Dams: Design, Construction & Risk Assessment

Overview Related Projects Key People

Dams engineering requires understanding and control of the enormous forces and potential energy of water. From foundation and seismic assessments through to geotechnical, hydrological, hydraulic, mechanical and structural design, projects demand in-depth skills and a coordinated, client-focused approach.

GHD has been involved in dams since the company's birth almost 90 years ago. We have the largest dedicated dams engineering team in Australia and one of the larger teams across the globe. We have more than 100 technical dams people in Australia and growing numbers globally, particularly throughout the Americas, United Kingdom, within Asia and New Zealand.

We recognize our clients' need for solutions that harness in-depth knowledge with imaginative thinking to produce innovative, safe and cost-effective outcomes, working collaboratively to deliver results.

Dam

GHD's Dams services include:

Investigations and appraisals
Design of dams and associated infrastructure
Tender and construction phase services

Owner's engineer and review panels
Operational support
Dam safety and risk assessment

We provide these services for the following dam types and appurtenant structures:

Earthfill dams
Earth and rockfill dams
Concrete or membrane-faced rockfill dams
Concrete gravity dams
Roller-compacted concrete dams
Concrete arch and multiple barrel arch dams

Concrete buttress (including diamond-head) dams
Tailings and mining dams
Gated and ungated spillways
Intake and outlet works
Hydromechanical installations

Our integrated dams team is supported by professionals in related fields including geotechnics, geology, hydrogeology, hydrology, river hydraulics, mechanical engineering, environmental sciences, materials technology and structures.

We work closely with clients throughout the entire project life cycle to develop safe, innovative and cost-effective outcomes, maximising benefits for all stakeholders.

Published Papers

2020
Dynamic analyses for static liquefaction factor of safety and triggering threshold values in tailings storage facilities constructed by upstream method
2019
Dams, Siltation and Low-Level Outlets Design of rockfill embankments for overtopping during construction Hydrophilic waterstops in dam engineering In Defence of Upstream Tailings Dam Construction North Pine Dam 3D Geological Modelling Creating a client asset Tailings Dam Guidelines Adopting international direction Tailings Storage Failures Impact on the industry, design, operation and people The Lessons Learned and Construction Challenges for the Leslie Harrison Dam Upgrade
2018
Comparison of pore pressures obtained from saturated and unsaturated finite element analyses with monitoring data Dynamic analysis and design of stilling basin slabs at Fairbairn Dam Innovative applications of UAV-mounted remote sensing for the geotechnical assessment of Sturt River Dam Omega-type external waterstops on a CFRD - an Australian first Spillway stilling Basin Linings Design using Physical Hydraulic Modelling and DES CFD Modelling
2017
Factor of Safety? Do we use it correctly? Construction Flood Risk Strategies for Dam Upgrades Application of Risk Assessment to an Emergency Levee Design in an Urban Environment Can they jump puddles? A discussion of the design features of a weir to limit impacts on aquatic species Understanding Victorian Local Government Authority Dams and Retarding Basins A Unique Experience with Liquefaction Assessment of Impounded Brown Coal Ash Pressure Fluctuations in Plunge Pools: In Search of a New Method Certainty in uncertainty: navigating environmental impact assessment regulatory processes Detailed Seismic Hazard assessment of Mt Bold area: comprehensive site-specific investigations on Willunga Fault
2016
Damage to the Fairbairn Dam Spillway and Subsequent Analyses and Design of the Remedial Works Kangaroo Creek Dam Embankment Raising and Stabilisation - Balancing Competing Objectives Lenthall Dam Crest Gates - from agony to relief Maintenance and Testing of Post-Tensioned Anchors for Dams and Appurtenant Structures Probabilistic Slope Failure Risk Estimation of a Dam with Zones of Weak Foundation Material Roads can drive your risk! A look at the importance of itinerants on roads in your consequence assessments Root Cause Analysis (RCA) in Dam Design When is a hazard not a hazard? A review of fatality factors for dambreak consequence assessments Would bowties and critical controls contribute to the prevention of high consequence / low frequency dam failures?
2015
Abracadabra - the Disappearing Tailings Dam Efficient and cost-effective modelling and analysis of hydraulic structures using CFD Anomalies in design for mining dams Seismic Analysis of a Concrete Dam with a Complex Configuration: Nonlinear, Time History of Mt Bold Dam Sweet Smell of Successful Risk Management Cotter Dam Seepage Remedial Works Use of risk analysis for flood upgrade design and construction risk Use of risk analysis for tailings storage facility upgrade
2014
Design considerations for water storage structures on porous foundations Does your rating curve hold water - the consequences of rating curve errors Evaluation of existing arch dam design criteria in lieu of ANCOLD Guidelines Nonlinear time-history seismic assessment of 112-year old Barossa Dam Siting and engineering constraints of a new dam in an Alpine resort
2013
Cotter Dam - recovering from major floods during construction Case studies of foundation grouting using the GIN method at the enlarged Cotter Dam Maroon Dam: A multi-analytical approach for a multi-purpose dam Maroon Dam: performance and upgrade design using percentage of acceptable flood capacity. Are we there yet? Practical methodology for inclusion of uplift and pore pressures in analysis of concrete dams Quipolly Dam safety upgrade A comparison of Australian and American fish passage design under changing regulatory requirements
2012
Construction implications from geological modelling Negotiating geological structure during abutment excavation Numerical and Physical Spillway Modelling Safety in Design Cost Effective Storage Capacity Increase for Alumina Tailings Disposal Area through Spillway Optimisation Logue Brook Dam Outlet Works Upgrade Evaluation of marginally non-compliant dam filter materials using the No-Erosion Filter test method Gördes Dam - A Turkish Delight Use of a High Shrinkage Aggregate in a New RCC Dam Innovations of Significance and Their Development on Some Recent RCC Dams Thermal Induced Cracking Performance of RCC Dams The Use of 400mm RCC Lifts in the Enlarged Cotter Dam Enlarged Cotter Dam diversion Gate Design - The Challenge and the Test Cost Effective Storage Capacity Increase for Alumina Tailings Disposal Area through Spillway Optimisation Refurbishing Outlet Valves utilising Shutdown Periods Response-History Analysis of the Moondarra Intake Tower: A Novel Approach Based on New Methodologies and Performance Requirements

About GHD and Dams

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Below are your key contacts for Dams

We have successfully worked with GHD for several years, they are easy to work with, professional and consistently deliver both high levels of service and quality design solutions. They are true partners, they keep their promises and work in collaboration with us and other stakeholders to deliver and exceed our client's expectations.

John Gittins

Interserve divisional Director