Risk Management at Wahleach Dam

by Gary Salmon, Dir. of Dam Safety; B.C. Hydro, 6911 South Point Drive, Burnaby, B.C., V3N 4X8, Canada,
Dave Cattanach, Manager; B.C. Hydro Technical, 6911 South Point Drive, Burnaby, B.C., V3N 4X8, Canada,
Desmond Hartford, Sr. Engr. of Reliability and Risk; B.C. Hydro, 6911 South Point Drive, Burnaby, B.C., V3N 4X8, Canada,


Serial Information: Civil Engineering—ASCE, 1997, Vol. 67, Issue 2, Pg. 39-41


Document Type: Feature article

Abstract:

In a first-of-its-kind application, engineers used risk analysis to make event-driven design decisions to evaluate dam safety improvements at Canada's Wahleach Dam in British Columbia. In 1989, safety investigations revealed that the Wahleach Dam could not pass floods in excess of 25% of the probable maximum flood. The spillway could not safely discharge the pmf without the reservoir overtopping the dam. Also, erosion starting in the channel downstream of the spillway could undermine the spillway and breach the dam.

Subject Headings: Spillways | Risk management | Dam safety | Floods | Wave overtopping | Water discharge | Reservoirs

Services: Buy this book/Buy this article

 

Return to search