Dam, this is serious

[begreen]

A huge crack has been found in one of the newest dams on the Columbia. It is serious enough for the spillway wall to start bowing. Thankfully an alert engineer noticed this. Shutting down this dam will not be trivial, even if just for repairs. It generates a gigawatt of electricity.

http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2023019385_wanapumdamxml.html

 

[Hills Hoard]

thats not good!

 

[begreen]

Definitely not, especially if you live downriver.

 

[blades]

Oh -oh some one cheated on the cement again.

 

[begreen]

Lots of major server farms rely on cheap electricity from this dam.

 

[razerface]

Lots of major server farms rely on cheap electricity from this dam.

like computer servers?

 

[begreen]

Yes, for Microsoft, Dell, HP etc.

 

[Ashful]

Somewhere, there's a structural engineer having a very bad day.

When my designs fail, death/injury count is limited to those in the room.

 

[Frozen Canuck]

Somewhere, there's a structural engineer having a very bad day.

Quite likely a whole team of them, & yes a very bad day, followed by a bad week, month, year, possibly even career. Built in 59 so quite a few maybe retired by now, possibly all, however that's a large stain on ones career.

 

[begreen]

Might not be a design flaw, could have been construction or inspection flaw maybe?

 

[Frozen Canuck]

True dat BG.

 

[Bobbin]

Lots of stories about crumbling infrastructure across our country. What is the "shelf life" of a major dam? how often and how closely are they inspected? (I have no idea).

 

[begreen]

Dammed if I know.

 

[bmblank]

Groan

 

[BrotherBart]

Another angle on the story.

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-n...f/2014/03/unusual_crack_in_wanapum_dam_o.html

 

[begreen]

"Serious situation for us" but no cause for concern...

 

[Highbeam]

Built in 59, calcs stamped by a senior engineer that was at the top of his game. He's not only retired but probably has been dead for decades. Yes his design will be checked but the most likely cause is a material failure.

 

[Ashful]

Built in 59, calcs stamped by a senior engineer that was at the top of his game. He's not only retired but probably has been dead for decades. Yes his design will be checked but the most likely cause is a material failure.

True. You figure the project structural engineer must've been at least age 40 (more likely age 50), putting him at close to or beyond age 100 today.

Aside from metallurgy, most schools did not even develop a materials engineering curriculum until the 1970's, largely thanks to our space program. Concrete was just "concrete", in 1959.

 

[razerface]

sounds like the whole dam is moving. Says they noticed a curb out of alignment that is on top, but the crack is 75 ft down. That whole section is in danger I would think(guessing)