Join us at the CDA Annual Conference & Trade Show
We are proud Platinum Sponsors of the Canadian Dam Association's 2024 Annual Conference & Trade Show in Niagara Falls.
Several KGS Group employees are presenting at this year's event, so be sure to stop by and watch.
Little Long Dam Safety Project – General Challenges and Lessons
September 24, 10:15 a.m. - 10:35 a.m.
Presented by Brian Peter along with colleagues from WSP and Kiewit
Ontario Power Generation’s goal for completing the Little Long Dam Safety Project was to increase the discharge capacity of the existing Adam Creek Spillway structure. To meet this objective, the project required the addition of four new spillway bays and the replacement of all mechanical and electrical components of the existing spillway bays, as well as stabilizing the existing Adam Creek concrete structures.
The panel will share the main challenges for this project, risks that were mitigated, lessons learned and successes encountered. They will also discuss the owner’s project management, the design build contractor’s construction management, as well as the engineer of record engineering management processes.
Rehabilitation of a Deteriorated Fixed-Crest Concrete Gravity Overflow Dam
September 24, 3:15 p.m. - 3:35 p.m.
Presented by: Jon Friesen
A 2014 assessment of the Wanipigow Dam, originally constructed in 1930, concluded the dam was in poor condition and did not meet Canadian Dam Association performance criteria. The deteriorated condition necessitated the detailed design and major rehabilitation of the dam.
The rehabilitation addressed previous dam safety deficiencies of the original structure. The dam was realigned and extended, and the deteriorated stoplog bay was demolished and replaced with a new control structure. The original concrete was also repaired to address active seepage through cracks.
The rehabilitation of the Wanipigow Dam was completed in January 2024, approximately six months ahead of the approved construction schedule.
The Kainji Dam in Nigeria: A Story of the Success of an Evolving Dam Safety Management Program
September 24, 3:55 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.
Presented by Dami Adedapo
The Kainji hydroelectric station is the first largescale and the largest hydroelectric plant in Nigeria. Following construction, the condition of the dams and the generating facilities gradually deteriorated due to several factors, including the absence of a dam safety management plan. By 2016, when Mainstream Energy Solutions took over ownership, only two of the eight generating units were functional, the dams had fallen into a state of disrepair, the flow control equipment was largely unreliable, most of the instruments were not functioning and no inspections were being performed.
Through repairs, maintenance, testing and the investment in technology and staff culture, the Kainji dam underwent a remarkable transformation to a structure that is safe, and once again fulfills its intended functions.
Design for Repair: Lessons Learned from Major Rehabilitation of PFRA-era Structures
September 25, 2:25 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.
Presented by Derek van Nes
In November 2020 the Water Security Agency engaged KGS Group to act as Owner’s Engineer to help reduce their maintenance and capital project backlog. As part of the work, KGS Group studied the construction, operational and repair paradigms of the original designers of 72 dams and water conveyance structures.
Through careful study and work on these structures, KGS Group was able to learn how cultural paradigms in the 1930s informed the design of these structures with real impacts to engineers in the present. KGS was also able to better understand the challenges of maintaining legacy structures built from 1930 to the 1960s and how these learnings can inform the design of future dams.
We look forward to seeing you in Niagara, Ontario from September 22 - 25!