This dam broke today.
I often find myself looking up at a dam wall and thinning "what if....?".
Jeez, seeing that much water flowing so fast gives me the heebie-jeebies
Reservoirs are a serious business.
We have incredibly stringent requirements in the UK with owner strictly liable for monitoring and maintaining under the reservoir act.
I wouldn't worry about it happening here too much.
BBC.CO.UK Apres moi, le deluge?
China's got form on this. Have a look at the Banqiao dam collapse.
Exactly my point.
We haven't had a fatal breach since about 1925.
That was sketchy but handled. Action plans and the panel engineers were all over it.
Though earlier inspection had identified problems which subsequently were not corrected prior to the spillway failure. See Prof. Balmforth's report.
With respect to legislation and inspection he said "...a reservoir and its Owner can be compliant with the legislation without the reservoir necessarily being safe" and he went on to recommend improvements in reservoir safety management.
So fatal reservoir failures remains at 0 for 100 years. Recommendations will likely be adopted will be a little bit safer. Improvements are good lessons learned are great. That was a failure but it was dealt with which is also part of the system.
The likelihood of a catastrophic failure, as i said, is very unlikely in the UK.
So fatal reservoir failures remains at 0 for 100 years. Recommendations will likely be adopted will be a little bit safer. Improvements are good lessons learned are great. That was a failure but it was dealt with which is also part of the system.
The likelihood of a catastrophic failure, as i said, is very unlikely in the UK.
The likelihood of a catastrophic failure, as i said, is very unlikely in the UK.
Probably correct if all else remains as previous; the changes in weather in recent years moves the goalposts a bit. The Whaley Bridge one was due to 'unprecedented' levels of rainfall, which is a term we're hearing more and more frequently.
The river which runs past my garden, about 12 feet down, has eroded, in the last five years, several feet of a bank which had remained unchanged since the 1920s (and looks like taking my garage with it). The river turns into a raging torrent 2-3 times each winter, where it had hardly ever done so previously. Complacency can come back to bite you in the 'arris. 😂
The likelihood of a catastrophic failure, as i said, is very unlikely in the UK.
Probably correct if all else remains as previous; the changes in weather in recent years moves the goalposts a bit. The Whaley Bridge one was due to 'unprecedented' levels of rainfall, which is a term we're hearing more and more frequently
The river which runs past my garden, about 12 feet down, has eroded, in the last five years, several feet of a bank which had remained unchanged since the 1920s (and looks like taking my garage with it). The river turns into a raging torrent 2-3 times each winter, where it had hardly ever done so previously. Complacency can come back to bite you in the 'arris. 😂
Just to clarify you think pretty much the highest level of civil engineering doesn't consider these things?
The Whaley Bridge one was due to 'unprecedented' levels of rainfall, which is a term we're hearing more and more frequently.
As was the cause of this one in China.
you think pretty much the highest level of civil engineering doesn't consider these things?
At Welsh Water the "highest level of civil engineering" was more often than not a few boulders, gabions and a couple of days with a JCB. 😉 It was so efficient the Water Board office block and workshop sometimes flooded. We used to look out of the window watching the river rise and teasing the engineer responsible. 🙂
We went to public enquiry to object to a forestry commission planned draining and planting of a peat bog presenting evidence that water quality and biodiversity would be adversly affected and the river become more flashy increasing flood risk. We won, and were then overwhelmed by applications we didn't have the resources to challenge, so they won. Some catchments became more flashy and some years later people got flooded.
The likelihood of a catastrophic failure, as i said, is very unlikely in the UK.
Probably correct if all else remains as previous; the changes in weather in recent years moves the goalposts a bit. The Whaley Bridge one was due to 'unprecedented' levels of rainfall, which is a term we're hearing more and more frequently
The river which runs past my garden, about 12 feet down, has eroded, in the last five years, several feet of a bank which had remained unchanged since the 1920s (and looks like taking my garage with it). The river turns into a raging torrent 2-3 times each winter, where it had hardly ever done so previously. Complacency can come back to bite you in the 'arris. 😂
Just to clarify you think pretty much the highest level of civil engineering doesn't consider these things?
Tbh back in the very early 2000's i worked for a M&E contractor that used to sub for UU BB etc. The sizing of everything ws based on a 1in 20 year event. It had never been updated since the regs were put in place. By the time i left these 1:20 events were about 1:8 yet we were still told to size to the 1:20 to save costs on pumping stations etc.
tbh im not surprised if they still haven't been updated.
The likelihood of a catastrophic failure, as i said, is very unlikely in the UK.
Errr, I worked at Ulley for a few years. That was in serious danger when I worked there from 2004-2007, and then the floods of 2007 really brought it to the fore. The whole time I worked there we had monthly dam inspections, various markers etc and you could see the movement. The council had no money so did not repair....until they really really had to.
I wouldn't worry about it happening here too much.
Exactly my point.
We haven't had a fatal breach since about 1925.
That was sketchy but handled. Action plans and the panel engineers were all over it.
It was only 'handled' as well as it was because a member of the public happened to notice muddy water spraying out of the joints in the spillway...
