The greater need for renewable energy to control green house effect on the environment calls for development of hydropower projects. The planning, design, and construction of infrastructures such as dams are the principal components to generate renewable energy.
The planning, design, and state-of-the-practice evaluation of existing dams and appurtenant structures are the core business model of this division.
The hydropower infrastructure division provides consulting services for feasibility design, final design, construction specifications, analyses
for design under all credible loading conditions, design of instrumentation, and safety evaluation of existing dams and levees.
Dam and Levee Safety Evaluation Based on the available geotechnical, hydrologic, and seismic environment of the dam or levee site, we will evaluate safety of the structure under all credible loading conditions. The methodologies for safety evaluation will be based upon state-of-the-practice procedures and Federal Dam Safety Guidelines. Condition Assessment of Dams and Levees With the available data on physical data sheets and properties of materials associated with the structure, we will determine the condition of structure with respect to downstream hazard and stability under credible loading conditions. The report on the condition assessment will conclude if the structure is suitable to operate under normal loading. Effective Stress Based Liquefaction Analysis Hydraulic fill dams constructed between 1900 -1950 have high potential of reduction of shear strengths under seismic loading and thus may experience flow slide and consequent release of the reservoir. Foundation soils of dams are also prone to liquefaction if sands and silts are present. Typically, blow counts are measured for soils along with gradation for evaluating liquefaction potential and total stress analyses are performed to determine safety factors. However, we perform effective stress based liquefaction analysis to predict pore pressure generation during cyclic loading and determine slump or potential of flow slide more accurately. Seismic Deformation Analysis Dams experience permanent deformation or slump during cyclic loading under strong seismic event. We use effective stress based analysis under time domain to evaluate deformations under seismic loading. Design of Embankment Dams When a dam is found to be deficient under credible loading conditions, we have the expertise to design the dam and appurtenant structures to mitigate safety related deficiencies. Design methodologies are based upon Bureau of Reclamation’s practices for design of small dams. Landslide Stability Analysis Landslide is a natural phenomenon under static or dynamic loading conditions and it usually accelerates under increased pore pressure conditions. We perform stability analysis of landslides and suggest mitigations if warranted. Landslide Induced Wave Analysis Landslide materials on abutments of dams move under generation of pore pressures or cyclic loading. The velocity of movement and amount of slide mass impinging in the reservoir dictates the resulting amplitude of waves and amplitudes greater than freeboard of the dam may cause overtopping and subsequent failure of the dam. We analyze the wave generated by landslide mass using available methods and predict potential dam safety problem due to flow slide. Design and Monitoring of Instrumentation The structural behaviors of dams are monitored by instrumentation. We design instrumentation for proper monitoring and also evaluate the structural behavior based on data and prepare dam safety monitoring plan and report as required by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Potential Failure Mode Analysis Failure mode analyses are conducted to evaluate scenarios under which dam may experience distress and cause failure. Risk based decision analysis quantifies failure modes and prioritize mitigation or analyses required for dam safety. We have expertise in facilitating failure mode analyses sessions and risk based decision analyses for dam safety evaluation. |
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