Seepage Rehabilitation for Embankment Dams

This webinar will review the current state of the practice for rehabilitation of embankment dams to address seepage issues. Seepage rehabilitation measures can generally be grouped into two categories: seepage reduction / limitation measures and seepage collection measures. Seepage reduction / limitation measures include such features as foundation grout curtains, low permeability blankets, and seepage barrier walls. These measures are intended to reduce or limit the amount of seepage that occurs through, beneath, and around a dam. Seepage collection measures include such features as blanket drains, toe drains, chimney filters / drains, and relief wells. These measures are intended to collect seepage which occurs in a manner that maintains stability of the dam and prevents internal erosion. All of these measures will be reviewed along with discussion of their appropriate applications. Case studies and examples will be used to highlight the applications of the various methods.

Speaker and Presenter Information

John W. France, PE, D.WRE is a registered professional engineer employed by AECOM as Dams Technical Practice Network National Leader. He received BS and MS degrees in civil engineering from Cornell University. Mr. France has 40 years of consulting engineering experience, during which time he has worked on hundreds of civil engineering projects. For the past 32 years his professional career has been focused on dam engineering and dam safety services. During his career, Mr. France has been involved in various capacities in evaluating and remediating seepage issues for earth dams. He has written numerous papers on the topic, and in 2012 he was an invited speaker at a FEMA workshop on filters and seepage remediation. He was engaged by the Montana Dam Safety office to prepare a technical note on chimney filter design for posting on the State’s website, and he has been an instructor for ASDSO’s seepage analysis course, ASDSO workshops on seepage rehabilitation, and U.S. Army Engineers’ courses on seepage rehabilitation and embankment dam design.

Jennifer L. Williams, P.E. is a registered professional engineer with AECOM in Denver, where she has worked as a geotechnical engineer for the last 18 years. The majority of her professional career has focused on dam safety risk analyses, inspections, and rehabilitation. During this time she has been involved in several seepage remediation investigations, designs, and construction. She is one of the instructors for ASDSO’s short course on “Seepage through Earth Dams” and leads a new semi-annual publication on dam safety for engineers in the western United States sponsored by FEMA. Ms. Williams has presented several dam safety lectures at the Colorado School of Mines and has presented numerous technical presentations at ASDSO and USSD.

Relevant Government Agencies

Army, Dept of Energy, Dept of Homeland Security, Dept of the Interior, Other Federal Agencies, State Government, County Government, City Government, Municipal Government, FEMA, Federal Government, State & Local Government