DAM SAFETY，EMERGENCY ACTION PLANS，AND WATER ALARM SYSTEMS
In 1877 the Federal Law Regarding Water Police was issued，which dealt with the safety of existing and future storage dams in Switzerland.A few dams built during that period are now over 130 years old.For example Maigrauge gravity dam built in 1872 is still in operation and after the recent rehabilitation its service life has been extended by another 50 years.The last large dams were completed in the 1970s.Since the very beginning dam safety has played a central role in Switzerland and the safety of the dams has never been questioned publicly.Dam safety is an integral concept，which comprises structural safety， dam safety monitoring，operational safety，and emergency planning.65 dams with a reservoir exceeding 2 million m3 are equipped with a fully operational water alarm system.Originally this system was under control of the army but in the meantime this alarm system has been handed over to civil organisations.The first water alarm system with dam breach detectors and dedicated sirens were installed over 50 years ago.These systems have been upgraded continuously.In the paper the modern concept of dam safety is presented.Switzerland was always at the forefront in dam engineering.For example the world’s highest concrete dam，Grande Dixence gravity dam with a height of 285 m，completed in 1961，is located in Switzerland as well as the 250 m high Mauvoisin double curvature arch dam，which was 50 years old in 2007，has been the world’s highest arch dam for several decades.These large dams needed an elaborate safety concept otherwise it would not have been able to build them and to operate them successfully for many decades.Today’s main expertise of the dam engineers is in dam rehabilitation，dam safety monitoring，and dam maintenance rather than in the construction of new dams.Conservation of the existing dams，to keep them safe and to extend their service life as much as possible is a global task especially in view of the looming energy crisis.
dam safety emergency planning water alarm system dam monitoring
Martin Wieland Rudolf Mueller
ICOLD Committee on Seismic Aspects of Dam Design，Poyry Energy Ltd.，Zurich，Switzerland AF-Colenco Ltd.，Baden，Switzerland formerly Deputy Commissioner for Dam Safety,Swiss Federal Office f
国际会议
High-level International Forum on Water Resources and Hydropower(第一届国际水利水电高层论坛)
北京
英文
225-235
2008-10-17（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）