Research and Development

The U.S.Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for managing the potential safety risks for its 569 dams and protecting the public against the devastation caused by failures or faulty operation. Recognizing the Corps' responsibilities to the Nation as good stewards of public resources, Corps personnel must make decisions to prioritize site-specific dam safety investigations and dam safety improvement investments. The Risk Analysis for Dam Safety Research Program will provide the methodology and tools necessary to accomplish this through the following work units.

• General
  • Technology Transfer
  • Workshop on Risk Analysis for Dam Safety
  • Framework I: Site-Specific Risk Assessments
  • Framework II: Prioritization for Dam Safety Projects
  • Demonstrations of Portfolio Risk Assessment
  • Estimating Loss of Life from Dam Failure
  • Dam Failure Impact Analysis and Reduction
• Hydraulic and Hydrology
  • Planning Hydrologic and Hydraulic Dam Safety Risk Analysis
  • Uncertainty of Hydraulic Failure Mechanisms
  • Assessing Hydrologic Loading Uncertainty
  • Estimating Probability of Extreme Floods
  • Update Hydrologic Deficiency Evaluation Procedures
• Structural
  • Failure Mechanisms of Concrete Dams
  • Uplift Uncertainty and Probabilistic Models
  • Probability of Failure of Gates, Equipment, and Warning System
• Geotechnical
  • Seepage and Piping in Embankment Dams and Soil Foundations
  • Statistical Analysis of Embankment Dam Failures
  • Breaching Mechanics for Embankment Dams
  • Unlined Spillway Erosion Risk Assessment
  • Prioritization Methods for Embankment Dams
  • Fractured-Rock Seepage Reliability
  • Time-Dependent Properties and Processes
  • Static Stability of Embankment Dams
  • Site Characterization Methods
  • Embankment Monitoring Systems and Methods
  • Advanced Monitoring/Detection Systems for Embankment Dams