The purpose of this course is to provide a brief introduction into the science of concrete arch dams. The review will touch on design methods used in the past, but primarily focus on the methods used in the current state of the practice. A historical review of construction techniques will be discussed, and how that relates to evaluations and the physical behavior of the structures. The basic loads and loading conditions used for analysis will...

This webinar will review the 2004 failure of Big Bay Dam. A potential failure modes framework was used to make the forensic root-cause assessment based on data and information provided by the State of Mississippi. A detailed timeline of the failure obtained through review of court proceedings will be presented including the appearance of a number of distress indicators, the seriousness of which were not recognized and acted upon by the Owner a...

This course is based on 50 years of NRCS experience with investigating and remediating cracked earth embankments. The presentation consists of two main sections, covering: 1) the nature of soil cracking and the associated internal erosion failure modes; and 2) how to remediate cracked earth embankments. In the first section, general information is presented on which soils are most susceptible to cracking and which pose the greatest risk for fa...

Join us at Conference Chicago at University Center, June 12-14, for Seepage Through Earthen Dams. This 2.5-day introductory course is designed to be a participatory, interactive workshop, which will cover the basic elements required to understand and evaluate seepage-related issues for earth dams. The first day begins with providing an understanding of why seepage mechanisms in earth dams are important to dam safety. Discussions of basic princ...

Join other dam safety professionals for an array of technical and non-technical presentations. This conference is geared towards dam safety engineers and dam owners/operators in the northeastern states.

Join us May 15-17 at the Desert Willow Conference Center in Phoenix, AZ. This course will provide a thorough overview of the fundamentals of specifying the fresh and hardened properties of concrete mixes; the review of applicable codes for concrete hydraulic structures; the design philosophy and methodology of reinforced concrete hydraulic structures; and issues associated with the construction process. The course will include actual design ex...

This course provides broad coverage of stability analysis for embankment dams. Topics addressed in the course include soil stress-strain behavior, shear strength selection, field and laboratory testing methods, slope stability analysis methods, slope stability analysis loading cases, seepage as related to stability analysis, and stability rehabilitation methods. The course includes several exercises to reinforce the information presented in le...

The objective of this course will be to provide a comprehensive presentation of the significant principles and concepts of soil mechanics to the participants. The material will be presented with emphasis on the application of soil mechanics to dam safety issues. At the end of the course, the participants will have the knowledge and resources to address soil mechanics issues as they relate to their work in dam safety. Key Takeaways: Students w...

Course Objectives This course provides instruction on common failure modes for most types of dams and levees with primary emphasis on dams. The principles, concepts and design standards taught are applicable to anyone conducting inspections, performing assessments, conducting risk analyses, or involved in the design of a dam or levee project. Participants will learn about potential failure modes, conditions that can lead to these failure modes...

Course Objectives The objective of this course is to provide a general understanding of conduits, valves and gates in the context of the operation, maintenance and design of dams and dam safety. Emphasis will be placed on issues related to the design, construction, and performance of conduits, values, and gates types commonly used at dams. Case histories and practical exercises will be used to enhance learning of the purposes and features of c...