dams has risen significantly in recent years. Aging dams, new hydrologic information, and population growth in floodplain areas downstream from dams has resulted in an increased emphasis on dam safety evaluation, as well as operation and maintenance related to the safety of dams.
Those responsible for the safety of existing dams must implement policies and procedures that warrant public confidence. This demands professional practices that incorporate the lessons of the past and conform to the most advanced technical state-of-the-art. The need for trained personnel is essential. This seminar will provide professional personnel with a comprehensive guide to establishing or enhancing a visual inspection/evaluation program and increase the technical capabilities of those responsible for safety evaluations.
Bureau of Reclamation officials will provide the training for the seminar. Reclamation is responsible for the proper operation, maintenance, and structural safety of more than 400 dams and distribution systems. Reclamation has conducted similar seminars for its own staff, as well as for more than 4,000 technical and administrative officials from other domestic and international agencies.
Seminar Topics The first portion of the seminar, from September 15 through 20, 2008, will take place in Denver , Colorado , and will consist primarily of classroom presentations and discussions. A tour of the Bureau of Reclamation Research Laboratories will also be featured.
Lectures, case histories, and structured discussions covering all aspects of a safety evaluation program are led by Reclamation engineers or geologists with extensive experience and knowledge in the areas of design, construction, operation, maintenance, and dam safety evaluation. The course outlines the hydrologic, seismic, geotechnical, electrical, mechanical and structural considerations of dam safety, as well as operation, maintenance, surveillance, and emergency preparedness. Presentations, case histories, and walk-through abbreviated inspections of one earthfill dam and a concrete Ambursen-type buttress dam are used to present the multi-discipline approach to an effective safety evaluation program.
Study Tour (September 21 - 25, 2008) A study tour from September 21-25, 2008, will take participants to the states of Utah, Idaho, and Nevada. A site visit to A.V. Watkins Dam, where in November 2006, serious seepage was occurring on the southeastern side of the dam. Work has now been completed on construction of a berm on the upstream of the dam to protect the embankment. A walk-through abbreviated exam will take place at American Falls Dam located in Idaho. Originally built in 1927, it was discovered in the early 1960’s that the concrete in portions of the dam was in a relatively advanced stage of deterioration due to chemical reaction between alkalis in the cement and the aggregate. A new dam, authorized by the U.S. Congress, was completed in 1978, which replaced the concrete portion of the original structure and was built immediately downstream of the old dam. The study tour will also include a site visit to the Teton Dam site located on the Teton River northwest of Rexburg, Idaho. Teton Dam, a 100-m-high embankment dam, completed in November 1975, failed catastrophically on June 5, 1976. The study tour will end in Las Vegas, Nevada, where participants will enjoy a special tour of Hoover Dam. The seminar will conclude with a close-out dinner and social evening on September 25 in Las Vegas, Nevada .
Who Should Attend The seminar is designed for managers, administrators, engineers, and geologists responsible for the design, construction, operation, maintenance, and safety of dams. Policymakers and planners, as well as those with technical responsibilities, may also benefit from the seminar. All presentations, discussions, and printed materials will be in the English language. Participants should have a good command of general and technical English usage.
Costs and Registration The registration fee is US$3800 per person. Various printed materials, lodging for 12 nights (September 14-25), and transportation during the study tour is included. It is strongly recommended that individuals apply as soon as possible for visas and seek sponsorship, if necessary. Funding is not available from the seminar organizers.
Payment should accompany the registration form. Checks should be in U.S. dollars and made payable to the Bureau of Reclamation. Credit card payments and wire transfers are acceptable (see registration form). The registration form must be received before August 18, 2008.
Lodging and Transportation Hotel accommodations will be provided by Reclamation from September 14 through the evening of September 25 , 2008. Participants are expected to stay in the selected hotels. International travel should be arranged into Denver, Colorado, no later than Sunday, September 14, 2008, and out of Las Vegas, Nevada, no sooner than September 26, 2008 .
Climate/Clothing Suggestions /Medical Insurance Participants should expect warm days and cool nights whereby a light-weight jacket may be necessary. Casual clothing and work boots/sturdy closed-toed shoes are required on field tours. Accidental injury/medical emergency insurance is recommended and should be purchased prior to traveling to the United States .
Further Information
A confirmation letter will be sent by fax or e-mail upon receipt of the registration form. For additional information contact: International Affairs - Denver, Bureau of Reclamation, P.O. Box 25007, Denver, Colorado 80225; or telephone 1-303-445-2127, fax 1-303-445-6322, e-mail inquiries to Lprincipe@do.usbr.gov
(Leanna Principe), or visit www.usbr.gov/international .
