The Small Dams Safety Index (SDSI): a tool for small dams safety assessment

ABSTRACT There is a great number of small dams around the world, usually built in private rural properties, for irrigation, animal watering or aquaculture; as they are getting old, the probability of a failure increases. In Brazil, the Brazilian National Policy of Dam Safety was approved, but it is intended only for large dams, unless it is classified with medium or high Associated Potential Damage. Usually, risk analysis methods are used to assess the safety of a dam, but this may be unfeasible for small dams, as it is costly and time-consuming, which is not affordable for small dams’ managers. This article proposed the Small Dams Safety Index (SDSI), which is a matrix with classification criteria to evaluate the safety of small dams. Besides providing a general level of the safety of a dam, it also helps to prioritize actions of maintenance, allowing the small dam’s manager to optimize time and financial resources.