Author(s): Jose Antonio Remesal Guijarro; Oscar Alberto Lorente Castellano; Alvaro Real Jimenez; Sergio Arjona Jimenez

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Keywords: Dam; Inspection; Surveillance; Safety

Abstract: Since 2018, Dam Inspection, Surveillance and Safety (IVSP by its Spanish acronym) has been performing a series of contracts to gain knowledge and improve safety of dams located in the intracommunity basins of Andalusia. First step was collecting and deep analysing historical documentation of all dams. Simultaneously, hydrological studies were made, splitting them into single studies. After that, a multidisciplinary team drafted specific security reviews for each dam, detecting deficiencies and proposing solutions to improve safety in these infrastructures. Other criteria considered was the change of the legal framework: Technical Safety Standards for Dams and Reservoirs (NTS by its Spanish acronym) were published on April 14th, 2021. This release changes, among other major updates, many definitions and the return periods to be considered for the calculation of structural loads and to determine critical hydrological scenarios. Resulting actions included updating the management and safety plans of the dam and carrying out certain Prevention and Management of Catastrophes Projects. All these works were complemented by numerous technical reports, solving other specific technical issues. Many dams have required a decrease in the normal operation level to ensure a suitable flood management, which has implied an impact on the available resource. Safety conditions for all dams located in intracommunity basins of Andalusia have been assessed and optimized by several actions. However, further studies and dedicated projects are still required to restore the baseline storage volume without decreasing the current safety level of the infrastructures.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3850/IAHR-39WC2521711920221847

Year: 2022