Dam safety consulting services
HydroResearch offers consulting services in the areas of dam safety and dam monitoring. We have long experience with dam projects in sweden and abroad and our personell is active in ICOLD committees and working groups. Some example of projects:
- Dam safety evaluations.
- Evaluation and interpretation of dam monitoring data.
- Evaluation of monitoring needs for dams.
- Design and review of monitoring program.
- Instrumentation upgrading.
- Data acquisition systems and data handling.
- Setting alarm levels and plans of action.
- Documentation and quality control.
- Analysis of processes and organisational aspects regarding dam safety work.
Dam monitoring
The purpose of dam monitoring is to receive continuous information on the performance of the dam and detect changes that could affect the safety of the dam.
Instrumentation must be relevant measuring relevant parameters. Moreover, instrumentation and data acquisition must be reliable, and the data provided must be evaluated and interpreted appropriately.
A good starting point is that instrumentation is not a means in itself. Every single instrument should have a specific purpose related to the dam safety. One way to achieve this is to do a Potential Failure Mode Analysis (PFMA) and relate the monitoring efforts to specific failure modes.
Potential failure mode analysis
The Potential Failure Mode Analysis (PFMA) is a useful tool to improve the safety of dams and prioritize between different measures. The concept is to focus on identified areas of potential dam safety deficiencies
It is normally performed by a team of experts together with field and operational personnel using all existing data and information about the dam. The PFMA provides enhanced understanding on the risk exposure associated with the dam and constitutes a foundation for determination of the monitoring needs.
