Concrete Dams and Their Foundations: Types, Failure Modes, and Safety Evaluations
Join us on Tuesday, February 9, 2027, from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM Eastern for Concrete Dams and Their Foundations: Types, Failure Modes, and Safety Evaluations. A historical timeline will be presented that describes the significant concrete dam failure case histories and how various technologies developed for concrete dam design, analyses, and safety evaluations, including potential failure modes. The history of modern concrete technology begins in the early 1800's but accelerates in the late 1800’s and early to mid-1900's as Portland cement became available for use in dam construction around the world. The timeline reviews the evolution of Roller Compacted Concrete and its movement to the current preferred technology for concrete dams when suitable foundation conditions exist at a site. The major failure mode case histories are related to concrete dam foundations. The webinar will review the evolution of investigation and analysis technologies for characterization of concrete dam foundations, including the advent of modern rock mechanics used for analysis of both 2D and 3D potential movable blocks (PMB) and related potential failure mode (PFM) assessment. Critical milestones in the evolution of concrete material engineering and dam design technology will be identified, along with key published references for the audience to perform self-learning after the Webinar. Case histories to be reviewed (briefly) at the webinar include St. Francis Dam, CA (abutment sliding failure mode), and Malpasset Dam, France (Foundation PMB).
Key Takeaways:
- Describe the types of concrete dams in the US and around the world and the periods when they were designed and built.
- Describe notable concrete dam failures and incidents and potential failure modes to be considered in safety evaluations and design.
- Describe some of the major concrete dam projects that marked significant technology advances.
- Identify major technological advances in concrete dam design and construction.
- Describe the required foundation characteristics for concrete dams.
- Become familiar with site characterization methods used for concrete dam foundations.
PDHS AVAILABLE:
This course qualifies for 2 PDHs.
REGISTRATION FEES:
Member Rate: $99
Non-Member Rate: $130 - Join ASDSO Before Registering and Save!
