A protocol to assess the seismic criticality of existing small concrete dams

Dams are critical infrastructures whose failure would entail serious consequences for community safety. Although large dams represent the most dangerous items, small size dams may be critical, as a large number of these constructions are built in the proximity to inhabited zones. Earthquake is one of the hazards that may affect an existing dam. To assess safety and plan investments, dam owners need to create prioritisation sequences of interventions through a protocol considering technical, political and societal aspects. It is presented herein a specific procedure, based on a multi-criteria analysis with a rapid screening survey of the infrastructures, which addresses to classify the seismic criticality of dams considering the effects (in terms of loss of life and property) of a failure scenario subsequent to an earthquake. A protocol is used to define a prioritisation of interventions that mitigate the seismic risk. It has been applied to a group of 9 small concrete dams and 17 fixed weirs, built from 1920 to 1990 in Aosta Valley (Italy). As a result, about 30% of the existing dams, which are more vulnerable than fixed weirs, shows the highest level of seismic criticality, and needs to be retrofitted in accordance with the current standards.