Hydro Dam - penstock and water conveyance system failure

[DarioRM]

Hi everybody,
i've to evaluate the failure probability of penstock
and water conveyance (open channel-canal flume) system
of a hydro-dam existing project;
i.e. the elements not properly belonging to the dam body.

Any suggestions on existing regulations or guidelines?
All i've found regards directly dams bodies and there is
nothing concerning penstock or water conveyance safety assessment.

The best i've found (probability) is FERC "Engineering Guidelines
for the Evaluation of Hydropower Projects", but the chapter concerning penstock is in preparation.

Thank you all for all your assistance,
Dario

 

[rconner]

I have a copy of ASCE's "Guidelines for Inspection and Monitoring of In-Service Penstocks" (I believe written by some notable contributors a few years ago) that I suspect is available from ASCE Publications.

 

[DarioRM]

Thank you for your advice rconner.
I had found this ASCE guideline,
but i was not able to find a downloadable version.

I'm not sure that this guidelines contains information,
about failure probability of water conveyance facilities,
but i'll be really grateful to you if you could provide it to me.

 

[cvg]

a typical approach would be to evaluate through a review of as-builts,O&M and other records as well as physical inspection and testing as necessary. Than prepare a list of potential failure modes and conduct an FMEA. That should get you started on prioritizing any failure modes that may be of concern. Than if need be, a full quantitative risk assessment could be performed. You might start with some references by Larry Von Thun or David Bowles.

http://ussdams.com/proceedings/2007Proc/117-126.pdf

https://www.usbr.gov/power/data/fist/fist2_8/vol2-8.pdf

http://www.ussdams.org/18thtc.html

 

[DarioRM]

Thank you very much cvg,
i'll check your references!

 

[rconner]

IMO while any believable determination of "failure probability" of an existing facility would depend on a whole host of factors (some probably more important than others, and in rigorous form I suspect same would be a quite complicated and specialized process - not sure you wil find a cookbook for same).
Many risk and consequence factors are however discussed in this book, e.g. detailed inspections (and what relevant to look for), collections of data, evaluations at least to some extent of observations and data, as well as some failures are pictured and case studies mentioned.
Some seismic and geologically hazardous risks (as well as monitoring means etc.) are of course developing to the present day with same quite "probabilistic" by their very nature.
I alas cannot provide this book to you as it is a copyrighted publication.