Investigation of dam incidents and failures

Abstract

History tells us that dams can bring many benefits to society but there is also a long history of ‘near-miss’ incidents and failures that, in some cases, have led to great loss of life. The investigation of incidents and failures around the world has led to improvements in the design and construction of dams with the aim of reducing the risk of failure. By illustration of a number of examples and case studies, the objective of this paper is to explain the role of the investigating dam engineer in understanding the factors that contribute to dam safety incidents. The paper concludes that there is a role for more effective sharing of information both nationally and internationally to improve dam design and construction and reduce the risk of failure. The paper outlines how this might be achieved.