Dam safety analysis using mathematical modelling and surveys, applied on Buftea Dam

Today, statistics show that most of the accidents leading to dam failures occur in the case of embankment dams and, therefore, the authors have chosen to analyse the state of safety in operation of the Buftea Dam in Romania. The need for such analysis is sustained by the fact that the dam has an important role in flood protection on the Colentina River, which flows through a number of localities in the vicinity of the capital city of Romania, Bucharest (Buftea and Mogosoaia among the most important ones).

The paper presents a common advanced mathematical modelling with GeoStudio GeoSlope and Seep/W used to determine the level of water infiltration through the dam body, stability of dam and risk of failure when the dam is operated at different reservoir elevations, such as the normal retention level, the maximum retention level, rapid drawdown scenario and pseudo-static seismic analysis.

These types of analyses are used to determine the safety coefficients and safety status of dams, as part of the current monitoring and early detection of possible processes affecting the structures.