The hydropower industry has unfortunately experienced several tunnel failures over recent years. The risks and challenges for the successful design and construction of hydropower tunnels are much more elevated in comparison to other types of tunnels as hydropower tunnels are subjected to dynamic operating conditions that are not always fully known prior to operation. Many hydropower tunnels have been designed and constructed as unlined tunnels incorporating shotcrete lining only in limited areas based on technical assessments performed during and at the later stages of construction. The technical assessment can however be subject to limited access, limited data collection from mapping, concealed instability of TBM excavated tunnels, and the misunderstanding of dynamic hydraulic operations. The main risks associated with the design and construction of hydropower tunnels along with causes of recent collapses are presented and explained along with suggestions for improved industry practice

What you will learn:

  • Uniqueness of Tunnels
  • Planning and Design
  • Project Delivery
  • Construction and Methods
  • Operations
  • Historical Collapses
  • Recent Collapses
  • Root Causes of Collapses
  • Risk Evaluation of Tunnels
  • Tunnel Inspections for Risk Management of Hydroelectric Tunnel

Speaker’s Profile
Dean Brox is a graduate from the University of British Columbia in Geological Engineering and from Imperial College, University of London, with a Master of Science degree in Engineering Rock Mechanics with Distinction.

Dean has 35 years of experience in the design and construction of over 1500 km of major tunneling and underground infrastructure projects for hydropower, civil, and mining projects. He has worked on hydropower tunneling projects in Angola, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Lesotho, Malaysia, Nepal, Panama, Peru, Philippines, South Africa, the USA, and the UK.

Dean’s specialist experience for hydropower tunnels includes the acceptability of unlined pressure tunnels, risk and constructability assessments, the use of tunnel boring machines (TBMs) for deep and long tunnels, forensic investigations of problematic tunnels, and the use of remote operated vehicles (ROVs) for unwatered inspections and asset condition assessments.

Dean practices as an independent consulting engineer for the planning, design, construction and operations of underground projects and is based in Vancouver, Canada.

Registration Closes: 5 October 2020, 6.00 p.m.

Registration Fee
MII Members: Complimentary
Non Members: RM 50.00

 

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