Geoprofessional Business Associations (GBA) Tailings Engineer-of-Record (EOR) Task Force published a Business Brief to inform and educate Member-Firms of the ever-increasing levels of risk associated with tailings dams.
Increased awareness of dams and the risks they pose is an important part of dam risk management. Hazards from dams can be triggered by severe weather events, improper operation of the dam, or regular or emergency releases of water downstream.
Examples of proactive actions taken in response to individual dam emergencies that occurred during Hurricane Matthew in 2016 so stakeholders can better understand actions they might take to reduce risks related to dam emergencies.
Engineer of Record (EoR) is a simple and resolute concept that is applied throughout the western world for civil works construction. But how can the EoR concept be applied to a transient design one that implements the observational approach with a construction life that covers decades, often exceeding a design engineers career or lifetime, and one that is directly impacted by changes in the state of practice? Tailings storage facilities (TSFs) are the necessary result of successful mining, milling and/or power production. However, unlike conventional water storage dams that are viewed as an asset by their owners, TSFs and the dams that retain them are an ever-expanding and undesirable yet necessary and ongoing liability throughout the life of operations and into perpetuity. In the wake of the Mount Polley (Canada) tailings dam failure in August 2014 and the Samarco (Brazil) tailings dam failure in November 2015, the efficacy of the EoR for TSFs has been brought into question globally. GBAs Tailings EoR Task Force is leading this important initiative in the United States.
Living With Dams: Know Your Risks is a booklet designed to help answer questions about dams: what purposes they serve, associated risks, guidance for those living near dams, and where to find further information. The booklet provides a general overview of dams and dam safety, and answers the following questions: Why should I care about dams? What are the risks associated with dams? Could I be affected by a dam? What is the dam failure flood inundation area? Once I determine that my property is in a dambreak inundation area, what's next?
This Pocket Safety Guide for Dams and Impoundments was developed for dam owners and other people as a quick reference when assessing low hazard dams and impoundments. For in depth discussion, please refer to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Low Hazard DamsStanding Operating Procedures or FEMA P-145, Dam Safety: An Owners Guidance Manual.
The technology behind industrial applications such as fluids with high percentage solids continues to evolve, as do the corresponding regulations and specifications that ensure the safety of workers and the environment. Valves make up key aspects of this technology and often represent the single point of failure for entire operations. More often than not, the valves being used in high percentage solids applications are known as severe service valves (SSVs) due to their ability to withstand extreme conditions. Most experts agree that SSVs are identified by applications, and that these applications are challenging to the valves ability to provide a minimum acceptable level of performance over a minimum acceptable duration. This paper serves to determine what the minimum requirements are for SSVs in high percentage solids applications specifically concentrating on paste and thickened tailings.