Safety Regulations in Dams and Reservoirs
Introduction
A failure or dam break is a catastrophic type of structural failure characterized by the sudden, rapid and uncontrolled release of impounded water or the likelihood of such an uncontrolled release.[1] Between the years 2000 and 2009, more than 200 major dam failures occurred worldwide.[2].
A dam is a barrier that stands between water and its course, which obstructs, directs or slows down, often creating a reservoir, a lake or a dam. Most dams have a section called a spillway or spillway through which water flows, either intermittently or continuously, and some have hydroelectric power generation systems.
Dams are considered "facilities containing dangerous forces" under International Humanitarian Law due to the enormous impact of their potential destruction on civilians and the environment. Engineers must be able to prevent the risk posed.[3] Dam failures are relatively rare, but can cause immense damage and loss of life when they occur. In 1975 the collapse of the Banqiao Dam and other dams in China's Henan province caused more casualties than any other dam failure in history. It is estimated that the disaster caused the death of 171,000 people and 11 million lost their homes.[4].
Regulations in Spain
Spain is one of the countries in the world with the most dams, which has led institutions to create specific regulations regarding dam safety. The most important regulations to apply are:
Dams in Spain are classified according to their dimensions or the impact that their failure could generate:
For risk dams A and B, it is mandatory to prepare an emergency plan that must contain:
In addition, the dams must pass a security review depending on their category.
Main causes of breakage
The most common causes are:
References
- [1] ↑ Souza, Leonardo; Sanjay Pandit, Grishma; Prakash Chanekar, Tanvi. «Case Study and Forensic Investigation of Failure of Dam Above Kedarnath». International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering. Archivado desde el original el 29 de enero de 2019. Consultado el 28 de enero de 2019.: https://web.archive.org/web/20190129010301/https://www.issmge.org/uploads/publications/46/47/29.pdf
- [2] ↑ «Science Engineering & Sustainability: Dam break simulation with HEC-RAS: Chepete proposed dam». Science Engineering & Sustainability. Archivado desde el original el 12 de junio de 2020. Consultado el 7 de diciembre de 2019.: https://web.archive.org/web/20200612151417/https://sciengsustainability.blogspot.com/2019/03/dam-break-simulation-hec-ras.html
- [3] ↑ «Estudio de rotura de presas». Archivado desde el original el 18 de marzo de 2009. Consultado el 13 de febrero de 2010.: https://web.archive.org/web/20090318143642/http://www.dhi.es/Software/RecursosH%C3%ADdricos/MIKE11/RoturaDePresa.aspx
- [4] ↑ Osnos, Evan (12 de octubre de 2011). «Faust, China, and Nuclear Power». The New Yorker. Archivado desde el original el 13 de marzo de 2016.: https://web.archive.org/web/20160313134654/http://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-china/faust-china-and-nuclear-power
- [5] ↑ «Reglamento Técnico sobre Seguridad». Archivado desde el original el 16 de junio de 2010. Consultado el 29 de enero de 2010.: https://web.archive.org/web/20100616010236/http://carreteros.org/legislacionb/aguas/seguridad/reg_tecnico/regl_tecnico.htm