Stability Analysis of Embankment Dams

This event qualifies for 24 PDH

To protect the health and safety of attendees, this event has been moved to online-only due to COVID-19 concerns.

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 lectures, as well as two optional evening sessions providing opportunities for hands-on experience with a commonly used slope stability computer program.

Learning objectives attendees will receive from this course:

An understanding of the importance of slope stability in dam safety, and the basic theoretical principles supporting slope stability analysis methods
An understanding of the significance of adequate subsurface characterization and shear strength property selection.
An understanding of soil stress-strain behavior and its relationship to shear strength.
An understanding of how to select shear strength parameters from field and laboratory data.
An understanding of slope stability rehabilitation measures.

Speaker and Presenter Information

John W. France, P.E., D.GE, D.WRE
JWF Consulting LLC

Mr. John France is a registered professional engineer employed by AECOM as a Vice President and National Technology Leader for Dams. He received BS and MS degrees in civil engineering from Cornell University. Mr. France has 42 years of consulting engineering experience, during which time he has worked on hundreds of civil engineering projects. For the past 35 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 also engaged by the Montana Dam Safety office to prepare a technical note on chimney filter design for posting on the State’s website. Together with Jennifer Williams he has presented workshops on internal erosion failure modes for ASDSO and the States of Colorado and Wyoming.

John Rice, Ph.D., P.E., G.E.
Utah State University
Associate Professor

John Rice, Ph.D., P.E., G.E. is an Associate Professor at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering program at the Utah State University at Logan, Utah. Dr. Rice received his PhD in 2008 from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University specializing in geotechnical engineering. He is a registered geotechnical engineer in California since 1999 and registered civil engineer in California since 1993. Prior to his career in academia, Dr. Rice worked for more than 16 years as a geotechnical consultant in California including extensive work on the Sacramento levee system. Dr. Rice’s teaching record at Utah State University includes “Seepage, Slope Stability, and Design of Dams and Levees,” “Ground Improvement,”"Advanced Shear Strength of Soils," and “Foundation Analysis and Design.” He was also a co-instructor with Dr. J. Michael Duncan at Virginia Tech from 2006 to 2007 for graduate-level classes related to seepage, slope stability of earth embankments. In 2013 he was awarded the Engineering Educator of the Year Award by the Utah Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

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, Foreign Governments/Agencies