SwedCOLD Workshops
Workshops are included in the registration fee for the Annual Meeting and it is possible to register for these workshops in addition to participation in the event, registration is mandatory.
Workshop 1 – Defect detection in embankment dams – Room R17-18
– Saturday 10 June (Full day)
Vattenfall has, in accordance with the Swedish dam safety guideline, designed and then built an experimental embankment dam at their laboratory facilities in Älvkarleby. The dam has six built-in defects, that all represents damages that eventually could evolve to a dam break.
These defects are sized to be realistic, while still large enough to be realistically detected in blind-tests by suitable geophysical methods. These investigations started in Spring 2020 and lasted until Autumn 2022. Some reference reports are published, while others will be published in 2023.
The workshop will cover the following topics
• The presentations will include pre-modelling, measurements & technology, data presentation, evaluation/post-modelling.
• Detection of internal erosion
• Acoustic methods
• Electrical methods
• Geotechnical methods (strain, inclinometers)
• Temperature (active and passive)
• Classic methods (seepage and pressure)
• Description of the defects and result of the test
• Discussion together with people from ICOLD Technical Committee of Dam Surveillance
• Experience from similar measurements at larger dams?
• How can each method be used at full size dams?
This workshop will be presented by Prof. Peter Viklander, Vattenfall and Dr. Sam Johansson, HydroResearch.
Workshop 2 – Rock engineering issues - Room H1
– Wednesday 14 June (PM)
Rock engineering issues are constantly present for dams e.g. for foundations, abutments and spillways. The problems arising with ageing dams are particularly interesting when talking about long term functionality of grout curtains, control of up-lift pressure under dams, reinforcement bars & cables and erosion in rock spillways. The awareness of these problems are arising in the industry.
The discussion on questions related to rock and rock foundations could be of interest not only for the dam owner but also for consultants, contractors and academia. Issues regarding design, construction and refurbishment will be discussed as well as general questions on durability and effectiveness. Items for discussion can be e.g.:
• Long-term function of grout curtains
• Refurbishment methods of grout curtains
• Rock erosion in spillways
• Control of up-lift pressure under dams
Workshop 3 – Best Practices for Tailings Dam Breach Analysis - Room H2
– Wednesday 14 June (PM)
This is a joint workshop between CDA and Svemin regarding Tailings dam Breach Analysis.
The workshop will be based on new bulletins from both CDA and Svemin.
This workshop will be presented by Mamun Al-Mamun, Tetra Tech, Pierre-Louis Ligier, Sweco, Anna Risberg, Sweco and Sara Töyrä, LKAB.
A program of the short course is available here.
Workshop 4 – Operational safety of dams and reservoirs - Room J1
– Thursday 15 June (AM)
Investigations of incidents and major accidents related to dam safety show that the characteristics of those events is often complex. It can seldom relate to only a single technical issue. Traditional methods for safety analysis of dam operations are very helpful, however, the complexity of dam systems operations requires more sophisticated approach and tools.
The main objectives of the workshop is to provide a broad overview of the systems approach and simulations techniques for analysis of operational safety of dams and reservoirs. The workshop aims to summarize the techniques available and outline emerging technologies which could be employed to further development of the methods and technology.
Items covered in the workshop:
• Flow control failures in dam safety
• Management, control and operation
• Systems and systems engineering
• Modelling dam and reservoir systems
• Hydrological modelling and river flow routing
• Reservoir and outflow control
• Disturbances
• Release function and human factors
• Discharge conveyance function
• Simulating flow control operations
This workshop will be presented by Greg Baecher, University of Maryland
Des Hartford, BC Hydro and Romanas Wolfsborg, Vattenfall
Workshop 5 – Environmental adaption of dams - Room H1
– Thursday 15 June (AM)
Swedish hydropower is going to be modernized through a national plan, in order to achieve the greatest possible benefit for both the environment and national access to electricity. The national plan is to be carried out over the timespan of 20 years and will ensure that hydropower plants in Sweden follows the modern environmental legislation such as the EU Water Framework Directive. This process will be a concern for – 2000 HPP and – 100 large dams.
One of the mayor challenges for the Swedish hydro power industry the coming 20 years is to implement environmental mitigation measures on the dam facilities and their operation with maintained dam safety.
The workshop targets are:
• Give dam engineers a brief lecture on the most common and state-of-the-art environmental mitigation measures on large dams
• Highlight challenges and opportunities in environmental adaption projects on dams – when is the risk/cost of the measure too high to accept?
• Inspire dam engineers to find synergies in future potentially combined projects for increased dam safety and environmental relicensing.
To set the context the workshop will start on lecture-format to give participants a baseline of knowledge in both environmental problems induced by large dams, and how the mitigation measures might induce dam safety risk. Moreover there will be a note on existing literature in the interface of these two technical fields. As introduction a few words about the Swedish National plan is needed (goals, stakeholders & statistics). After the introduction and the micro-lecture there will be an inspiration lecture on a closed or ongoing project when a large dam was upgraded by environmental reasons. Finally the main part of the workshop starts, where participants will work in groups on hypothetical future dam relicensing projects to find conceptual designs which create synergies between environmental mitigation measures and dam safety upgrades.
Workshop 6 – Capacity Building - Room R17-18
– Thursday 15 June (PM)
The field of dams (including design, construction and operation) is experiencing a lack of capacity (worldwide) when it comes to the number of well experienced engineers as well as new young engineers. This is relevant to the entire dam industry including water dams, hydropower dams and tailings dams. ICOLD has already taken initiatives through the two Committees; ZX2 – Young Professionals Forum and Z – Capacity Building.
The objective of this workshop is, to contribute to these initiatives by allocating time for an open discussion and dialogue on how ICOLD can help in retaining and attracting the number of people in these industries (water and tailings dams) as well as how to increase the level of knowledge within this group to improve dam safety. This group of people includes everyone working with dams; dam owners, consultants, contractors, experts, authorities and regulatory bodies.
The workshop will be in three blocks:
1) Introduction and what do we mean by Capacity Building?
2) How to retain and attract people? What do people want? How do needs differ between countries, regions, age groups, gender etc.?
3) How to increase the level of knowledge, experience, and skills?
Focus during the workshop will be to get everyone’s ideas and opinions heard by allowing for discussions in different forms. The “result” will be documented as a road map with suggestions on how to continue the work on Capacity Building within ICOLD.
Several parties will take an active part in this workshop; ICOLD technical committee Z – Capacity Building, XY2 – Young Professionals (or still Young Engineers?), L – Tailings Dams and Waste Lagoons, US committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Universities, Companies and special guest Dr. Katarina Graffman (anthropologist).
A program of the short course is available here.
Workshop 7 – Strategies and adaptation to a changing climate - Room J1
– Thursday 15 June (PM)
Technical session and panel discussion on dam safety in a changing climate. The workshop will include sharing experiences and practices regarding the adaption of dams to changes in magnitude, frequency, and seasonality of natural loads and related hazards such as floods, storms, ice, heat waves, landslides, and forest fires.
The topics include:
• Climate impacts and risks
• Adaptation through operation and
preparedness planning.
• Adaptation through design and upgrading
• Strategies, guidelines, and regulations for a changing climate.
This is an interactive workshop co-ordinated by Svenska kraftnät, intended for dam owners, consultants, researchers, and authorities involved in climate adaptation work & dam safety.
A program of the short course is available here.
Photo below © Landafors-Ljusnan
