First, thank you to KCBurke and the many other Freepers who contributed to the historical record contained here. And thanks to Jim and John Robinson for hosting this document.
“I’m waiting for the new events to unfold. Of particular, the release of the Independent Forensics Team final report.”
Do you think the “Independent” Forensics report will be objective? Will they have read this thread I wonder?
I’m not an engineer so cannot understand much of what has been posted by you and the other experts here. What I did retain is:
1) the implication of the wet patch on the side of the dam, and
2) the malfunctioning gate 7(?), and
3) the shocking non-replacement of all piezometers (sp).
Stunning discoveries made thanks to the dogged work of journalists, honest scientists and our Freeper community.
The big picture I’ve gleaned is that Oroville Dam is crucial to the water supply of agriculture in California’s Central Valley because it supplies water to the aqueduct running from North to South. And also that the dam was built to supply the growing Los Angeles basin in the 60’s.
If this dam is breached, it will be a catastrophe worse than any other America has suffered. That is what I have learned from this thread. The loss to life of people and livestock, farms, cities from Sacramento to the SF Bay and South to Southern California could take down California’s economy (one of the largest in the world, I believe). When Freepers outside the Great State of California make flippant comments that it ought to be destroyed, they have no idea that a breach of the Oroville Dam will have consequences to their own precious lives as well JimRob and his family in Fresno. ER333, I hope I’m wrong, but as a layman, this is what I’ve concluded from a diligent reading of this thread.
May rational forces prevail on the DWS and Jerry Brown’s government there so that all of California’s great water project is governed by objective scientists once again. Finally, kudos to Kiewet Engineering Contractors for a job professionally done. We await the Forensic Report.
IN a potential blow to PR, news of hairline cracks have been discovered on the new massive main spillway concrete. CCRM expert Prof Bea says that "cracking in high-strength reinforced concrete structures is never expected."
DWR swiftly notified FERC of the cracking in the spillway concrete. For now, until more information is provided, the "sources" to this situation rest upon DWR and FERC.
Another potential hit to PR: Information pieces from the IFT findings were revealed by DWR's chief engineer Jeanne Kuttel on the original design deficiencies of the main spillway. Noted is the comment of "low-quality rocks".
However, the original Final Geology report noted the highly erosion prone substructure areas were in fact "clay". Many images of Kiewit workers extracting this "clay" during the new spillway construction reveal a "conflict" with the usage of the term "low-quality rocks".
"In fact, the independent forensic team points to several physical causes for the erosion (in February)," she said. "Thin concrete overlying the drains, a drainage system with deficiencies, a single layer of nominal reinforcement and shallow anchorages and low-quality rocks."
----Article clips:
Earlier this week, the Associated Press first reported that small cracks have appeared in the brand-new concrete spillway.
University of California, Berkeley, civil engineering professor Robert Bea said cracking in high-strength reinforced concrete structures is never expected.
Kiewit project director Jeff Petersen said this kind of cracking does occur in projects of this size as the concrete dries.
"It's important to understand that it's physical property of the concrete during the curing process to shrink slightly, which leads to internal stresses and therefore is normal for concrete to crack to relieve the stress," he said. "These hairline cracks do not in any way affect the structural integrity of the spillway."
….
DWR chief engineer Jeanne Kuttel said the agency promptly notified the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission about the hairline cracks. The agency will be monitoring the cracks through the rainy season and next year's construction season.
"When DWR noticed the hairline cracks in the newly reconstructed slab, we proactively notified FERC that we were putting together a monitoring program and following up on that," she said.
--- end clips more at link
DWR: Hairline cracks in Oroville spillway normal in massive concrete projects