Debris Torrents in Nepal and Use of Reliability Engineering Concepts During Redesign of River Works

by Victor J. Galay, Northwest Hydraulic Consultants Ltd, Egypt,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Hydraulic Engineering

Abstract:

Debris torrents, generated by cloudbursts and by glacier lake outbursts, occur frequently in the Nepal Himalaya. A simple fault tree analysis is applied to the destruction of a diversion structure, which is part of a power plant on the Sun Kosi River, due to a debris torrent on June 30th-July 1, 1987. The destruction of several gates was due to one of two or both causes: the sudden debris surge which flooded the main floor of the powerhouse or the blockage of the power canal by sediment. The fault tree analysis indicates several design improvements to the project which should significantly improve the operation of the diversion structure.

Subject Headings: Debris | Structural analysis | Power plants | Structural reliability | Soil analysis | Developing countries | Spillways | Nepal | Asia | Himalayas

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