National Dam Safety Program's Technical Seminar No. 20 Overtopping Protection for Dams

The National Dam Safety Review Board – Work Group on Dam Safety Training is pleased to announce the Twentieth Annual National Dam Safety Program Technical Seminar, "Overtopping Protection for Dams". The seminar will take place February 20-21, 2013, on the campus of the National Emergency Training Center (NETC) in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

A new FEMA Technical Manual titled "Overtopping Protection for Dams" is currently under development by the Bureau of Reclamations. This seminar coincides with this effort and will include presentations by individuals involved with the preparation and review of the manual, in addition to presentations on related topics not covered in the manual.

Some areas that will be addressed include:

• Design floods, including discussion of the use of probabilistic loadings versus the Probable Maximum Flood (PMF), or percentages of the PMF
• Investigations, analyses, and design considerations regarding accommodating floods
• Potential failure modes and risk analysis regarding dam overtopping potential failure modes.
• Modeling overtopping and protection methods, both with computer software and hydraulic models
• Overtopping protection options for embankment and concrete dams, including turf reinforcement mats, reinforced rock fill, precast concrete blocks, roller-compacted concrete (RCC), conventional concrete, rock reinforcement, plunge pools, etc.
• Deciding between overtopping protection options, including consideration of costs, use of risk analysis, and use of modeling test results

The seminar is intended for dam safety professionals, bringing together inspectors, designers, consultants, owners, contractors, and regulators for two days of dynamic presentations and in-depth discussions. It will include presentations from representatives of local, state, federal government organizations, as well as experts from the private sector and dam owners. Many presentations will center on case histories and "lessons learned". The seminar will conclude with an open discussion period with a panel of experts in the field. Take advantage of this FREE worthwhile training and plan now to attend!