USSD and ICOLD Committee Activities

USSD & ICOLD Notes – from the March 2012 USSD Newsletter

USSD COMMITTEES

Materials for Embankment Dams - Craig W. Harris, Chair
The committee plans to change its name to the Committee on Embankment Dams, pending board approval. There are more than 20 active members.
During past year, cmte published a white paper on Materials for Embankment Dams and submitted one of the Design of Riprap Slope Protection for Embankment Dams for board approval.
Plants to present a workshop on Seepage through Embankment Dams during the 2012 conf in NO.
Preparing white papers on lab testing of fill strength parameters and piping. Draft and questionnaire posted on discussion forum.

Earthquakes - Joseph L. Ehasz, chair
27 members
Working on 3 reports:
Eq Deformation Analysis of Emb Dams
Probabilistic approach to development of ground motion parameters at dams
Observed performance of dams during earthquakes, volume III

Also updating earlier reports inc. Appurtenant structures to dams (’95).

Supporting ICOLD seismic committee with its Terms of Reference & with Seismic Risk Determination & Related Techniques.

Cmte’s rept on Strong Motion Instrumentation at Dams was given to ICOLD cmte for their use in developing an ICOLD rept.

Environment - Denise Bunte-Bisnett, new chair, assuming chairmanship from Pat Mangan

Membership - Manoshree Sundaram
Focus: young professionals & small dam owners

Dam Decommissioning - Timothy J. Randle, chair

Developing USSD GLs for Dam Decommissioning Projects. Exec summary to be presented during ’12 conf in NO & include in proceedings. Will include 6 chapts on issues & many case studies.

Monitoring of Dams & their Foundations - Jay Stateler, chair

4 white papers under dev:
1. Development of an Instrumentation Program – Jim Hamby, lead author, Pierre Choquet, Brad Long. Under board review.
2. Operation & Maintenance of an Instrumentation System – Amanda Sutter, lead. Pierre Choquet & Brad Long. Ongoing internal review in cmte, following intensive review by Steve Meyerholtz.
3. Instrumentation Data Mgmt & Analysis – Chris Hill, lead. Manoshree Sundaram. Under board review.
4. Routine Instrumented and Visual Monitoring of Dams Based on Potential Failure Modes analysis (jay stateler, lead. M. Sundaram) under board review
5.
Subcommittee projects:
• Training of on-site dam operation personnel. M. sundaram, A. sutter, Emeruwa anyanwu, Billie Land, Jay Stateler, working jointly w/ ASDSO.
• Emerging technologies for monitoring dams & levees. Chris Hill, P. Choquet, john lemke, Travis Tutka, Paul booth, Rudy saavedra. Planning workshops for 2013.
• Monitoring Levees. Barry Myers, Steve meyerholtz, p. choquet, john lemke, jay stateler. Developing white paper w/ cmte on levees.
• Seismic instrumentation and monitoring. John Paxton, Bruce rogers, Chris hill, rick Anderson. Assessing need for updating existing ussd info.

2012 annual meeting notes - New Orleans, 4/23-27

Workshops:
• approaches to meet spillway design flood requirements. Moderator – Steve barfuss, Utah state
• Design construction of remedial seepage measure for embankment dams – Craig Harris, mwh, moderator
• Lessons learned in sustainable levee infrastructure – moderators: dean durkee, gf, & john wolfhope, freese & Nichols

ICOLD cmte on concrete dams - Robin Charlwood, chair

Upcoming publication:
Selection of Materials for Concrete Dams - Bulletin to address both CVC and RCC; will include chapters on selection of cementitious materials and mineral additions; aggregate; admixtures; and mixing water. Will provide framework to assist in selection of materials from available sources for use in dams. Final draft to be circulated at the 2012 committee meeting in Kyoto.

Expansion Phenomena in Concrete Dams - Bulletin will consider all potential forms of expansion due to chemical and physical processes, including AAR. Will also include standard format of case histories, also included in a case histories database on the ICOLD website. Draft to be discussed at 2012 meeting in Kyoto.

Waterstops and Joints - Bulletin to complement ICOLD Bulletin on CFRD Concepts for Design and Construction; will cover selection, design and installation of waterstops for concrete arch dams. To include contributions from China, Japan, Brazil and other countries where research has been done.

White paper on sustainable concrete dam construction - White paper in development; to consider low cement concrete, optimization of design, minimal energy consumption. Paper will review general issues involved in sustainable construction of concrete dams, identify metrics to allow quantification and possibly include a section on carbon emissions.