Technical sessions will consider past performance and historical design criteria of aging infrastructure while focusing on environmental, social, economic and technological changes as well as evolving expectations of regulatory regimes related to the construction and operation of dams.
The CDA Technical Committees specifically invite the submission of abstracts for a targeted session on the following topics:
Many mining dams and associated tailings facilities are reaching the end of their operational life and are being prepared for closure, which is the process of establishing a configuration for the dam with the objective of achieving long term physical, chemical, ecological, and social stability and a sustainable, environmentally appropriate after use. Considerations in closing tailings facilities include the presence of potentially flowable tailings within the facility, the role of de-saturation of tailings in reducing the risk of flow liquefaction, and the longevity of geosynthetics and drains used in tailings dams.
As a follow-up to the recent Guideline Survey and while continuing to look towards the next generation of CDA guidelines, the CDA Dam Safety Committee invites the submission of abstracts (or abbreviated discussion topics) which illustrate specific challenges in the interpretation or implementation of the current guidance. This can be done through the utilization of specific case studies and/or hypothetical scenario based assessments to provide the relevant context for the identified problem. In addition, particular consideration of the challenges associated with the implementation of any new technical guidance would be specifically relevant at this time. This could identify issues related to existing regulations, current skill sets and competencies of technical resources, or the focus at the development level in Canadian consulting and academia. These submissions should be developed with an aim to stimulate thoughtful discussion and debate around the key topics that need to be considered in the next generation of CDA guidance, which may require a session format that is different than a typical conference technical session.
