USSD Monthly News
USSD News

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN!!!

We have shifted into high gear as countdown the final weeks and days to USSD's 2024 Annual Conference and Exhibition! The planning committe and staff are tireless working to not only provide high quality technical sessions, but other activites to ensure it is a can't miss Dam Industry experience!

If you haven't registered yet be sure to do it TODAY because registration fees increase April 1!

REGISTER TODAY!

Details such as room locations, speaker names and descriptions will be available in the conference mobile app. Registrants will receive an email on how to access.
The finalists for the 2024 Kim de Rubertis Student Scholarship have been selected.
USSD's awards program recognizes individuals and organizations that make significant contributions to the dam and levee industry. The winners for the 2024 have been selected.
Each year, USSD recognizes Outstanding Papers presented during the USSD Annual Conference and Exhibition. Two winners are seleceted for the Overall Outstanding Paper and Outstanding Young Professional Paper. The top five papers being considered for this year are:
  

While in Seattle, make sure to take some time for fun!

Our conference planning committee has developed a list of thrilling activities to discover while you are in Seattle.

Learn more...

  
Dams & Levees: Bulletin of the U.S. Society on Dams is the official publication of USSD and is published four times a year for USSD Members and others in the dam and levee profession. You are invited to submit news items and technical articles. 
Colliers Engineering & Design – Accelerating Client Success
Colliers Engineering & Design®
Bergmann, rebranded as Colliers Engineering & Design, is a full-service, nationally recognized engineering firm with over three decades of experience providing Dam and Levee Safety, and Hydropower services. This includes Engineering Design; Hydrologic, Hydraulic, and CFD Modeling; Geotechnical Engineering; Risk Assessments; Operation & Maintenance; and Hydropower. Our team of subject matter experts bring innovative design solutions and unmatched expertise to meet the needs of our clients.
Learn more
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Brayman Construction Corp.
HDR
USSD Education and Events

 

Stay Up To Date

Visit our website for the most current information
on the events listed below and other activities.

USSD Membership
  
USSD is a world-class organization of engineering professionals who advance the environmentally sustainable science of planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of dams, levees and associated civil engineering projects. Our members lead the nation, and work with partner organizations worldwide, to resolve the world’s most critical resource problem: access to clean water.
Kleinschmidt Associates
Flow Science Inc.
22
Apr 2024
 
April 22-26, 2024: Seattle, WA
21
May 2024
 
May 21-23, 2024, Puerto Rico
10
Jul 2024
 
July 10-12: Virtual
July 16-18: Lone Tree, CO
9
Sep 2024
 
Sept. 9: Virtual
Sept. 11-12: In Person (site TBD)
Instilling True Confidence, Delivering Success.
Ames Construction, Inc.®
For 60 years, Ames Construction has delivered high-quality General Contracting services, throughout North America, with a proven ability to self-perform and complete projects safely, on-time, and within budget.
Ames is family-owned, rooted in a strong work ethic, and committed to business relationships built on honesty, performance, and mutual trust. We remain dedicated to providing superior construction services to our clients well into the future. 
Learn more. www.amesconstruction .com
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Expertise Needed
  
Then consider volunteering some time to USSD! 
 
USSD has immediate and ongoing options that provide short-term and long-term volunteer opportunities on several committees. Visit the Committees page of our website to learn more about our committees and find a match for your interest and goals.
 
Contact Tonia Bengtson for more information.
General Industry News

Earthquake Engineering for Concrete Dams: Analysis, Design, and Evaluation
by Anil K Chopra

Earthquake analysis and design of concrete dams has progressed from static force methods based on seismic coefficients to modern procedures that are based on the dynamics of dam–water–foundation systems. Earthquake Engineering for Concrete Dams offers a comprehensive, integrated view of this progress over the last fifty years. The book offers an understanding of the limitations of the various methods of dynamic analysis used in practice and develops modern methods that overcome these limitations. 

Learn more...

Industry News & Updates

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) leads the national effort to protect and enhance the resilience of the nation's physical and cyber infrastructure. 

Visit the Dam Sector webpage to view up-to-date information and resources.

Schnabel Engineering
KGS Group
ICOLD News
  
Join your colleagues in Puerto Rico for a three-day event focused on comparing best practices in dam safety and engineering across countries in the Western Hemisphere.

Don't Miss this opportunity!!!

USSD is excited to provide an opportunity for our members to participate in the technical program for the ICOLD 28th Congress & 93rd Annual Meeting. This event will be hosted in Chengdu, China on May 10-23, 2025. 

As the U.S. representative of ICOLD, USSD is allowed to submit 26 papers for this event. The USSD Committee on ICOLD Congress Papers will select the U.S. abstracts. Authors of selected abstracts will prepare a draft paper for review by the Committee, followed by preparation of a final paper that USSD will submit to ICOLD. ICOLD will not accept any submissions directly from authors. 

The initial abstract submission deadline for USSD has been extended to April 26, 2024.

Learn More...

Dates for the 92nd ICOLD Annual Meeting have been changed to Sept. 29, 2024-Oct. 3, 2024. Visit the ICOLD 2024 website for detailed event information.

  

The East Asian Area Dam Conference (EADC) was formed in 2004 by the Japan Commission on Large Dams (JCOLD), the Chinese National Committee on Large Dams (CHINCOLD), and the Korea National Committee on Large Dams (KNCOLD).

JCOLD will be hosting the 12th East Asian Dam Conference on June 3-7, 2024, in Nagoya, Japan. Event and registration details can be viewed online.

Industry Events

On April 3 and 4, 2024, in Louisville, Kentucky, the United States Army Corps of Engineers’ Risk Management Center is offering two sessions of DLS-102: Introduction to USACE SQRA and FERC L2RA Process and Guidelines.

Course Overview:
Explore how the United States Army Corps of Engineers Risk Management Center (USACE RMC) and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) prepare, calculate, and evaluate the results of semi-quantitative risk assessments (SQRA). The training will focus on the USACE SQRA and FERC Level 2 Risk Assessment (L2RA) process, the calculations and information required to complete an SQRA/L2RA, and how the SQRA/L2RA results are used by USACE and FERC.

Leaning Objectives:
By the end of the training, participants will have a basic understanding of how to approach each element of SQRA and L2RA. In addition, participants will be able to:

  • Describe the general SQRA and L2RA process and how it fits within USACE’s and FERC’s risk management programs
  • Calculate risk and use it to inform decisions
  • Identify and participate in each phase of SQRA and L2RA 

Target Audience:
This course is designed for technical staff inside and outside USACE and FERC who will be participating in or leading the SQRA/L2RA for a variety of purposes. Participants with other backgrounds or goals may also benefit from understanding the overall process and what is involved to complete an SQRA and L2RA.

Visit the RMC Training website for more information. 

The Purdue Geotechnical Society will host the 20th edition of the Purdue Geotechnical Workshop and the 20th G.A. Leonards Lecture on Friday, April 12, 2024, on the West Lafayette campus of Purdue University.
SAVE THE DATE! Schnabel Engineering is proud to announce the International RCC Dam Seminar and Study Tour will be held June 10-12, 2024, in Denver, Colorado!

DFI's 49th Annual Conference on Deep Foundations is October 7-10, 2024, in Aurora, Colorado - just outside of Denver. The theme of this international conference is Water — Resiliency — Infrastructure.

Visit DFI49 event website for more information.

Hydro Component Systems, LLC
Stantec