Hydrologic hazard curves are critical flood loading inputs for dam and levee safety risk assessments. Over the past decade, some Federal agencies have developed and applied new tools and data sets to estimate hydrologic hazard curves, which are graphs of peak flows, volume, or reservoir stages versus Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP). Hydrologic hazard curves provide a full probability distribution for the flood hazard, covering the range of...

The webinar consist of two sessions. Session 1 will be an overview of Geophysical methods applicable to dams and levees, how theory behind the methodologies, and the strengths and limitations of each method. This session will also cover what additional investigations, such as drilling, are necessary to calibrate the geophysical data in order to provide a holistic evaluation of the subsurface conditions and how these conditions can affect dam a...

Cracks are likely to develop in most embankment dams and levees, and not just in those that are poorly constructed. This course will present some of the common conditions that can lead to adverse geostatic stress conditions, cracking, and hydraulic fracturing in embankments. Case histories are used to illustrate various crack-forming mechanisms and potential failure modes associated with embankment cracking. The need for caution when consideri...

Low-level conduits (pipes) through the base of a dam are the most common spillway for small earthen embankment structures. However, the discontinuity caused by the presence of the conduit creates numerous issues that must be addressed during the design and construction of the low-level pipe. This short course will present general design and construction related issues that dam engineers and owners should be aware of when considering a low-leve...