Spillways & Outlet Works for Dams

In the past 29 years, GENTERRA has provided consulting engineering services for more than 250 dams, more than 30 levee systems, hundreds of spillways, flood control channels and canals in the United States, including inspections, safety evaluations, dam failure inundation studies, geotechnical investigations, design of new and rehabilitated dams and levees, seismic hazard analyses, seepage analyses, stability analyses, risk analyses, structural analyses, construction observation and testing, and expert witness services. The firm’s senior personnel have worked on more than 1,000 dams and hundreds of miles of levees in their careers.

Technical Issues for Spillways and Outlet Works

The design, construction, inspection, rehabilitation, repair and on-going evaluation of the performance of spillways and outlet works for dams should all be done properly by well-qualified engineers to make sure that they will always function properly when needed. This requires application of a wide range of qualified professional engineering expertise and experience, such as the following:

  • Geotechnical engineering and engineering geology evaluation of specific site conditions to develop sound geotechnical design recommendations for stability under static and earthquake loading conditions, and during extreme rainfall events;
  • Hydrologic and hydraulic analyses to determine the required spillway capacity and provide the safe passage of the probable maximum flood (PMF) or lesser flood event;
  • Development of a proper spillway rating curve and energy dissipation system;
  • Structural engineering analyses to design the spillways and outlet works in a reliable, cost-effective and long-lasting manner; and
  • Development of protocols for proper operations, maintenance and inspection programs.

Specialized Capabilities for Spillways and Outlet Works

GENTERRA has professional geotechnical, geological, hydrologic, hydraulic, and structural engineering capabilities, expertise and experience to perform the following services related to the design, construction, inspection, evaluation, rehabilitation and monitoring of spillways and outlet works:

  • Geotechnical Engineering Services
  • Geology and Engineering Geology Services
  • Hydrology and Hydraulic Engineering Services
  • Structural Engineering Services
  • Alternative Studies for Sound, Economical Design
  • Constructability and Sustainability Reviews
  • Design of Spillway Channels, Floors, Walls, Subdrains, Energy Dissipators, Chute Blocks, Baffle Blocks and Stilling Basins
  • Design of Spillway Improvements, Rehabilitation, Erosion Protection and Repairs
  • Plans, Specifications and Engineer’s Cost Estimates
  • Inspection, Evaluation and Monitoring of Spillways, Energy Dissipation Systems, Erosion Protection and Outlet Works
  • Evaluation of Impacts of Existing Weep Holes, Drains, and Repair Measures on the Stability of Spillway Structures
  • Design of Post-Tensioned Anchors to Improve Stability of Spillway Structures
  • Support Services to Perform Physical Hydraulic Modeling
  • Support Services to Perform Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Analyses
  • Emergency 24/7 On-Call Evaluation and Consultation for Spillways, Outlet Works and Dams of all types and sizes
  • Coordination of Services with Owners, Operators, and Review Agencies for Permitting and Operational Approvals
  • Peer Review / Independent Technical Review / Expert Assistance and Testimony