Multipurpose Project Research Articles

Analyzing sedimentation patterns in the Naumure Multipurpose Project (NMP) reservoir using 1D HEC-RAS modeling

Naumure Multipurpose Project (NMP) featuring a 169 m high Concrete Face Rock Filled Dam (CFRD) is the proposed reservoir project in the West Rapti River with an installed capacity of 218.34 MW. Most of the rivers in Nepal carry significant sediment loads that will consequently catalyze reservoir sedimentation. This phenomenon prevails as the primary factor in reducing reservoirs useful life, making ineffective for both flood control and hydroelectricity generation. Ultimately, such process of sedimentation has adverse impacts on projects economic feasibility and long-term sustainability. Therefore, the objective of this research was to examine the expected sediment deposition pattern in the NMP reservoir throughout its operational period by employing 1D HEC-RAS model to simulate the sedimentation process. The model was simulated for 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 years. Yang’s equation as a sediment transport function, Active layer as a bed sorting method and Toffaleti as a fall velocity method were best suited for the river reach. The delta deposition was formed between 11 km and 22 km upstream of the dam region in the Jhimruk river, with the sediment deposition depth reaching peaks of about 23 m, 38 m, 39 m, 41 m and 49 m in 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 years, respectively. Similarly, the delta deposition was formed between 13 km and 33 km upstream of dam region in the Madi river, with the sediment deposition depth reaching peaks of about 47 m, 62 m, 60 m, 68 m and 75 m in 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 years respectively. Headcutting of delta deposition occurred between 20 and 30 year due to high flood during low stage of reservoir. Furthermore, the study revealed that about 6.22%, 11.61%, 15.94%, 22.96% and 25.65% of the storage capacity of NMP reservoir will be depleted in 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 years respectively.

Nutrients monitoring on the Bui multipurpose dam project in the Savannah region of Ghana

Monitoring the nutrient levels of the dam water on the Bui hydropower project (Ghana) is vital for understanding its ecological health. The purpose of this study is to evaluate current (2021) nutrient levels and examine the irrigational water quality. The novelty of this research lies in the combination of nutrient analysis and irrigational water quality index (IWQI) as tool to understand the ecological health of the dam water. Bui dam water is slightly acidic (pH of 6.6) which partly influences nutrient bioavailability in the dam water. The composition of water in terms of ion dominance follow the order of Ca2+>Na+>Mg2+>K+ and that of anions followed the order of HCO3->Cl->SO42->NO3-, with signatures of Ca2+- Mg2+- HCO3– water type. Pearson’s correlation plot shows pH, TDS, and EC influences sulphate distribution in the dam. EC mean level of 78.06 µS/cm is below acceptable ranges (150 and 500 µS/cm) known to sustain freshwater fish species (e.g., Alestidae, Anabantidae and Bagridae family) present in the Bui dam. Historical nitrate, phosphate and sulphate measured 2.01mgL-1, 0.16mgL-1 and 20.96mgL-1 as against 0.79mgL-1, 0.60mgL-1 and 2.22mgL-1 caused by the impoundment. The nutrient decrease shows improved water quality over time. The spatial plot shows low phosphate levels in the northwestern and southeastern part of the dam indicating rapid uptake and sediment trapping. IWQI shows the water has no toxicity risk for any plant. This study provides a basis for further monitoring to ensure the observed nutrient decrease is not altered by human-induced activities. Strengthening management policies is therefore encouraged to sustain the dam’s ecological health.

Feasibility of small-scale multipurpose hydropower projects in Karbi-Anglong District of Assam, India: a geotechnical appraisal

ABSTRACT The potential of small hydropower projects (SHP) in Karbi-Anglong District of Assam has been investigated, and site-specific detailed studies have been done at three potentially feasible sites. Geo-mechanical characterization of rocks at the proposed sites shows higher values for strength parameters and falls in Good rock category in Rock Mass Rating class. Run of the River (RoR) scheme with a small reservoir is recommended in the area. A storage type layout plan for the site located on Kalyani river would have a 2.38 MW power-generation capacity, whereas the RoR type would be able to generate 953.1 kW. The RoR scheme for the Daigurung site will be able to generate 175.8 kW and that for Nambar 53.0 kW. Likewise, the storage type scheme will produce 505.4 kW and 137.7 kW for Daigurung and Nambar sites, respectively. These irrigation-based multipurpose projects will boost agriculture activities in the downstream areas and also meet the captive power requirement.

Controlling Sedimentation through Regulating the River by Thalpitigala Reservoir Project

Abstract. Mahaweli is the main river in Sri Lanka and it has many main multipurpose reservoirs, especially to cater power and irrigation requirement of the country. Reservoir capacity loss which is the major problems causing to the effectiveness of the major reservoirs in Sri Lanka, is mainly caused by sedimentation due to upstream erosion. Hence proper monitoring, calculating and adopting measures are very important in planning a reservoir. But due to the complex nature of factors effect on sedimentation and lack of long-term data make calculation difficult. This study discusses how different data obtained from numerical modelling and bathymetric surveys of different locations of the catchment and those are used to select and verify the empirical equation, calculation of capacity loss and make proposals to minimise sedimentation for proposed Thalpitigala Multipurpose Project in Mahaweli upper catchment. The outcomes indicate high erosion (690 m3 km−2) and sediment transportation making rapid loosing of the capacity (5.13 MCM in 15 years) of the proposed reservoir. Thus, upper catchment protection with reforestation to reduce erosion, introduction of check dams in the upstream flow to trap the transported sediment and introduction of proper removal measures of deposited sediment are discussed for the proposed reservoir project.

Sedimentation issues of the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project in South Korea

In 2009, South Korea started a large multi-purpose water project on its four major rivers. The main purposes of the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project (FMRRP), which are directly related to water itself, were: (1) securing water resources to combat water scarcity; (2) reducing flood risks by riverbed dredging and reinforcing levees; and (3) restoring the river's environmental functions. Despite socio-environmental opposition, the project was completed in 2011. This article reviews the sedimentation issues raised during and after the FMRRP regarding technological developments and the lessons learned from the project. A total of five sedimentation issues raised directly from the project are reviewed in this article: (1) riverbed dredging and sediment redeposition; (2) tributary headcut; (3) riverbed scour downstream of the movable weir structures; (4) sedimentation management schemes; and (5) a near-prototype river experiment facility. Each issue is addressed by identifying and analyzing field data, developing new numerical models, and testing at a large-scale experiment facility. From this project, we have found that a comprehensive numerical technique is required to predict the sediment issues as mentioned above in a watershed-scale riverwork.

Water quality assessment for River Mahanadi of Odisha, India using statistical techniques and Artificial Neural Networks

The present study is conducted on Mahanadi River, which is considered as the lifeline for the state of Odisha. There is a persistent outcry of the people in upstream reaches of the catchment, blaming the industries for pollution of water, air and adjoining land, whereas the industries have taken all steps to remain as zero effluent industries. Also due to presence of the Hirakud dam and its water reservoir, the major multipurpose water resources project, near Sambalpur of Odisha state in India, there is a boost in agricultural production. The farmers are using various fertilizers and pesticides to increase crop production, which has made the portion of Odisha, close to the Hirakud dam, a food bowl of Odisha state. The management, utilization and protection of the water resources is based on right assessment of pollutants released from both point and non-point sources. It helps in improving the health condition of the people, and irrigation water use by controlling the disposal of waste load. To address the issue scientifically, the demand for development of water quality models has increased manifold. The objective of the current study is to develop a model to assess the temporal and spatial variability in the quality of water of Mahanadi river basin lying in the state of Odisha and to evaluate with respect to municipal and agricultural use. Pollution of the river water is mainly due to releases of agro-chemicals and releases from the local industries. To take a stock of the situation, six different locations (gauging stations) are selected at different locations of the river and the water quality data such as pH, Temperature, PO4, SO4, TDS, EC, Nitrate, K, F, Cl, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Turbidity, T-Hardness, T-Alkalinity, TC, BOD, DO and BOD are collected from the year 2011–2019 for the purpose of analysis and modeling of water quality. To interpret the complex water quality data matrices and to identify the most influential water quality parameters, three different methods viz., Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Factor Analysis (FA), and Cluster Analysis (CA) were applied. Water Quality Index (WQI) for different seasons were calculated to evaluate the quality of water. The parameters such as Sodium Absorption Ratio (SAR), Permeability Index of soil, Percent Sodium, Magnesium ratio, Kelley's ratio, Residual sodium carbonate and Exchangeable sodium percentage were used to evaluate the quality of water from view point of irrigation.The PCA and ANN are applied jointly to predict the water quality parameters. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to interpret the complex water quality data matrices and to choose the parameters which have major influence on water quality. Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) were used to develop a model and to simulate as well as to predict the water quality parameters. It is observed that ANN model predicts the water quality with an appreciable accuracy. Scatter plots between actual and predicted WQI for training and validation phases showed high degree of co-efficient of determination (R2) with the values 90.14% and 98.2%. Hence it is observed that Back-propagation Neural Networks (BPNN) is able to predict the water quality one month ahead, thereby giving sufficient time to take preventive measures to keep river water free from pollution.

Rethinking collaborative governance to enhance legitimacy co-production: a multipurpose rural–urban water transfer in Nepal

ABSTRACT This study examines the Sundarijal Water Supply System in Nepal, which involves over a century of experience on a multipurpose water supply project. Research findings suggest that the liberal idea of justice as fairness in the distribution of risks and benefits fails to appreciate the political nature of state interventions to transfer rural water for urban municipal use. The research rejects the neoliberal idea of procedural justice as creating non-argumentative spaces for decision-making common in collaborative governance in favour of the political ecological approach to developing argumentative spaces to facilitate contested co-production of legitimacy.

Water, Energy, Food, and Ecosystem (W-E-F-E) Nexus River Basin Policy Paradigm for Agriculture Transformation and Multisector Infrastructure Development of Nepal

Water is Nepal’s most abundant resource, and its development and utilization are essential for driving the development of multisector infrastructures (agriculture, energy, industry, urban development, etc.). Nepal has hitherto adopted an isolated and sectoral silo policy approach to development planning that has remained the dominant mode of planning across many countries in the world with few exceptions until recently when inadequacies of sectoral planning became apparent. The search for alternatively more integrative approaches came into the forefront of development discourse in the backdrop of shrinking natural resources, climate change, inexorable demand of a rapidly growing urban population, and other needs and requirements at a global scale. The river basin-wide W-E-F-E nexus development policy strategy offers significant potential for optimum water resource utilization driving development of all sectors, including agriculture. The fundamental aspect of the W-E-F-E nexus policy framework entails the understanding of interdependencies and interactions amidst its components (water, energy, food, and ecosystem) and assessing their synergistic impacts on food, energy, water, and environmental securities in the basin. The W-E-F-E nexus policy framework aims to harness the synergy created from the interaction of interlinked components to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs). This paper argues that Nepal government must carefully weigh the pros and cons of designing singular run-of-river mega hydro-project visa-vis multipurpose water reservoir projects with provisions of integrating irrigation, drinking water, inland waterways, and flood control infrastructures besides hydro-energy leveraging W-E-F-E nexus relationship.

Fretful Longevity of Upper Kolab Reservoir, Odisha by GIS Study

Background: The nonrenewable energy source, hydropower reservoirs are the yardstick that scales up developing countries around the globe including India. The multipurpose Upper Kolab project is housed at the Kondhan Hills of the north Eastern Ghats mobile Belt range near Koraput Town. The dam is of length 630.5m with a height of 54.50m, and an average annual flow1803 M cum in operation since 1986. The project was built for 320MW generation, about 445000Ha CCA, and water supply to nearby towns.
 Objective: Climate Change and anthropogenic stresses have resulted in depleting the major reservoir’s capacity by sedimentation, hence irrigation and power generation. The southern part of the Northeastern Ghats belt is worst affected. The present study is about the rate of capacity loss of Upper Kolab Reservoir in south Odisha.
 Methodology: The present study involves the collection of data from the Landsat 4, Landsat 5, and Landsat 8 OLI Operational land user image of 30 m resolution was downloaded from either SRTM data or Earth Explorer data, and the digital elevation model (DEM) was prepared for the same period of the years 1996, 2002, 2013, 2017 and 2021. The TOPO geological map (1:500,000 scale) of 1983 was used to digitize geological formations. The ArcGIS 10.2 software is used for the topographic constraints of the water body and its watershed. The maps generated are slope maps, aspect maps, and various differentials sediment values in volume and water spread area.
 Results and Conclusion: The inference is the fast rate of annual sedimentation @3.542mm/yr which is much higher than its mother basin Godavari (@2.22mm/yr. The longevity of the Upper Kolab Reservoir and power generation shall be affected earlier before it is designed life. Sedimentation needs prioritization, as caused by the anthropogenic and climate-induced huge sediment entry to the upper Kolab reservoir warranting a secondary reservoir downstream.

Formation of development programs with multi-purpose projects at ferrous metallurgy enterprises

The improvement of management mechanisms for the formation and calendar planning of development programs is the most important direction for improving the productivity (achievement of goals) and efficiency (reduction of the amount of resources consumed) of the activities of metallurgical companies. Currently, it is necessary to ensure the mobilization of companies’ assets to solve the tasks of their sustainable development. The task of forming a program for the development of a metallurgical enterprise (company) is considered. The program includes several different areas of development: improvement of existing business processes (sales, supply, production, repair of equipment, etc.), production technologies of various stages (production of coke, agglomerate, cast iron, steel, rolled products), implementation of digital transformation tasks, etc. Each of the directions of the development program contains projects described by effect, size of investments, changes in the expenditure items of operating budget related to the costs of operating those systems and processes that the project is aimed at improving, as well as an indicator describing the risk of project implementation. One of the directions of the development program may include multi-purpose projects, the implementation of which leads not only to changes in its own performance indicators, but also to changes in the performance indicators of projects of other (non-multi-purpose) directions of such development program. The case is considered when management of the development program includes the management of the overall budget and achievement of overall goal of the program (the maximum effect from implementation of all projects). At the same time, project risk management and changes in the operating budget are implemented at the level of project portfolio management of individual program areas (there are no restrictions on risks and changes in the operating budget common to the development program). The stated formalizations of the problems, their decomposition and composition schemes, and the developed procedures for solving individual subtasks are based on the provisions and methods of the theories of system analysis and a new section of discrete mathematics (network programming).

Sustainable planning of multipurpose hydropower reservoirs with environmental impacts in a simulation–optimization framework

Abstract Hydropower projects involve enormous investments that require an efficient cost–benefit framework and optimization model for proper development. Dams and hydropower plants have many impacts on the environment. These environmental impacts are often not included in the economic calculations and planning of the projects, which leads to the loss of natural resources. The primary purpose of this research is to incorporate environmental impacts into optimization and decision-making. A comprehensive simulation–optimization model is developed to optimize hydropower decisions. The positive and negative values of environmental impacts are incorporated into an economic objective function under different scenarios, and optimal design was done for each scenario. The results show that considering environmental economics affects the multipurpose hydropower project's NPV and decision outcomes. Considering environmental impacts compared to not considering them has reduced NPV of the project by 13.9%. The results emphasize the importance of including these impacts to achieve sustainable development and management.

China Pakistan Economic Corridor: Its Prospects and Implications for Gwadar and Balochistan

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is a multibillion-dollar project of direct investment in a corridor of energy and infrastructure. Besides, there are good potential prospects like the construction of port and road facilities, airports, and energy corridors. It has implications for Balochistan and Gwadar. Although previous studies have highlighted the problems of Balochistan, this paper presents a theoretical framework with reference to the economic corridor. The study has a hypothesis: Baloch people have some reservations about multi-purpose projects. It has impacted the geographic and demographic profile of Balochistan. Other projects are waiting for consideration, such as those related to the water shortage, technical and vocational centers, and employment opportunities. The purpose of this study is to examine the implications and prospects. Every project should aim to facilitate the local masses. The government should shrink dependency and focus on imports, trade imbalances, and foreign loans to resurface its image for elections. It has been discovered that CPEC will cause social change and stratification, as well as Communist influence on minds and effects on aquatic life at Gwadar Harbor. The study suggests: 7% of Gwadar Port Authority revenue for Gwadar and Balochistan; job quotas; parity; public-private partnerships; etc. Finally, it concludes that Gwadar and Balochistan are not reaping immense benefits from this billionaire project. Under the 18th Amendment, Gwadar should be subject to the Balochistan government, the province should be autonomous, etc. Data was gathered through secondary sources such as printed and electronic media. Besides, theoretical, and conceptual frameworks are present in the paper. This is a qualitative study with deductive reasoning to analyze and interpret the collected data.

Making Development Programs with Multipurpose Projects at Enterprises of Ferrous Metallurgy

Making Development Programs with Multipurpose Projects at Enterprises of Ferrous Metallurgy

Sustainability of Boro rice cultivation in the canal irrigated command area of India

Abstract A comprehensive assessment and monitoring of rice intensification in canal irrigated command areas and its consequences on groundwater dynamics have enormous importance for the water–food–energy nexus. This study analyzed the spatiotemporal transition of Boro rice cultivation, canal irrigation practices during the cultivation season, and its effect on groundwater of a pioneering multipurpose water resource project in India. The rice maps from 1989 to 2018 were generated from Landsat and Sentinel-2A images using the Iterative Self-Organizing Data Analysis Technique Algorithm (ISODATA), the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and the enhanced vegetation index (EVI) to understand the historical distribution of rice cultivation. The ISODATA clustering algorithm performed well compared to the NDVI and the EVI with medium-resolution satellite images. The impact of Boro rice cultivation on groundwater resources was investigated by considering GLDAS NOAH model-based crop evapotranspiration, rainfall, and canal water supply. The area under rice cultivation increased from 33 to 66% during 1989–2018 due to its higher stress tolerance ability and productivity. However, during the cultivation period, the canal water supply was limited to the upstream and middle section of the command area, irrigating only 19% of the rice-cultivated area on average. The unavailability of the canal water supply during the cultivation season has led to 31 m of groundwater level depletion, which, if unchecked, may lead to overexploitation of groundwater in the middle and lower sections of the command area. The results of this study can be used to identify vulnerable areas that require urgent attention and accurate implementation of any agricultural or hydrological policy.

How will hydro-energy generation of the Nepalese Himalaya vary in the future? A climate change perspective

Despite being one of the proven clean-energy technologies, hydroelectricity is losing attention in global research. Hydroelectricity is extremely important for countries possessing the required water resources, already heavily reliant on it and those lacking the financial capacity to invest in other expensive energy technologies. This study assessed the possible impact of climate change (CC) on hydro-energy generation in the Nepalese Himalaya (possessing eight peaks out of 14 over 8000 m) with a tremendous hydropower potential (∼50,000 MW). A planned 1200 MW storage type Budhigandaki Hydroelectricity Project is taken as a case. We estimated the energy generation for the baseline as well as 10 CC scenarios considering RCPs 4.5 and 8.5 at monthly, seasonal, and annual temporal scales for the mid-century. Results show that energy generation is highly dependent on the reservoir operating rule. The average annual energy generation is expected to vary within −5 to +12% of the base case in the mid-century, with significant variations across the months. We also infer that designing hydro-projects based on ensembled climate values could lead to a “rosy” but less probable and risky picture of energy generation in the future. Therefore, assessment of a wide spectrum of plausible CC scenarios are recommended. Storage type projects with provision of flexible operating rules considering finer temporal resolution and allocation to competing users (in case of multipurpose projects) supported by appropriate policies are desirable for climate resiliency. Complementing the existing energy generation mix with other technologies in areas where hydroelectricity is expected to undergo adverse impacts of CC is warranted for attaining future energy security and environmental safeguarding. Possibility of additional energy due to CC is a strong motivation for this region to focus on hydroelectricity development in the future.

Impact of Relocation on Cultural Landscape around Reservoir Projects in Sri Lanka: A Case Study on Uma Oya Multipurpose Development Project

Sri Lanka is a developing country where hydrology plays an important role in its economic and social growth. Therefore, reservoirs are a principal element of culture and social status of Sri Lankans. Emergence of a reservoir goes along with a community relocation process which eventually causes alterations in the cultural landscape around it. The study discusses about the vast study area of ‘cultural landscape’ and its behavior. This study will mainly identify the existing constraints and tendencies regarding the relocation process in an overall status. Uma Oya multipurpose development project is selected as the exemplary study area considering its visible impacts. This analysis will indicate strategies, theories and methods that can be applied to apprehend the impact of relocation process on the cultural landscape of reservoirs. The research was carried out by conducting the Uma Oya multipurpose development project case study and by defining its cultural landscape and process of relocation. A new theoretical framework is developed in order to assess the set of vulnerable areas of a cultural landscape which are likely to change due to relocation. A questionnaire survey is done in order to assess socio-economic aspects and a GIS data analysis is conducted to analyze the impact on physical aspects. Findings show that the impacts of the cultural landscape fall under both positive and negative categories. It also shows that the previous condition before resettlement and post stages have significant changes, where the previous condition had more socio-economic benefits for the community. These specifically developed theories, areas of assessment and strategies along with the outcomes, can be used for any location with geographical similarities worldwide.
 Keywords: Cultural diffusion theory, Cultural landscape, Relocation, Reservoirs, Socio-economic aspects

Emergency Transport Crew: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Prevention Program

Background: The incidences of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among critical care nurses, emergency room nurses, and paramedics range from 20 to 33%. PTSD is associated with a lower quality of life (QOL), occupational impairments, physical health decline, and increases the risk of premature death. Research supports prevention and surveillance measures for post-traumatic stress disorder in emergency medical service providers, but the practice is not routinely done.
 Methods: A multi-purpose quality improvement project focused on educating transport crew members about PTSD. Other interventions emphasized anti-stigma lessons, resiliency assistance, and coping skills training. The pilot provided surveillance efforts, employed an early organizational PTSD recognition, and immediate debriefing for at-risk personnel at three Air Evac Lifeteam bases.
 Results: After the QI interventions, most crew members’ overall post-test PCL-5 scores were lowered by 12.5%. Another measure of the QI success was the Professional Quality of Life score improvement. Specially, the compassion satisfaction average level increased by 14% and the average burnout level decreased by of 15%.
 Conclusions: The QI project demonstrated the transport crew members’ well-being can be positively influenced by a PTSD prevention and surveillance program. These interventions offer a promising reduction in the prevalence of stress and PTSD. A nationwide practice change with these project interventions could improve the mental health of helicopter emergency medical personnel.

Construction of Plastic Concrete Seepage Cut-Off Wall for Polavaram Earth Cum Rockfill Dam

Abstract: Polavaram Project is being executed on River Godavari near Ramayyapeta village of Polavaram Mandal, West Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh. This multipurpose major project envisages construction of 2454m long Earth-cum-Rock fill (ECRF) dam across river Godavari near Polavaram with a maximum height of 50.32m. The proposed ECRF dam will be founded on a bed of sand. The depth of sand bed over the underlying rock strata varies from 30m to 90m at different location. To restrict the flow of seepage water through the sand bed, a plastic concrete diaphragm wall/Cut-Off wall is proposed with its top end embedded in the clay core of the ECRF Dam and the bottom end embedded into underlying hard rock. The wall was constructed of plastic concrete using panel construction method. Plastic concrete was selected to provide a seepage Cut-Off wall that has sufficient strength to withstand both static and seismic stresses beneath the new embankment, and yet is flexible enough to undergo seismic deformations, without cracking, with the surrounding soils. This paper illustrates the construction of the plastic concrete Cut-Off wall for the Polavaram ECRF dam, including the field and laboratory testing performed to confirm design wall stiffness, strength, and hydraulic conductivity requirements. The trial laboratory and field testing programs to determine plastic concrete mix design, and the QA/QC testing conducted during construction are presented. Keywords: ECRF, Plastic concrete, Cut-Off wall, Hydraulic grab, Trench cutter, Koden, Tremie

LCA of Mortar with Calcined Clay and Limestone Filler in RC Column Retrofit

Cement manufacture contributes about 5–7% of the global carbon dioxide emission. The fastest short-term remedy is to replace parts of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) in concrete with supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) to reduce CO2 emissions. Calcined clay and limestone filler have proven to be potential substitutes to good quality SCMs such as fly ash and slag because of their abundance, low cost, and potential reactivity to calcium hydroxide to form calcium silicate hydrates (C-S-H) which are responsible for the strength and other mechanical properties of concrete. A life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate the environmental impact of mortar with calcined clay and limestone filler in reinforced concrete (RC) column retrofitting is carried out using data from a multi-purpose complex project in Rizal province in the Philippines. A total of four retrofitting methods are evaluated based on two retrofitting techniques (RC column jacketing and steel jacketing) with two material alternatives (pure OPC-based mortar and mortar with partial replacements). Results show that RC column jacketing using patched mortar with partial replacement of calcined clay and limestone fillers is the least environmentally damaging retrofit option. The use of these SCMs resulted in a 4–7% decrease in global warming potential and a 2–4% decrease in fine particulate matter formation. Meanwhile, RC column jacketing decreased the effect on human carcinogenic toxicity by 75% compared to steel jacketing.

Dez Dam Rehabilitation Project Role in Flood Damage Reduction

As a result of climate change, extreme precipitation events from mid-March to April 2019 in southwest Iran generated catastrophic floods taken 78 lives and left $4.1 billion financial damages. The extent of damages could have been even worse without the existence of upstream flood control dams including Dez dam. Dez Dam is the only large dam in its basin which play a significant role in flood control. A multi-purpose rehabilitation project including new power intakes, flushing tunnels and dam heightening with required investment of $350 million is defined in this dam to compensate reservoir live volume losses through 57 years of sedimentation. In this paper, the effect of dam heightening and the flushing tunnels will be evaluated by their roles in flood damage reduction. Assuming that the actual magnitude of a flood cannot be predicted beforehand, a flexible multi-stage routing method considering operator judgment during flood operations is proposed to produce an optimized flood routing policy. The related operation rule is derived for existing and rehabilitated dam and the expected annual damage (EAD) compared in both conditions. The results show that the dam heightening could be considered as an effective way to improve the dam role in flood damage reduction.