Written By: Samantha Justice, P.E. Dams and Spillways Are a Critical Part of U.S. Infrastructure With estimates of 84,000 structures nationwide, dams and spillways are essential for controlling flooding, water distribution and management, and providing hydroelectric power. Unfortunately, these structures cannot last forever. The average age of dams and spillways in the US is 57 years, seven years over the typical 50-year lifespan of these structures. Aging infrastructure can lead to serious consequences if safety precautions are not taken, or measures are not implemented to address identified problems in a timely manner. The most important measure that any dam manager can apply is continual inspection and upkeep. The US Army Corps of Engineers Infrastructure Report Card rating for 2021 was a C-, and the health of dam structures was a significant part of that low rating. State and federal regulations provide a framework for the assessment and maintenance of dam and spillway structures-at a minimum yearly audit inspections that identify areas that need repair or replacement are required. Performing these repairs can help extend the lifetime of dams to help keep essential services in place without excessive cost or increased failure potential. Understanding Areas of Concern for Existing Structures The… Read more »
Posts Tagged: aging infrastructure
ASCE Releases the 2021 Infrastructure Report Card
The grades are in, and they’re not great. On Wednesday, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) released their quadrennial Infrastructure Report Card. America’s infrastructure earned an overall grade of C-minus. While this is a minor improvement over 2017’s Infrastructure Report card, which revealed a dismal grade of D-plus, there’s still a lot of work to be done. The report card assigns grades to 17 categories of American infrastructure. A staggering 11 out of these 17 categories received a grade in the “D” range, including Roads, Stormwater, Dams, and Levees. This means that the civil engineers who evaluated these categories determined that the infrastructure is “poor, at risk.” According to the report card, this means, “The infrastructure is in poor to fair condition and mostly below standard, with many elements approaching the end of their service life. A large portion of the system exhibits significant deterioration. Condition and capacity are of serious concern with strong risk of failure.” These systems are critical to the overall health and wellbeing of our communities, and vital to commerce and economic stability at local, regional, and national levels. Solutions to Improve America’s Infrastructure Grade The ASCE identifies three major factors when exploring how to… Read more »
Build a Stronger Foundation for Infrastructure Projects with 3D Soil Confinement
It’s no secret that America’s infrastructure is desperately in need of investment. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) gave the country’s infrastructure an overall grade of D-plus in its 2017 Infrastructure Report Card—dangerously close to an outright failing grade. The ASCE estimates that the U.S. will need to spend nearly $4.5 trillion by 2025 to fix the country’s roads, bridges, dams, and other infrastructure. Our nation’s roads and bridges—commonly referred to as the “backbone” of the U.S. transportation system—received grades of D and C-plus, respectively. These transportation systems are deteriorating due to advancing age, increasing use, and inadequate funding. This degradation leads to a significant cost to users in terms of time, money, and safety. There are over 4 million miles of road in the United States, and the cost to maintain these roadways can vary greatly by state. Several factors determine maintenance costs, including the type of pavement surface, its current condition, its geographical location, average precipitation, number of annual freeze/thaw cycles, and frequency of use. Three-Dimensional Geocells Provide Solutions to Aging Infrastructure The long-term performance of infrastructure construction projects depends on the strength of the underlying soil. Through an interconnected honeycomb-like network, 3D geocells confine and stabilize… Read more »
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