Pipework, valves and associated equipment in dams

This guide sets out practical advice and guidelines on how best to ensure the safety of reservoirs.

• From: Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Research and Development Programme and Environment Agency
• Published: 26 February 2021

• Category: Whole life asset management
• Topics: Asset maintenance, Asset monitoring, Asset system optimisation, Deterioration, Reservoirs
• Project status: Completed
• Project code: FRS18072
• Date of completion: 10 September 2020

Documents

Pipework, valves and associated equipment in dams - summary (156KB) PDF

External link: Pipework, valves and associated equipment in dams - technical report (CIRIA)

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Details

This guide sets out practical advice and guidelines on how best to ensure the safety of reservoirs. An update of CIRIA R170 (1997), it draws on a further 20 years’ experience of good practices and incidents, learning from challenges that have been overcome.

The building of reservoirs grew in the late 19th century following the industrial revolution, and has continued up to the 1980s. The average age of reservoirs in the UK is now around 125 years old. This also applies to the valves and pipework that are critical to the safe operation of the dam. If this equipment fails to operate properly, this can have severe operational or safety consequences.

The research aimed to define good practice, gathering experience and data relating to how hydraulic control equipment operates effectively and safely.

This project started in February 2018

Published 26 February 2021