QUESTION 2

A client has called you to provide a professional advice on key personnel and data requirements for
feasibility study for a proposed dam construction which will be used for both hydroelectric and
irrigation purposes. Provide a maximum of two page report detailing the key professionals to be
involved in the study and the critical data/ information required for the study, in order to assess the
proposed dam capacity.
Explain the significance of the data and how its failure to acquire can affect the study.

Introduction
The feasibility works involves a preliminary study which would be undertaken to assess whether the
planned project is likely to be practical and successful and to estimate its cost.
A Hydro-electric dam is a barrier across flowing water that obstructs, directs or slows down the flow,
often creating a reservoir, lake or impoundment. Thus a Hydro-electric dam is a barrier that divides
water.
Irrigation- is the artificial application of water to the soil usually for assisting in growing crops.

Key personnel
The most important personnel involved in the construction of the dam include but not limited to the
following:

KEY CRITICAL ACTIVITY(IES)

PERSONNEL

Civil Engineers The team leader(s). Planning and execution of the project. Liaises with the
client and monitors the activities of the project. Manages quality assurance and
reporting.

Structural Design and supervising the structural members. Monitoring the stability of
Engineers designed structures.

Geological The engineering geologist is a key member of an engineering team, since he

Engineers will ensure the feasibility of the project, continuing through the design stage
and terminating only when construction has either proved that geological
conditions revealed are in conformity with the premises adopted in design, or
he has made possible proper evaluation of any conditions not foreseen in the
earlier stages.

Environmentalists Assess the environmental impact and his reports include the following but not
limited to: land inundation, dislodgement of people, flood warnings, air, dust
and noise pollution etc.

Landscape Design of architectural elements of the dam with key interest in the aesthetics
Architecture of the dam structure.

Hydrologists Evaluating storage requirements such as cumulative mass curves, runoff,

estimation of flood design, flood routing and other factors. Determination of
geotechnical information with respect to the bearing capacity of the soil under
consideration.
 Land Surveyors To determine the position of various features, landmarks, topography etc.
Detailing and processing of survey data. Control of topographic survey during
supervision. Preparation of community maps etc.

Electrical Assessment of volume of electrical energy requirements, Calculation of

Engineers electric power and the total consumption requirement for the community at
large.

Demographers Determination of current and future population with respect to the use of the
dam, statistics about the use of the hydroelectric dam and the agriculture use of
the irrigation due to the available population.

Critical Data Requirements, It’s Significance and How Its Failure to Acquire Can Affect the
Study

Site and soil investigation and monitoring: Most failures are due to lack of appreciation of how the
particular dam site would react to the superposition of the dam and reservoir. It is therefore essential
that a detailed site investigation takes place and the results are appropriately used by Engineers.

Storage capacity: The storage capacity required in a reservoir may be determined in a number of
ways. In tropical regions it may be decided to store the whole runoff from precipitation in one season.
It may be decided to provide sufficient storage to ensure continuity based upon a repetition of past
history.

Geological and Topographic conditions: The safety, viability and cost of a dam are all dependent
upon geology. Most rocks have adequate strength but their weakness is in the orientation and dip of
discontinuities relative to the loading from the dam, as well as the infilling material in, and depth of,
weathering in such discontinuities. It is necessary to investigate both the regional geology and the
specific local geology to ensure a global picture is developed.

Loading and factor of safety on dam: The loading and factor of safety must relate to the strength,
stability and durability with consideration to magnitude of economic and personal loss that would
result from its failure.

Environmental Implications: Creation of a reservoir will inundate frequently good land, and may
cause people to be displaced. These factors lead to loss of productivity and personal hardship. Hence
people may be dislodged and as some wildlife species being destroyed is almost inevitable.

Conclusion: It is therefore paramount that all these data are critically examined and properly assessed
to ensure the success and the practicability of the dam construction.
Ansah Nana Benyi BSc/CE/10/11/319

Daniel Kwesi Baah Akorful BSc/CE/10/11/311

Norman Barnes Junior BSc/CE/10/11/324

Ebenezer Annam BSc/CE/10/11/

Benjamin Yamoah BSc/CE/10/11/

Dela BSc/CE/10/11/

Tsyi Samuel BSc/CE/10/11/