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Vibrating Wire Piezometers
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Scalinguphydropower is not limitedbyphysical or engineeringpotential. Thechallenges lieindefininghydropowers strategicvalueineachcountry/basinandmanagingrisks. This requires careful attentiontoproject
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Whiledrivenbyregional operations, theoverall hydropower programis coordinatedbyasmall teamintheanchor Energy, Transport andWater (ETW) Department of theSustainableDevelopment (SDN) VicePresidency.
Theteamis managedbytheSector Manager of theWater Unit (ETWWA), andoverseenbytheSector Director for Energy, Water andTransportationandtheEnergyandMining, andWater Sector Boards. Thehydropower
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TheWorldBankanchorunit is seekingtostrengthenits hydropowerteamwithfull-timededicatedexperts tomeet growingdemandandopportunity.
Duties andAccountabilities:
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Masters degreeinafieldrelatedtohydropower development and/or water management andminimum8, preferably10years of relevant experience. Formal trainingor equivalent inoneor moreof thefollowingareas:
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Minimumof 5years fieldbasedexperienceinhydropower development andimplementationsuchas inplanning, feasibilitystudies, design, project supervisionandoperations, preferablyindevelopingcountries.
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TheWorldBankGroupiscommittedtoachievingdiversityintermsofgender,nationality,cultureandeducationalbackground.Individualswithdisabilitiesareequallyencouragedtoapply.Allapplicationswillbetreatedinthestrictestconfidence.
TheWorldBank'sTalent Searchis completinganinternational searchtoidentifyqualifiedprofessionals forthefollowingposition:
Senior Hydropower Specialist - Washington, DC
34 JANUARY 2009 INTERNATIONAL WATER POWER & DAM CONSTRUCTION
REFURBISHMENT
DAM SAFETY
as far as possible, dangers and damage resulting from the existence
of the installation, frominsufficient maintenance or fromthe effects
of war.
Based on this law a dam safety regulation was established. The
present damsafety regulation has been in force since 1 January 1999,
and is a revision of former regulations (Mouvet et al., 2001). The
applicability of the dam safety regulation to a specific dam is based
on geometric criteria (dam height and reservoir volume) and the
damage potential in the downstream region (inundated area).
The regulation defines the duties of the different parties involved
in dam safety, i.e. dam safety authorities, dam owners, dam engi-
neers, and dam experts. To facilitate the application of the present
dam safety regulation, the following guidelines were issued by the
dam safety authority:
1. Criteria for dams subjected to dam safety regulations.
2. Structural safety of dams.
3. Safety of dams against floods.
4. Safety of dams against earthquakes.
5. Monitoring and maintenance of dams.
T
HE modern era of dam construction in Switzerland start-
ed some 135 years ago and came to a virtual standstill in
the 1970s. Since then very few new large dams have been
built. However, two major arch dams have been heightened
and several dams have been rehabilitated. The average age of the
existing large dams is about 50 years (Figure 1). Typically, the con-
cession period for hydro power projects is 80 years; therefore, sev-
eral of the older power plants mainly run-of-river plants have
been rehabilitated for the renewal of the concession. The expected
service life of the rehabilitated power plants will be 160 years. They
must satisfy the current design criteria and safety standards.
Besides ageing, the main concerns are flood and earthquake safety
where safety criteria apply today, which were not applicable at the
time of construction of most existing storage dams. The prerequi-
site for a long service life is the structural safety of the dams and
appurtenant structures.
As a rule of thumb, the service life of a dam is as long as proper
maintenance can be guaranteed. This means the service life can be
very long. However, this will not be the case if a dam is no longer
maintained and monitored, as is demonstrated by the 272m high
Enguri arch damin Georgia, which was not maintained during civil
war and unrests at the time of independence in the early 1990s. This
dam the worlds highest arch dam has shown that the safety of
a dam may deteriorate very fast and even a new dam may become
potentially unsafe within a few years.
The service life of a well-designed, well-constructed and well-
maintained and monitored embankment and concrete dam can
easily reach 100 years. But some elements such as gates and valves
may have to be replaced after 40 to 50 years. The service life of elec-
tro-mechanical equipment and electronic control units is much short-
er and some components may have to be exchanged as frequently
as office computers as they may become technologically outdated
and maintenance may no longer be available.
In the present paper the integral safety concept for large dams is
discussed, which includes four major elements: structural safety,
monitoring safety, operational safety, and emergency planning. The
first three safety elements are well-known. However, much less is
known about emergency planning, because alarmsystems and evac-
uation of the population are often under the control of military or
civil defense authorities. The reason for this is that dams are possi-
ble targets in case of war and terrorists are interested in targets with
high damage potential.
DAM SAFETY IN SWITZERLAND
Legal and administrative aspects of dam safety
The Swiss Federal Law Regarding Water Police of 22 June 1877
stipulates: The Federal Council will ensure that the necessary steps
will be taken with existing and future storage installations to avoid,
Dam safety is an integral concept,
which comprises structural safety, dam
safety monitoring, operational safety
and emergency planning, writes Martin
Wieland and Rudolf Mueller
Dam safety, emergency action
plans and water alarm systems
Figure 1: Grande Dixence gravity dam with a height of 285m, completed in
1961, is the worlds highest concrete dam (top). The 250m high Mauvoisin
double curvature arch dam completed in 1957 (bottom). Both dams have
been in uninterrupted use for some 50 years.
The supervision of the larger dams, i.e. dams with an impounding
head of more than 25m, or dams with an impounding head of more
than 15mand a storage capacity of at least 50,000m
3
, or dams with
an impounding head of more than 10mand a storage capacity of at
least 100,000m
3
, or dams with a storage capacity of at least
500,000m
3
, is carried out by the federal damsafety authority which
employs specialised dam engineers. The safety of small dams is the
responsibility of the cantons (provinces).
The safety authority examines and approves new dam construc-
tion projects, as well as projects to rehabilitate existing dams.
Therefore, the owner has to submit the project drawings, the analy-
sis and design reports, and the results of the geotechnical and hydro-
logic investigations to the authority for approval. The construction
work may not start before approval of the final design has been given.
During construction it performs inspections and checks compli-
ance with the approved plans. All findings are placed on record.
The initial impounding of a damrequires the authorisation of the
dam safety authority.
During operation of the damthe authority supervises the surveil-
lance organisation of the owner, of the experienced engineer and of
the experts.
The reports of the experienced engineer (yearly) as well as the
experts appraisals (five-yearly) on condition and behaviour of the
dam are immediately notified to the dam safety authority.
WWW.WATERPOWERMAGAZINE.COM JANUARY 2009 35
If monitoring or inspections call for remedial actions, they have
to be carried out immediately.
Basic elements of dam safety concept
The two main goals of every safety concept are the minimisation of
all risks, and the mastering of the remaining risk in the best possi-
ble way (Biedermann 1997). To reach these goals a comprehensive
dam safety concept was introduced in Switzerland comprising the
following elements: (i) structural safety, (ii) dammonitoring and dam
maintenance, and (iii) emergency planning.
i) Structural safety
Minimization of the risks calls for an appropriate design and con-
struction of the dam. This means that the design (design criteria and
design concepts) should be periodically reviewed to ensure that the
structural safety will be guaranteed according to the state-of-the-art.
Figure 2 shows the Sefid Rud buttress dam in Iran, which experi-
enced much stronger earthquake actions than originally assumed in
the design. The seismic design criteria and methods of dynamic
analysis used for the design of the damare considered obsolete today.
ii) Dam monitoring and dam maintenance
Risks can be minimized but never totally eliminated even if a dam
has been designed and constructed according to the latest state of
knowledge. Therefore, it is necessary to detect any signs of abnormal
behaviour, damage, deficiencies in structural safety, and newtypes of
threats and hazards etc. as quickly as possible, so that corrective mea-
sures can be taken in time. In order to achieve this, periodic inspec-
tions of the dam, as well as periodic safety evaluations, are needed.
The purpose of the periodic inspections is to monitor the actual
behaviour of the dam. The periodic safety evaluations are used for
control of the long-term behaviour as well as for verification of the
structural safety. The damsurveillance systemused in Switzerland is
shown in Table 1. The responsibilities of the different parties involved
in dam surveillance and dam safety monitoring are as follows:
Dam owner: The dam owner has to maintain the dam in good
condition. For this purpose he establishes an organization to mon-
itor and maintain the dam. The technical staff of the dam owner
performs regular visual inspections and measurements on a weekly
or monthly basis. Automatically registered measurements are
checked monthly by manual readings. The damtechnician checks
the operational readiness of the outlet gates at least once a year.
The results of the observations and measurements are forwarded
to an experienced engineer appointed by the dam owner.
Experienced engineer: The experienced engineer checks the mon-
itoring results on a continuous basis, performs an annual inspec-
tion of the dam and compiles his interpretation of the dams
behaviour and condition in an annual report. The engineer may
also act as a consultant to the dam owner.
Experts: Larger dams with an impounding head of at least 40m,
or 10m with a reservoir capacity in excess of 1Mm
3
, must under-
go a comprehensive safety reviewby nominated experts every five
years. The experts, being civil engineers and geologists, are recog-
REFURBISHMENT
DAM SAFETY
Table 1. Structure of damsurveillance systemin Switzerland
Level Responsibility Activities Reports
1 Owner (dam safety Regular inspection of condition (by visual observations) and behaviour Monitoring records and test protocols
engineer, technical staff) (by measurements). Tests of spillway and bottom outlet gates.
2 Experienced engineer Analysis of the measured data and observations. Annual inspection Yearly report on condition and on
(civil engineer) of the dam. measured behaviour.
3 Experts (civil engineer Inspection and appraisal of the dam safety every five years. Report on condition and long-term behaviour.
and geologist) Analysis of special safety related questions.
4 Dam Safety Authority On-site inspection. Review of the annual reports and the experts Interventions if measures have to
appraisal. Verification of the implementation of the necessary measures. be implemented.
Figure 2: Repair and strengthening of Sefid Rud buttress dam in Iran, which
was damaged during the magnitude 7.5 Manjil earthquake of 21 June 1990:
downstream view of dam (top), strengthening of all 25 buttresses with rock
anchors with a capacity of 100 MN per block (bottom)
36 JANUARY 2009 INTERNATIONAL WATER POWER & DAM CONSTRUCTION
REFURBISHMENT
DAM SAFETY
nized specialists in damengineering and are appointed by the owner
in agreement with the dam safety authority.
Dam safety authority: The damsafety authority reviews the annual
reports of the experienced engineers as well as the five-year appraisals
of the experts. It also carries out on-site inspections and verifies that
the recommendations stated in the annual report and five-year
reports are observed and the necessary measures are implemented.
iii) Emergency planning
In case of an identified hazard to the dam the situation is managed
according to the emergency planning concept. It is important that the
measures to be taken have been prepared in advance. These measures
consist of a strategy and of emergency plans. The potentially flooded
area in case of a dambreak has to be determined, and the results should
be presented in a flood wave inundation map. This map allows evac-
uation of the population in the flooded area to be planned. Further
emergency planning measures include the installation or at least the
specification of the alarm devices, and the organizational provisions
for ensuring the evacuation of the population. The emergency strate-
gy defines three danger levels. Specific technical and operational pro-
visions as well as emergency actions are assigned to every danger level.
DAM SAFETY, CONSEQUENCES OF DAM FAILURE,
AND MEASURES FOR RISK REDUCTION
Today, a comprehensive safety concept is used for projects with
large damage potential such as large storage dams, nuclear facili-
ties etc. For dams it includes the following key elements: (i) struc-
tural safety, (ii) dam safety monitoring, (iii) operational safety and
maintenance, and (iv) emergency planning. Usually design engi-
neers are primarily concerned with structural safety; however, for
critical infrastructures like large storage dams, safety goes beyond
structural safety and must include items (ii) to (iv) listed above.
Operational safety, which is not considered explicitly in the Swiss
dam safety concept, is an important issue, which has to be con-
sidered. A typical example is the failure of the upper reservoir of
the Taum Sauk pump storage scheme in the US, which failed in
December 2005 (see page XX).
The consequences of damfailure are: loss of life (reduction of loss
of life is the top priority of emergency planning); environmental
damage; property damage in flood plain; damage of infrastructure;
loss of power plant and electricity production; socio-economic
impact; political impact, etc.
These consequences can be reduced by a number of structural and
non-structural measures. The structural measures are mainly relat-
ed to the safety of the dam, i.e. flood safety, earthquake safety, and
site conditions. The non-structural measures include the following:
safe operational guidelines for reservoir under normal and abnor-
mal operational conditions; implementation of emergency action
plans; implementation of water alarm systems; training of person-
nel; lowering of reservoir level in case of safety concerns; periodic
safety checks; engineering back-up to cope effectively with abnor-
mal and emergency situations; land use planning (political decision);
insurance coverage, third party liability coverage (protection from
economic losses), etc. The non-structural measures are often more
effective than structural measures.
EMERGENCY PLANNING IN SWITZERLAND
Emergency procedures include a plan on how to warn the authori-
ties and how to alert the population (Pougatsch et al., 1998).
The damowner must provide a flood wave inundation map show-
ing the flooded area, the energy head level and the arrival time of
the flood wave.
For dams with a storage capacity of more than 2Mm
3
a water
alarmsystemis mandatory in the so-called close zone. This zone will
be flooded within two hours at most. This corresponds to a distance
of about 30km downstream of the dam. The water alarm system
consists of special sirens that can be activated directly fromthe dam.
It has to be maintained and tested on a regular basis by the dam
owner. In the distant zone the rest of the flooded area the alarm
is released with the civil defence general alarmsirens and broadcast
directives. This alarmsystemis installed and maintained by the can-
tons. In the fact, a newgeneration of sirens are to be installed which
can operate both as water alarm sirens and as general alarm sirens.
For smaller dams with minor flooded areas the water alarm is
released using the civil defence general alarm sirens.
The cantons and the municipalities are responsible for the plan-
ning and preparation of the emergency directives and for evacuation
of the population.
The flood wave inundation maps are used on the one hand for
emergency planning purposes and on the other hand to define the
applicability of the regulations to a specific dam. The intensity of the
flood wave is defined as the product of the water depth with the flow
velocity and must be assessed with the limit values given in Table 2.
EMERGENCY ACTION PLANS
The main objective of emergency planning is to save lives. The eco-
nomical losses of the dam owner and the owners in the flood plain
can be covered by insurance.
Emergency Action Plans (EAP) are intended to help the dam
owner and operator, and emergency officials to minimize the con-
sequences of flooding caused by dam failure or the uncontrolled
release of water from a reservoir. The EAP will guide the responsi-
ble personnel in identifying, monitoring, responding to, and miti-
gating emergency situations. It outlines who does what, where,
when, and how in an emergency situation or unusual occurrence
affecting the safety of the damand the power plant. The EAP should
be updated regularly and after important emergency events.
Basically, the dam owner is responsible for maintaining a safe dam
by means of safety monitoring, operations manual, maintenance,
repair, and rehabilitation.
In an emergency situation, the damowner is responsible for mon-
itoring, determining appropriate alarmlevels, making notifications,
implementing emergency actions at the dam, determining when an
emergency situation no longer exists, and documenting all activities.
In the case of an emergency, the damowner is responsible for imme-
diate notification of the authorities, who are in charge of warning
and evacuation of the affected population. Warning is performed by
special water alarm systems as discussed in the subsequent section.
The basis for evacuation planning is a dambreach flood wave analy-
sis, which shows the inundated area for the worst case failure sce-
nario, i.e. the sudden failure of the dam. In addition, the arrival time
of the flood wave, flow velocities and water depth are results
obtained from such an analysis. As a rule of thumb, it takes about
two hours for a flood wave to propagate 30km.
Table 2. Definition of danger
levels of flood waves
(h: water depth; v: flow velocity)
Danger levels and Dam safety regulations apply
intensity of flooding if danger levels are exceeded
High danger
h > 2m or vh > 2m
2
/sec People inside massive buildings, in railway
coaches, in passenger cars, or on camping
sites are in danger.
Medium danger
2 m h > 1m or 2m
2
/sec People inside buildings, in passenger cars
vh > 1m
2
/sec or on camping sites are in danger.
Moderate danger
1 m h > 0.5m or 1m
2
/sec People in passenger cars and on camping
vh > 0.5m
2
/sec sites are in danger.
Low danger
h 0.5m or vh 0.5m
2
/sec The regulations do not apply.
WWW.WATERPOWERMAGAZINE.COM JANUARY 2009 37
The EAP consists of several components or tasks, namely:
Hazard classification a determination of the types of hazard that
could affect the safety of the facility. Hazards can be associated
with natural events and processes (e.g. floods, storms, earthquakes,
internal erosion, etc.) (Figure 3), with the operation of safety-rel-
evant hydro-mechanical and electro-mechanical equipment (e.g.
gate jamming, failure of monitoring equipment, etc), and with
damages caused intentionally by people (sabotage, terrorism, war,
etc.).
Emergency classification determination of the level of severity of
an incident or unusual behaviour of a monitoring instrument or
of a mechanical/electrical part. Three levels have been distin-
guished: (i) internal alert, (ii) developing situation, and (iii) immi-
nent situation. As an aid for judging the level of severity an
assessment matrix can be developed (which may change from one
facility to another one, depending on the dams characteristics and
the environment) (Table 3).
Upon discovery of, or after having been notified about, an unusual
scenario, two possible situations must be judged, namely whether
external assistance is needed and whether there are adverse impacts
with a threat to population, structures or environment. The urgency
of the situation is the major factor in classifying the severity of an
incident. The following alarm levels and emergency situations can
be distinguished:
i) The internal alert triggered by an unusual situation can be man-
aged and controlled by the dams staff. Typical internal alert sce-
narios are flood warning prior to receiving information on the size
of the flood and potential dangers, and also abnormal monitoring
results where readings on certain instruments exceed pre-set safety
limits (e.g. piezometric heads, discharge from drainage facilities or
displacement of structures).
ii) A developing situation exists when the observed incident clear-
ly tends to turn into a serious threat to the dams safety and the
population in the downstream area. At this stage it is not yet
known whether the situation can be brought under control.
iii) An imminent situation has developed when it has become clear
that the progress of the incident or threat cannot be stopped but
its consequences can still be mitigated, such as the evacuation of
the population in danger.
Communication or notification of the incident could be internally
only or both internally and externally. Externally means communi-
cation with local and state authorities, responsible for the execution
of emergency actions. Communication can be facilitated by notifi-
cation charts, which display the flow of information among con-
cerned parties and the executive staff of the facility. Internally, the
necessary measures will be carried out by an Emergency Task Group
(ETG), which is composed of members of the operating staff.
REFURBISHMENT
DAM SAFETY
Figure 3. Hazards from natural environment affecting dams: Overtopping of Palagnedra dam in Switzerland due to plugging of spillway by floating debris 1978
(left); failure of two gates of Shih-Kang weir due to fault movement caused during the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake in Taiwan (right)
Table 3. Example of hazard matrix for
hydro power plant showing hazards
and required protective measures
(Emergency classification:
A: internal alert; B: developing situation;
C: imminent situation)
PROTECTIVE MEASURES
HAZARDS Rehabi- Partial Full Evacuation Post-event
litation reservoir reservoir evacuation
drawdown drawdown
Natural hazards
Floods A B C
Ice problems A
Earthquake C
Storm and lightning A
Structural hazards
Abnormal A B C
instrumentation
readings
Spillway gates and C C
equipment failure
Joint failure A C
Differential A B C C
movement of structure
Embankment piping A B C
or seepage
Electrical/mechanical A
failure and power
plant shut-down
Man-made hazards
Fire A B
Oil or hazardous A
material release
Criminal action, B C
sabotage, terrorism,
acts of war
Human error A
38 JANUARY 2009 INTERNATIONAL WATER POWER & DAM CONSTRUCTION
REFURBISHMENT
DAM SAFETY
WATER ALARM SYSTEMS
In Switzerland, 65 large dams have been equipped with a water
alarm system. The first systems were installed some 50 years ago.
The driving force behind these systems was the military. The objec-
tive was to prevent the type of disasters which were observed in
Germany, when several large dams were destroyed during World
War II. Therefore, the main threats considered were acts of war. This
has changed over the years.
Technology has developed very fast in recent years and water
alarm systems have to take advantage mainly of the new develop-
ments in equipment and communication. The water alarm systems
as such are not changing as the inundated areas remain unchanged.
However, with new developments, additional warning equipment
(sirens) may be needed.
A problem with triggering a water alarm is the fact that many
dams are no longer monitored by the dam owners personnel 24
hours a day. In remote places, nobody is at the dam site in winter.
Therefore, access to the dams during emergency situations is a logis-
tical problem. During severe rainfalls or after an earthquake, roads
may be blocked, etc. Also, in order to prevent false alarms, the sirens
are usually not in an operational mode, i.e. they have to be activat-
ed when a predefined alarmlevel is reached. This will take some time
if it has to be done manually. Only when the sirens are operational
and the highest alarm level is reached, i.e. it has to be expected that
the dam may fail, then a specific acoustic signal notifying a water
alarm is released.
In Switzerland, a distinction is made between the near field of a
flood wave, which is defined as the distance the flood wave will
travel in two hours, and the far field beyond that time limit. The
dam owners are responsible for the water alarm equipment in the
near field; the normal civil defense sirens are used in the far field.
Fortunately, up to now, no emergency has developed where people
had to be evacuated. Annual exercises are carried out by the author-
ities and the dam owners only and the proper functioning of the
equipment is checked.
It is obvious that a water alarm system contributes significantly
to the credibility of the damowners and the authorities by showing
that they are concerned about the safety of the people living down-
stream of large dams.
An example of a leaflet distributed to the population living in the
area in Zurich inundated by the possible failure of the Sihlsee dam
is shown in Figure 4 together with the two types of sirens used.
CONCLUSIONS
Emergency planning and the installation of water alarm systems in
the downstream region of large storage dams is a must. Even if a
dam is structurally safe, there are natural or man-made events that
could cause failure. For emergency planning to be effective, the pop-
ulation affected must be involved and informed about what to do
in an emergency. The first water alarm systems for dams were
installed in Switzerland some 50 years ago.
The Emergency Action Plan (EAP) for storage and run-of-river
facilities is an efficient damsafety management tool assisting the dam
owner or operator in the handling of possible adverse impacts that
may originate at the dam or in its environment. The components of
the EAP, i.e. hazard identification and classification, unusual situa-
tions matrix and emergency classification and notification charts
present clear steps to follow in the case an unusual observation has
been noticed requiring corrective or mitigating actions.
The EAP facilitates decision making and streamlines communication
among the responsible persons. It provides support to the key response
actions to be taken within the damowners organization.
Martin Wieland, Chairman, ICOLD Committee on
Seismic Aspects of Dam Design, Poyry Energy Ltd.,
Zurich, Switzerland. Email: martin.wieland@poyry.com
Rudolf Mueller, Dam Expert, AF-Colenco Ltd., Baden,
Switzerland; formerly Deputy Commissioner for Dam
Safety, Swiss Federal Office for Energy, Bern, Switzerland.
Email: rudolf.mueller@afconsult.com
This paper was presented at the High-Level International
Forum on Water Resources and Hydropower, which was
held in Beijing from October 16 18, 2008 in connection
with the 50th anniversary of the China Institute of Water
Resources and Hydropower Research (IWHR)
References
[1] Pougatsch H., Mueller R., Kobelt A. (1998): Water Alarm Concept in
Switzerland, Dam Safety, Berga (ed.), Balkema, Rotterdam, Holland.
[2] Mouvet L., Mueller R.W., Pougatsch H. (2001): Structural safety of
dams according to the new Swiss legislation, Proc. ICOLD European
Symposium, Geiranger, Norway.
[3] Biedermann R. (1997): Safety concept for dams: Development of the
Swiss concept since 1980, wasser energie luft, 89 Jahrgang, Heft 3-4
Baden, Switzerland, pp. 55-63.
IWP&DC
Figure 4. Flood map of Zurich with evacuation directions (failure of the
Sihlsee dam located some 30 km away from the Zurich) (left); water alarm
siren (above left); general alarm siren (above right)
WWW.WATERPOWERMAGAZINE.COM JANUARY 2009 39
REFURBISHMENT
remedial works in conjunction with Bachy Soletanche.
Primarily, the project required the construction of a slurry cut off
wall from the crest of the dam using a diaphragm wall grab tech-
nique to prohibit the migration of groundwater when the reservoir
is refilled. Acrane-mounted hydraulic grab was considered the most
appropriate method to use, as it maintains verticality and accuracy
through onboard software and detects the slightest of movement
during excavation which is particularly essential when the depth of
the slurry cut-off wall is 42m.
The installation progresses in stages or panels along the length
of the damand directly through the existing clay core. Acement ben-
tonite slurry mix is pumped into each panel during trench excava-
tion which keeps it stable and creates the finished impermeable
barrier. The dam slurry wall is 200m long (with an 800mm width).
The grouting stage of the project firstly requires the installation
of a grout curtain wall. This goes into the rock at the dam base to
seal the interface between the clay and the rock, and improve the
integrity of the rock itself. The grout will extend 10minto the rock,
therefore reaching as far as 55m below the crust of the dam. It is
here where Bachy Soletanche will install the grout tubes using the
overlapping method.
Further grouting is also taking place within a 1.7mdiameter brick
and concrete lined culvert. It carries water fromthe reservoirs draw-
down tower into the river on the downstream side of the dam and
runs right through the base of the dams clay core. It is considered
that the culvert could also leak when the reservoir is reinstated.
Bachy Soletanche is therefore sealing the interface of the culvert and
surrounding clay by grouting around it.
All the remedial work conducted by Bachy Soletanche was com-
pleted in November last year, however the project hasnt gone with-
out its challenges. Daniel Barnard, the projects Contract Manager
explained: It was a very sensitive project in regards to environmen-
tal considerations as a nearby river is in close proximity to the site.
This required extremely careful coordination on our part in order to
avoid contaminating the water with the grout or bentonite fluid used
on site. Flexibility with our design was also key to the process due to
the poor as built construction records from 1911. It led to a 3D
CAD model of the dam and surrounding ground being designed in
conjunction with Black and Veatch which is proving to be an
extremely beneficial tool to the design of the project.
www.bacsol.co.uk
I
N the picturesque surroundings of Ebbw Vale, South Wales,
Bachy Soletanche Limited is conducting essential remedial works
at the Dwr Cymru Welsh Water owned Lower Carno Dam.
Built in 1911, the damhas been plagued with a number of leak-
ages and complications eventually leading to the adjacent reservoir
being emptied in 2005. Nowin order to refill the reservoir, the geot-
echnical specialist will construct a slurry wall and provide compre-
hensive rock injection grouting to reinforce the dam in a multi
million pound two-phase project.
It was essential to get to the root of the problem, as the reservoir
increases the water supply to the local towns and future develop-
ments in the community. However it was only after the reservoir was
emptied that one of Welsh Waters partners, Black and Veatch, got
the opportunity to determine a permanent solution to the dams
ongoing problems. The firm initially conducted a study to identify
the possible mechanisms for the leakages and after carrying out an
intrusive investigation, developed an appropriate design for the
Lower Carno dam
Essential remedial works are being carried
out at Lower Carno dam in Wales, UK
Back on the mend
For the initial phase of the project, Bachy Soletanche installed a slurry cut off
wall along the crest of the dam using a crane mounted hydraulic grab
IWP&DC
40 JANUARY 2009 INTERNATIONAL WATER POWER & DAM CONSTRUCTION
REFURBISHMENT
F
RANCIS turbine runners play a crucial role in converting
energy from water into mechanical energy. Unfortunately
cracks occur frequently on turbine blades. Research [1] has
indicated that most of the regular cracks are fatigue cracks
where blades have been subjected to cyclic steady stress and vibra-
tory alternate stress. The existence of cracks seriously endangers the
operating stability and safety of power stations, so it is necessary to
monitor the initiation of cracks and to master the developing trend
of the cracks. However, it is very difficult to find a method that effec-
tively monitors the state of the turbines, mainly due to the complex
structure and operational environment of turbine units. As far as the
authors are aware, minimal research exists of the monitoring of
cracks in Francis turbine blades.
Acoustic emission (AE) technique, a passive non-destructive test-
ing (NDT) method, is very sensitive to crack and failure of materi-
als and structures. It has been widely used for inspection and
monitoring in non-destructive evaluation [2, 3]. This research paper
aims to recognize the AE characteristics of fatigue cracks in the blade
material, and will then compare the characteristics with those
received from background noise on site.
EXPERIMENTS
Three-point bending fatigue test
Hydraulic pressure produces bending stress on the blades when run-
ners operate under stable state [4]. Crack signals of a blade material
from the three-point bending fatigue test were received in order to
obtain their AE characteristics under the bending fatigue loading. The
material generally usedfor blades, 20SiMn, was chosen. The three-point
bend (SENB) specimen was machined according to the ASTMstandard
E647 [5], i.e. SWB=2406020 (mm
3
). The specimen was pre-
cracked by electric spark line cutting (8mmlength).
The specimen was tested in the load-controlled mode of an Instron
8801 servohydraulic test machine at room temperature. The crack
length was measured using the compliance method by a crack open-
ing displacement (COD) gauge. The experimental setup is given in
Figure 1. Two SR150 AE sensors (50-400 kHz) and two model 2/4/6
pre-amplifiers (10K10k- 2M Hz) were chosen. Signal conditioning
was performed by the preamplifiers. The conditioning signal was
fed to the main data acquisition board. The AE parameters and
waveforms were recorded via Physical Acoustics Corporation
SAMOS system. All the data were processed by a computer. In addi-
tion, the sensors were mounted on the symmetrical positions 50mm
away fromthe pre-crack line. The interface between the AE sensors
and the specimen was filled with vaseline in order to keep the trans-
mission performance of the signal.
The specimen was subjected to cyclic tension-tension loading in
the sinusoidal wave shape with an R-ratio of 0.1. The applied load
range was determined from the geometry of the test specimens and
material properties and remained fixed (maximum23 KN) through-
out the test. In order to reduce the testing time, the loading frequency
was set to 10Hz as it had little effect on fatigue crack growth [6].
Receiving background noise
The background noise was received from the No. 1 turbine unit of
Yantan power station (Figure 2). The rated speed of the unit is 75 r/min,
the operating power is 302.5MWand the water head is 55m. The same
Figure 1 Experimental setup
Hydraulic turbine runners are subjected to cyclic steady stress and vibratory alternate
stress, which can often lead to cracks on the turbine blades. Research has been carried out
on the application of the acoustic emission technique to detect crack signals on the blade
Sounding out fatigue cracks
Figure 2 Receiving the background noise on site
Table 1 Test parameter setup
Parameter type Instrument set values
Threshold value 42dB
Peak Definition Time 300s
Hit Definition Time 600s
Hit Lockout Time 1000s
Sample rate 1MHz
Filter on board(low) 20kHz
Filter on board(high) 400kHz
Pre-amplifier gain 40dB
Pre-trigger 50s
Hit length 1K
AE sensors and acquisition systemwith the fatigue tests were used.
The AE testing parameter setup for the two tests was the same and
is shown in Table 1. The threshold of 42 dB was determined in the
fatigue tests, which was just above the background noise level deter-
mined using a dummy specimen without a slot when the hydraulic
power supply was turned on.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
The correlation of the AE amplitude versus loading cycle during the
fatigue test is plotted in Figure 3. It shows that the amplitude of crack
signal is mainly concentrated on 68-73 dB, except for a small
amount of signals with 49-53 dB during the initial stage of fatigue
test. Thus, the AE amplitude can be considered one of methods to
recognize and extract the crack signal.
The correlation of duration versus energy is shown in Figure 4. It
indicates that the duration is proportional to the energy because the
duration reflects the releasing mode of energy. The plot of the dura-
tion of the AE events against their energy can be used to monitor the
onset of failure. Events with evident higher durations and energies may
predict failure approached. For the specimen, the failure initiates while
the duration is above 840s and the energy is above 2500 counts.
The AE characteristics of the fatigue crack signals and the back-
ground noise are listed in Table 2. It shows that the AE parameters
of the two kinds of signals are very different. The rise time and dura-
tion of the crack signals are shorter than those of the background
noise. The amplitude is between 49dB and 74dB, which is lower
than that in the background noise (90-99dB). The peak frequency
is above 80 kHz while it is below 60 kHz in the noise.
The waveforms and the corresponding spectrograms of both the
crack signals and the background noise are shown in Figure 5. The
maximumamplitude of the noise is 1.5V, which is greater than that
in the metal crack signal, 0.3V. The energy of the background noise
is mainly concentrated on 30-55 kHz while it is concentrated on 60-
150 kHz for the crack signal.
Both the AE parameters and the waveforms indicate the differ-
ence of the two kinds of signals. The reason is the different mecha-
nisms of the two kinds of signals produced. The AE source of the
ductile blade material is very weak [7], so the amplitude is low.
However, the background noise is made up of periodic vibration sig-
nals of turbine units, which has a longer duration and rise time and
a lower frequency range. As a result, through suitable signal pro-
cessing methods, it is possible to extract the useful crack signals
when the signal-to-noise ratio is lower.
CONCLUSIONS
The AE amplitude range of crack signals of the blade material is
between 49 dB and 74 dB, but it mainly concentrates on 68-73 dB.
The AE energy and duration are useful parameters to embody blade
failure. The failure initiates while the duration is above 840s and
the energy is above 2500 counts in the tests.
The values of the AE parameters of fatigue crack signals and back-
ground noise are very different because of the different producing
WWW.WATERPOWERMAGAZINE.COM JANUARY 2009 41
mechanisms. The background noise is continuous vibration signal,
which has longer duration and rise time and lower frequency range
and amplitude. As a result, the two kinds of signals can be distin-
guished by the AE parameter filtration and the extraction of the
crack signals with the low signal-to-noise ratio.
To summarize, the AE technique could be considered an effec-
tive tool to monitor fatigue cracks in turbine runners. The next
stage of this work will focus on the study of a suitable signal pro-
cessing method.
Xianghong Wang and Changming Zhu, School of
Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiaotong University,
1954 Huashan Road, Shanghai 200030, China*
Hanling Mao, Guangxi Radio and TV University,
Nanning 530004, China*
Zhenfeng Huang, School of Mechanical Engineering,
Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China*
REFURBISHMENT
1000
800
600
400
D
u
r
a
t
i
o
n
(
s
)
1000
Energy (count)
2000 3000
72
66
60
54
48
A
m
p
l
i
t
u
d
e
(
d
B
)
0.0 0.4 0.8
Cycle
1.2 1.6
x10
5
300 200 100 0 0 500
Time (s) Frequency (kHz)
300 200 100 0
Frequency (kHz)
1000
0 500
Time (s)
1000
0 500 1000
0 500 1000 300 200 100 0
300 200 100 0
0.2
0
-0.2
A
m
p
l
i
t
u
d
e
(
V
)
1
0
-1
A
m
p
l
i
t
u
d
e
(
V
)
0.2
0.1
0
A
m
p
l
i
t
u
d
e
(
V
)
0.06
0.04
-0.02
0
A
m
p
l
i
t
u
d
e
(
V
)
(a) (b)
(c) (d)
From left to right: Figure 3 AE amplitude versus loading cycles; Figure 4 AE Energy versus duration; Figure 5 Waveforms and FFT spectra of fatigue AE
signal (a) time domain, (b) frequency domain and background noise (c) time domain, (d) frequency domain
References
[1] Fisher D, The cause of runner crack and the solutions implement for the
Xiaolangdi Hydroelectric project, in: Proceedings of the XXIst IAHR
symposium on Hydraulic machinery and systems, Lausanne, 2002, pp. 9-12
[2] Ennaceur C, Laksimi A, Herve C, Cherfaoui M. Monitoring crack growth
in pressure vessel steels by the acoustic emission technique and the
method of potential difference. International Journal of Pressure Vessels
and Piping, 2006,83(3):197-204.
[3] Mba D,Hall L D. The transmission of acoustic emission across large-
scale turbine rotors. NDT & E International, 2002,35(8):529-539.
[4] Carpinteri A, Brighenti R, Huth H-J, Vantadori S. Fatigue growth of a
surface crack in a welded T-joint. International Journal of Fatigue,
2005,27(1):59-69.
[5] ASTM, ASTM E647-05: Standard Test Method for Measurement of
Fatigue Crack Growth Rates, in Annual Book of ASTM Standard. 2005.
[6] Huth H J, Fatigue Design of Hydraulic Turbine Runners. Trondheim:
Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 2005, pp.61-72.
[7] Moorthy V, Jayakumar T, Raj B. Influence of micro structure on acoustic
emission behavior during stage 2 fatigue crack growth in solution
annealed, thermally aged and weld specimens of AISI type 316 stainless
steel. Materials Science and Engineering A, 1996,212(2):273-280.
The authors wish to express their gratitude to Institute of Electricity
Experiment and Yantan water power plant, Guangxi province, for their
assistance in undertaking this investigation. This research is supported by the
National Natural Science Foundation of China under grant number 50465002.
IWP&DC
Table 2: AE Parameters of the fatigue
crack signals and background noise
Type Rise time Duration Amplitude Peak Frequency
Crack <290s <900s 49-74dB 83-184kHz
Noise <66s 334s or so 90-97dB 39-60kHz
42 JANUARY 2009 INTERNATIONAL WATER POWER & DAM CONSTRUCTION
SOFTWARE
flaws in that solution can then inform the next, and so on.
A case in point would be the recent scheme at Glendoe in
Scotland, where First Minister Alex Salmond closed the damgate in
September 2008. Glendoe will play a crucial role in meeting
Scotlands and the UKs renewable energy targets, but Energy
Minister Jim Mather warned that we are unlikely to see much in
the way of further large scale developments.
This is not to say large scale opportunities dont exist, but that we
Getting to the bottom of it
The availability of grant funding, improvements in the planning process and a steadily
improving public acceptance are making more hydro schemes viable but finding sites
can still drain resources. A new approach to site identification dramatically reduces the
need for speculative site visits, and opens the market for small and micro hydro
customers. Nick Forrest gives IWP&DC an insight into the development of Hydrobot
R
EADERS will be aware of the opposition to large hydro
developments from ecologists and the debate that has
opened in the environmental community. We have a trade-
off between the environmental, social and economic bene-
fits of a newrenewable energy installation, versus the environmental
and cultural impacts of the structure. The best answer at any one
time would be one reached by a healthy democratic process where
opinions on each side are heard and evidence assessed equally. The
Hydrobot is the model used by Nick Forrest
Associates to model Scotlands hydro potential
WWW.WATERPOWERMAGAZINE.COM JANUARY 2009 43
may need to lay off the valley-flooding for a bit. In five or ten years
it may be time to look again.
This puts the spotlight on small hydro (up to 5MW or so) where
small impoundments or even run-of-river schemes will suffice.
Engineering consultancies across the world are dusting off their
ultrasonic transducers, but it seems many small landowners are put
off by the upfront cost of a pre-feasibility study: 500 (US$765) to
perhaps be told theres no potential at all. And the poor old devel-
opers are having to visit ten unsuitable sites for every good one.
Then theres the planning process, costs of development and oppo-
sition from fisheries which, in Scotland, mean all hydro is presumed
guilty until proven innocent. This is not the route to JimMathers sus-
tainable and profitable future in smaller and micro hydro schemes.
Enter Hydrobot, a new approach to hydro site identification
which could solve many of these problems. Hydrobot is a combined
geographical information system(GIS) and financial assessment tool,
designed to mimic a quarter of a million hydro engineers tramping
up and down the hills of Scotland finding hydro sites. The model
first hit the headlines when it was commissioned by the Forum for
Renewable Energy Development in Scotland (FREDS), on behalf of
the Scottish Government, to assess the nations remaining hydro
potential. The resulting Scottish Hydropower Resource Study had
the remit of identifying the main barriers to hydro development in
Scotland [see p12]. Now that the government has verified hydros
contribution to renewables targets could be significant, it is com-
mitting resources to tackling the barriers to hydro development.
Confidence and further competition within the industry should bring
prices down, but developers may still waste valuable time and resources
poring over large estates. Hydrobot can be applied to any land area
within Scotland and the top sites supplied to those developers.
DEVELOPING HYDROBOT
Hydrobot was first conceived as a university project, and operated
as a series of processes rather than a single model. It was initially
used to analyse the catchments of the North and South Esk near
Edinburgh. After this, the model followed two very different devel-
opment paths. In 2007 I qualified for the Starter for 6 initiative,
which is run by the National Endowment for Science, Technology
and the Arts (NESTA). Starter for 6 is an enterprise support project,
and provided funding that allowed me to establish a web portal for
Hydrobot, and to develop the model for micro hydro applications.
When FREDS launched a competition in late 2007 to survey
Scotland for hydro potential, Hydrobot was an obvious contender
as it was already running, albeit for micro hydro. Developing the
model to cover the whole of Scotland and bolting on other required
features was relatively fast and economic, compared to what it
would have taken any other consortiumto do the same job. Costing
and calibration was directed by Black & Veatch, with environmen-
tal and grid impacts analysed by SISTech Ltd.
Needless to say, other development was put on hold during the
undertaking of the Scottish Hydropower Resource Study. As a result
the online version only went live on 29 October 2008. It will pri-
marily identify micro hydro schemes to begin with, though the other
features used in the Scottish study that model larger schemes will be
phased in over time.
Meanwhile the core Hydrobot model is being used and developed
for clients requiring a larger or more specific service. The basic ser-
vice will cost 35 (US$54) for a 1km
2
tile, including VAT. The client
receives a pdf report including a map illustrating the layout of the
scheme, and a table summarising the size, costs and profits for each
identified scheme. There could be several schemes within that area.
By comparison, a traditional hydro pre-feasibility study, including
site visit, would cost between 3-600 (US$459-918).
HOW TO BUILD AN ARTIFICIAL ENGINEER
So how does it work? Obviously the exact algorithms are commer-
cially sensitive, but heres an outline. Hydrobot is based on a surface
flowmodel derived fromelevation data in 10mx 10msquares across
the whole of Scotland. Every watercourse has been modelled to give
21 exceedence levels on the annual flowduration curve at any point.
The accuracy of the predicted flows has been tested against measured
flows away fromestablished gauging stations, and also examined by
the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA).
A range of grid connections are possible, depending on the loca-
tion and size of the scheme:
Domestic connection at 240V or 400V.
Connection to an existing 11kV line.
Connection to the 33kV network by installing a new 11kV or
33kV line, and connecting either at an existing substation or by
constructing a new substation.
The model takes two approaches to site identification. There are sev-
eral hundred weir locations already listed by the model, and each of
these is tested. Turbine size and hence power output are based on
head and flow, but adjusted to take into account environmental sen-
sitivity of the area. The costs of each element of the equipment,
installation, connection and management costs are then calculated
taking into account site conditions. These costs equations were
empirically derived using data provided by Black & Veatch. The
power output of the scheme is calculated, using one of four turbine
efficiency curves depending on the head to flow ratio. This leads to
the calculation of the revenue and, by applying a discount rate to
future revenues and costs, to the net present value.
More importantly, Hydrobot identifies sites where there is no
existing infrastructure. Firstly areas are selected with a minimum
slope reflecting that of operational hydro schemes, based on expe-
rience and historical data. Hydrobot places a turbine at the lower
extreme of the slope, and simulates a 20m penstock. The full cost
and revenue calculations are conducted as for weir sites above, to
produce a valuation of that layout. Hydrobot then extends the pen-
stock to 40m and repeats the exercise, typically with a lower flow
but a higher head. In this way the model simulates a range of pen-
stocks up to 1.5km. If one or more profitable solutions have
emerged, Hydrobot moves the turbine 20m upstream and repeats
the whole exercise. And this process will continue, meaning that
many hundreds of layouts may be tested within one area. When no
more viable layouts can be found, all the solutions are compared to
SOFTWARE
Schemes intersecting selected tiles within NN62SW. If valid solutions were
found, red dots mark turbine sites and red lines show suggested penstock
route. Blue numbers denote specific turbines
44 JANUARY 2009 INTERNATIONAL WATER POWER & DAM CONSTRUCTION
SOFTWARE
select the best, based on preferences that reflect the investment pro-
files of different client-groups.
Multiple intakes are simulated by attempting to join nearby trib-
utaries into a scheme, re-evaluating the combination, and compar-
ing to the sum of the parts. Other tricks involve removing existing
schemes, and simulating off-grid schemes, though the latter was not
used in the Scottish study.
But what about dams? Storage schemes have not been forgotten.
For every suitable site, the surrounding terrain is examined to deter-
mine whether it would be suitable for construction of a dam. This
is based on the profile of valleys in Scotland where dams have been
constructed for hydro projects, and depends on the slope and height
of the banks, the width of the valley floor, and the flowin the water-
course. Where a site is deemed suitable, the additional head and
greater efficiency of the systemare taken into account, as well as the
additional costs, and the site is re-evaluated. Again, it is compared
to run-of-river options at the same site to determine whether a dam
would be preferable.
By modelling multiple intakes on run-of-river schemes, and with
the inclusion of storage schemes, Hydrobot identified over 1000
potential small hydro schemes across Scotland of up to 5MW, with
a handful of schemes larger than this.
WHO GETS WHAT?
The approach that Hydrobot takes, as described above, models how
an engineer might identify a micro or small hydro scheme. Therefore
it is appropriate for four principle audiences:
The small landowner or farmer, who may have one site in mind.
The developer, who may want the top sites in their region.
The larger estate owner, who wants to knowthe potential on their
land and where to begin.
Governments and local authorities, who want to know the con-
tribution that hydro can make to their targets, and howto release
the bottlenecks.
Previous clients include the Scottish Government, the Forestry
Commission, and multiple small estate and farmowners, and we are
in discussions with several local authorities as well as developers and
utilities. For each of these users Hydrobot can help reduce the time
and finances required to identify sites with potential. For some it is
equally important to see how the results change as market condi-
tions fluctuate or grants become available. After the initial cus-
tomisation to users needs, Hydrobot can be re-run with different
input values at very little extra cost. This allows developers and
landowners to quantify risk in more detail, which is especially rele-
vant in the current economic climate.
A further benefit to re-running the model is the change in our
other climate the weather. As the flowregimes in river systems alter,
becoming more extreme in their flood-drought cycles in the UK, the
viability of many hydro schemes must be re-examined. Flowregimes
can be adjusted for a whole country with Hydrobot, and the site
identification process repeated. In this way, renewable energy policy
can also be risk-reduced.
FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS
Automated hydro site identification has taken a leap forward with
the modelling of Scotland using Hydrobot in 2008. The resulting
report champions the potential for grid-connected small hydro to
contribute to national renewables targets. Hydrobot was developed
to answer questions being asked in Scotland at this time, but what
other questions are being asked?
What about the potential for off-grid schemes?
What about private networks and community schemes?
Can you model other countries? Across the whole world?
Can you model pumped storage?
What about combining wind and pumped storage?
Can you model the water treatment network?
Dont forget large hydro!
As a consultant, my answer to all of the above questions is yes, of
course. And as the model becomes more sophisticated with each
future version, it is likely that Scotlands total resource will be refined.
There may be an increase in the total as gaps such as off-grid and
large hydro are filled. We would hope that the total will start to
reduce as more and more of the identified sites are developed. We
would hope to be producing results for other countries too, so that
we start to put a clear number on the global potential for hydro.
But which question is being asked most urgently? This will
determine the direction that Hydrobot takes over the next 12
months and beyond. Im sorry, but I have to say it Hydrobot will
go with the flow.
Nick Forrest is Managing Director of Nick Forrest
Associates Ltd and Hydrobot Ltd. He is also a director of
babyHydro Ltd, a new full services company established
to develop small scale hydro schemes in Scotland from
feasibility to operation
The Hydrobot online service is available at
http://www.nickforrestassoc.co.uk.
For further information please contact
nick.forrest100@btinternet.com
IWP&DC
Map of Scotland with dots indicating 36,252 sites analysed by Hydrobot, of
which 1019 were found to be financially viable for commercial development
as of August 2008
Every great advance in
science has issued from
a new audacity of
imagination."
J. Dewey
July 2730, 2009
Mark Your Calendar.
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Individuals new to the industry can receive the training
needed to further their professional development.
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specic areas of interest. All attendees will benet from
sharing proven strategies and lessons learned.
For complete program details, visit
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PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY
46 JANUARY 2009 INTERNATIONAL WATER POWER & DAM CONSTRUCTION
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Feasibility Studies and Conceptual Design
Performance Specifications
Detailed Design and Workshop Drawings
Site Inspections/Asset Surveys
Expert Witness/Design Evaluations/FEA
Wessex House, St Leonards Road, Bournemouth, UK. BH8 8QS
Tel: 01202 311766 Fax: 01202 318472
Email: email@kgal.co.uk Website: www.kgal.co.uk
Lahmeyer International GmbH
Friedberger Strasse 173 D-61118 Bad Vilbel, Germany
Tel.: +49 (6101) 55-1164 Fax: +49 (6101) 55-1715
E-Mail: bernd.metzger@lahmeyer.de http://www.lahmeyer.de
Your Partner for
Water Resources and
Hydroelectric Development
All Services for Complete Solutions
from concept to completion and operation
from projects to complex systems
from local to multinational schemes
for public and private developers
Norconsult AS
Vestfjordgaten 4,
1338 Sandvika, Norway
Tel: +47 67 57 10 00
Fax: +47 67 54 45 76
company@norconsult.com
Power and Water Management
Norconsult provides multidisciplinary
consultancy services within power
and water resources development.
www.norconsult.com
River Basin Studies
Underground Hydropower
Dam Design
Turbine Maintenance and
Optimisation
Transmission and Distribution
Environmental Impact Assessments
Financial Engineering
Power Utility Services
# (47) 67 53 15 06 in Norway
# (55) 11 3722 0889 in Brazil
E-mail: nickrbarton@hotmail.com
Website: http//www.qtbm.com
35 years experience from more than 30 countries
AF-Colenco Ltd
Tfernstrasse 26 CH-5405 Baden/Switzerland
Phone +41 (0)56 483 12 12 Fax +41 (0)56 483 17 99
colenco-info@afconsult.com http://www.af-colenco.com
Consulting / Engineering and EPC Services for:
Hydropower Plants
Dams and Reservoirs
Hydraulic Structures
Hydraulic Streel Structures
Geotechnics and Foundations
Electrical / Mechanical Equipment
formerly
Electrowatt-Ekono and Verbundplan
Hydropower and Water Management with Worldwide
Experience and Local Presence
Pyry Energy Ltd., Hardturmstrasse 161, P.O. Box, CH-8037 Zurich, Switzerland
Tel +41 44 355 55 54, Fax +41 355 55 56, www.poyry.com
Pyry Energy GmbH, Laar-Berg-Strasse 43, A-1100 Vienna, Austria
Tel +43 50 313 22 586, Fax +43 50 31 31 65, www.poyry.com
PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY
WWW.WATERPOWERMAGAZINE.COM JANUARY 2009 47
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Yolsu Engineering Services Ltd. Co.
Hrriyet Caddesi No:135 Dikmen, 06450 Ankara,TURKEY
Tel: +90 312 480 06 01 (pbx) Fax: +90 312 483 31 35
www.yolsu.com.tr info@yolsu.com.tr
Prefeasibilty, Feasibility,
Final & Detail Design,
Consulting Services:
Basin development
Dams and hydropower plants
Irrigation and drainage
Water supply and sewerage
River engineering
Highways and railways
ConstructionTechniquefor Dams andWater Passageways
Spilways - Piers, Walls and Chute Slab;
Power Houses - Pillars, Walls and Outlets;
Water Intakes - Pillars, Shafts.
Contact:
tecbarragem.com.br
tecbarragem@tecbarragem.com.br
Brazil: +55 11. 5181. 2527
...SUPPORTI NG AND
COOPERATI NG I N
CONSTRUCTI ON...
Stellba Hydro AG Stellba Hydro GmbH & Co KG
Langgas 2 Badenbergstrasse 30
CH-5244 Birrhard D-89520 Heidenheim
Switzerland Germany
Telefon +41 (0)56 201 45 20 Telefon +49 (0)7321 96 92 0
Telefax +41 (0)56 201 45 21 Telefax +49 (0)7321 6 20 73
Internet www.stellba-hydro.ch Internet www.stellba.de
E-Mail info@stellba-hydro.ch E-Mail info@stellba.de
USE WWW.WATERPOWERMAGAZINE.COM TO DRIVE CUSTOMERS TO YOUR SITE
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our website?
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WORLD MARKETPLACE
48 JANUARY 2009 INTERNATIONAL WATER POWER & DAM CONSTRUCTION
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CYLINDERS
Rexroth
Bosch Group
Bosch Rexroth B.V.
Cylinders
Application based standard cylinder designs for;
radial gates, roller and slide gates, butterfly and
ball valves, turbine regulation, navigational locks
and movable bridges.
Bosch Rexroth B.V.
Contact: Mr Bob Lamers, Tel: +31 411 651 778
www.boschrexroth.com
Mail to: cylinders@boschrexroth.com
CRANES
+\GUDXOLF VWHHO VWUXFWXUHV
7UDVKUDFN FOHDQLQJ V\VWHPV
Hans Kunz GmbH Gerbestrae l5 697l Hard - Austria
T +43 5574 6883 0 P +43 5574 6883 l9
www.kuenz.com saleskuenz.com servicekuenz.com
+\GUDXOLF VWHHO VWUXFWXUHV
7UDVKUDFN FOHDQLQJ V\VWHPV
Hans Kunz GmbH Gerbestrae l5 697l Hard - Austria
T +43 5574 6883 0 P +43 5574 6883 l9
www.kuenz.com saleskuenz.com servicekuenz.com
GATES
FILTRATION EQUIPMENT
GROUTING
ARSAInt Construction Co. (pjs)
Head Office: No. 12 Shohada St
Mirzaye Shirazi Ave
TEHRAN 1586756513, I.R. IRAN
Tel: +98 21 88717220 Fax: +98 21 88721847
Email: info@arsa.ir Website: www.arsa.ir
HEAT EXCHANGERS
Enerfin Inc.
5125 J.A. Bombardier, St-Hubert
(Quebec) Canada, J3Z 1G4
Tel: + 1 450 443-3366
Fax: +1 450 443-0711
Email: sales@enerfin-inc.com
Website: www.enerfin-inc.com
HIGH QUALITY COOLERS FOR:
Hydro Generators
Thrust Bearings
Transformers
Synchronous Condensers
Turbo Generators
Air Preheaters, etc.
Custom Design To Suit Your Application
Extruded Fins
Dam & Hydropower
Drilling & Grouting
Piling & Cast In Place Piles
Cutoff Diagram Wall
Tunneling
Heavy Concrete Construction
Providing water control solutions through thoughtful engineering,
innovative design, attention to detail and outstanding customer
service. Contact us for inflatable water control gates and rubber
dams.
PO Box 668, Fort Collins, CO 80522 USA
Tel: 970-568-9844
www.obermeyerhydro.com
Custom Design Hydraulic Cylinders
Servomotors
Piston Accumulators'
Hydraulic Power Units
Control Panels
www.doucehydro.com
Douce Hydro FRANCE, USA and GERMANY
Tel France: + 33 / 3 22 74 31 08 ; E-mail: afleroy@doucehydro.com
Tel USA: + 1 / 586 566 4725 ; E-mail: fvandenbulke@doucehydro.com
Tel Germany: + 49 / 177 398 37 78 ; E-mail : ublase-henke@doucehydro.com
BEARINGS
PAN
bronzes
and
PAN
-GF
self-lubricating bearings
Since 1931
- Superior quality with
Highest wear resistance
Low maintenance
Or maintenance free
- Extended operating life
PAN-Metallgesellschaft
P.O. Box 102436 D-68024 Mannheim / Germany
Phone: + 49 621 42 303-0 Fax: + 49 621 42 303-33
kontakt@pan-metall.com www.pan-metall.com
BEARING OIL COOLERS
HEXECO, Inc. ... a Heat Exchanger Engineering Co.
Tel: +1 (920) 361-3440 Fax: +1 (920) 361-4554
E-Mail: info.wpd@hexeco.com Web: www.hexeco.com
OIL COOLERS
For
THRUST and
GUIDE
BEARINGS
CONCRETE COOLING
COLD & ICE WATERPLANTS
FLAKE ICE PLANTS
ICE DELIVERY & WEIGHING SYSTEMS
ICE STORAGES
KTI-Plersch Kltetechnik GmbH
Carl-Otto-Weg 14/2
88481 Balzheim
Germany
Tel:/Phone: +49 - 7347 - 95 72 - 0
Fax: +49 - 7347 - 95 72 - 22
Email: ice@kti-plersch.com
Website: www.kti-plersch.com
CONCRETE COOLING
Telephone +44 (0)20 8269 7854
I N T E R N A T I O N A L
&DAMCONSTRUCTION
WaterPower
WORLD MARKETPLACE
WWW.WATERPOWERMAGAZINE.COM JANUARY 2009 49
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HYDRO CASTINGS
HYDROMECHANICAL
EQUIPMENT
Water turbine components
Castings from 100 kg to 30 tons
Latest CAD-CAM capabilities
Certified Quality Assurance ISO 9001
Environmental Management System ISO14001
Your contact: Mr. Timo Norvasto, Sales Manager
Lokomo Steel Foundry
Tel: +358 204 84 4222
Fax: +358 204 84 4233
Email: timo.norvasto@metso.com
Web: www.metsofoundries.com
DSD NOELL GmbH
HYDROMECHANICAL EQUIPMENT
Engineering, design, fabrication and
installation of hydraulic steel structures
such as gates, penstocks, stoplogs,
trashracks including appurtenant drives
and electrical control systems as well as
the rehabilitation of existing plants.
Alfred-Nobel-Strae 20,
97080Wrzburg, Germany
Phone (+49) 931 903-1215
Fax (+49) 931 903-1009
Internet: www.dsd-noell.com
e-mail: sales@dsd-noell.com
HYDRO POWER
PLANT EQUIPMENT
N World wide referenced water to wire General Contractor
N Turbines and Generators
N Electromechanical Equipment
N Switchgears
N Control Protection Monitoring and SCADA Systems
N Balance of the Plant
N Turn key projects
N Rehabilitation
S.T.E. S.p.a. - Via Sorio, 120 - 35141, PADOVA(Italy)
tel. +39 049 2963900 - fax. +39 049 2963901
Email: ste@ste-energy.com Web: www.ste-energy.com
ISO 9001 CERTIFIED
ANDRITZ HYDRO GmbH
Penzinger Strasse 76, A-1141 Vienna, Austria
Phone: +43.1.89100-2659, Fax: +43.1.8946046
contact@andritz-hydro.com www.andritz-hydro.com
Your partner for renewable energy.
Hydro Power.
We focus on the best solution from water to wire.
Voith Siemens Hydro
Power Generation GmbH & Co. KG
Alexanderstrae 11
89522 Heidenheim/Germany
Barbara Fischer-Aupperle
Tel. +49-7321-37 68 48
Fax +49-7321-37 78 28
www.voithsiemens.com
Water power plant equipment
(electrical and mechanical)
Pumps
Governors
Automation
Modernization of existing power plants
Management services
Contact:
INSTRUMENTATION
(DAM MONITORING)
Geokon, Incorporated manufactures a full range
of geotechnical instrumentation suitable for
monitoring dams. Geokon instrumentation employs
vibrating wire technology that provides measurable
advantages and proven long-term stability.
The World Leader in
Vibrating Wire Technology
TM
Geokon, Incorporated
48 Spencer Street
Lebanon, New Hampshire
03766
USA
Dam Monitoring Instrumentation
1
603
448
1562
1
603
448
3216
info@geokon.com
www.geokon.com
Alstom Hydro offers a complete range of equipment and services for
both new and existing hydro power plants, including:
Turbines & generators for all sizes
Pump turbines, fixed/variable speed generators motors
Control & protection systems
Refurbishment and upgrade
Services
Small hydro
Hydro-mechanical and lifting equipment
4 Avenue Andr Malraux,
92309 Levallois-Perret Cedex,
France.
T: +33 1 41 49 20 00
F: + 33 1 41 49 37 52
E: hydro.comm@power.alstom.com
W: www.hydro.power.alstom.com
Alstom Hydro:
Vikas Kothari: Executive Director Tel: 91 11 29565552 TO 55
Om Metals Infraprojects Ltd. Fax: 91 11 29565551
4th Floor, NBCC Plaza, Mobile: 91 98110 68101
Tower III, Sector 5, Email: vikas@ommetals.com
Pushp Vihar, info@ommetals.com
Saket, New Delhi, 110 017, INDIA Web: www.ommetals.com
Turnkey EPC contracts for:
Radial Gates Trash Racks & TRCM
Vertical Gates Gantry Cranes & EOT
Penstocks Mechanical/ Hydraulic Hoists
Stoplogs Draft Tubes
Turnkey EPC contracts for:
Radial Gates Trash Racks & TRCM
Vertical Gates Gantry Cranes & EOT
Penstocks Mechanical/ Hydraulic Hoists
Stoplogs Draft Tubes
Om Metals
WORLD MARKETPLACE
50 JANUARY 2009 INTERNATIONAL WATER POWER & DAM CONSTRUCTION
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STEEL CASTING
SMALL HYDROELECTRIC
POWER SETS
MICRO/SMALL
HYDROELECTRIC POWER SETS
- HYDRO TURBINES
PELTON
FRANCIS
KAPLAN
UP TO 10 MW
- CONTROL
TECHNOLOGY
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Global Hydro Energy GmbH
4085 Niederranna 41, Austria, info@hydro-energy.com
INSTRUMENTATION
(PROCESS CONTROL)
PROCESS CONTROL SYSTEMS
Measuring and control systems for water
treatment and energy management
Equipment, components and complete
systems on a turnkey basis for the segments of:
- the water, gas, and electricity supply sectors
- the waste disposals sectors (water treatment
and sewage)
- hydroelectric power stations
- hydrography
Consulting, design, and project engineering,
installation, training, and service
Rittmeyer Ltd.
PO Box 464, 6341 Baar
Switzerland
Phone: +41 41 767 10 00
Fax: +41 41 767 10 75
sales@rittmeyer.com
www.rittmeyer.com
Partial Discharge?
www.pdix.com
PARTIAL DISCHARGE DETECTION
INSTRUMENTATION
(GEOTECHNICAL)
WORLD MARKETPLACE
WWW.WATERPOWERMAGAZINE.COM JANUARY 2009 51
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TRASHRACK RAKES
+\GUDXOLF VWHHO VWUXFWXUHV
7UDVKUDFN FOHDQLQJ V\VWHPV
Hans Kunz GmbH Gerbestrae l5 697l Hard - Austria
T +43 5574 6883 0 P +43 5574 6883 l9
www.kuenz.com saleskuenz.com servicekuenz.com
VALVES FOR HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS
Butterfly Valves
Spherical Valves
Cone Jet Valves
Needle Valves
Spleeve Valves
Pressure Reducing Valves
Airation Valves
Adams Schweiz AG
Austrasse 49, CH 8045 Zrich, Switzerland
Phone: +41 (0) 44 461 54 15
Fax: +41 (0) 44 461 50 20
e-mail: sales@adamsarmaturen.ch
Internet: www.adamsarmaturen.ch
VALVES
One of the world's
leading manufacturers
of high-quality valves
for dams and
hydropower
even in
www.vag-group.com
X
X
L
X
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L
WATER TURBINES
WATERPROOFING
WATERPROOFING AND PROTECTION
of concrete and RCC dams,
embankment dams, hydraulic tunnels,
canals, reservoirs
WITH FLEXIBLE SYNTHETIC MEMBRANES
Turnkey projects: design manufacturing,
supply, installation.
CARPI TECH S.A.
Corso San Gottardo 86
CH 6830 Chiasso - Switzerland
Tel: +41 91 695 4000 Fax: +41 91 695 4009
Email: info@carpitech.com Web: www.carpitech.com
CKD Blansko
Holding, a.s.
Gellhornova 1,
678 18 Blansko
Czech Republic
tel.: +420 516 401 111
fax: +420 516 413 620
hydro@ckdblansko.cz
www.ckdblansko.cz
Reliable
Hydro Power
Hydraulic Turbines
Francis, Kaplan, Pelton,
Deriaz, Large and Small
Hydro
Hydro-Mechanical
Equipment
Valves, Gates and Others
Turnkey Projects
New Instalations,
Upgrading,
Refurbishment
Own Hydraulic
Laboratory
Hydro
Turbines
Specialists for
refurbishment of pel-
ton and francis turbines
Partner for
revision of hydraulic
machines and valves
Practitioners with
9 hydro power plants
we speak hydro
Grimsel Hydro
3862 Innertkirchen
Switzerland
+41 33 982 27 00
www.grimselhydro.ch
Stronger together.
TUNNELING
CIFA S.p.A. Via Stati Uniti dAmerica, 26
>> 20030 Senago (MI) >> Tel. +39 02 990 131
>> Fax +39 02 998 1157 >> www.cifa.com
Member of the Group of companies
Glenfield Valves Ltd your specialist manufacturer of Discharge,
Control and Isolating Valves for:
Dams and Reservoirs
Water Transmission Pipelines
Power Stations.
For a world wide network of
manufacturing and service
organisations offering local
support please contact:
Glenfield Works, Queens Drive,
Kilmarnock, Ayrshire,
KA1 3XF, UK
T: +44 1563 521150
F: +44 1563 541013
E: enquiries@glenfield.co.uk
W: www.glenfield.co.uk
Hydro Power.
We generate added value for you.
Service & Rehab provides solutions,
products and services over the entire
life cycle of hydro power plants:
Plant Assessment General Overhaul
Rehabilitation Upgrading and Mod-
ernization Integrated Plant Control
NEPTUN Feasibility Studies Resi-
ANDRITZ HYDRO GmbH
Penzinger Strasse 76, A-1141 Vienna, Austria
Phone: +43.1.89100-2659, Fax: +43.1.8946046
contact@andritz-hydro.com
www.andritz-hydro.com
dual Life Analysis Risk Assessment
Training Services. The combination of
our global competence with our local
presence guarantees competent and
on-the-spot response.
Service & Rehab Your partner nearby.