Damage created by hydraulic fracturing during the drilling process and/or unacceptable methods of completing borings can open seepage paths which could create conditions conducive to piping and ultimately dam failure. This document provides guidance agency policy on the Bureau of Reclamations (Reclamation) investigation in embankment dams, including investigation planning, site preparation, borehole advancement, subsurface testing, and borehole completion.
Industry recommended practices for estimating fluid tailings volumes and tailings performance, in response to the 2009 Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) Directive 074 (D074). The scope of best practices focuses on four areas: Fines measurement, FFT volume determination, deposit characterization, sampling and geostatistics.
This report summarizes the basic chemistry associated with mineral dissolution, weathering, biotic processes and mixing, all of which may contribute to changes in seepage chemistry during structural transit. This report also provides references, overviews of planning, sampling, quality assurance, and interpretation of seepage chemistry investigations, and examples from successful seepage investigations performed over the past 20 years by Bureau of Reclamation Dam Safety Program professionals. Summary references are also recommended for the reader who wishes to investigate specific topics more thoroughly.