Toddbrook Reservoir emergency spillway repair
Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire, UK · 2019-2026 · £15 million (PERI UK, no year basis specified)
The judgement call
Account-gated at launchThe incident highlighted that compliance with legislation does not always equate to safety. - The importance of clear communication of urgency in inspection reports for identified risks. - The need for better understanding of crack injection phenomenon in spillway design in the UK. - The effectiveness of rapid emergency response and evacuation.
Key engineering challenges
Poor original spillway design and intermittent maintenance leading to failure. - Crack injection mechanism causing erosion beneath spillway slabs. - Managing a high-risk dam with potential catastrophic failure impact on downstream communities. - Urgent stabilization and drawdown of water level during emergency.
Project facts
- Client / owner
- Canal & River Trust (CRT)
- Lead contractor
- —
- Lead designers
- —
- Project type
- upgrade | refurbishment
- Scale
- Reservoir capacity > 25,000 m3; Approximately 800 tonnes (400 m3) of material eroded from embankment.
- Disciplines
- civil; structural; geotechnical; hydraulic
- Standards & frameworks
- Reservoirs Act 1975 (as amended); Reservoirs (Safety Provisions) Act 1930.
Sources: Toddbrook Reservoir Independent Review Report, Professor David Balmforth, 2020, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5e6f3f56d3bf7f2690785d52/toddbrook-reservoir-independent-review-reporta.pdf - "Toddbrook Reservoir dam two-year repair plan unveiled", New Civil Engineer, 2021, https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/toddbrook-reservoir-dam-two-year-repair-plan-unveiled-24-03-2021/ - "Restoring Toddbrook Reservoir", Institution of Civil Engineers, https://www.ice.org.uk/events/recorded-lectures/restoring-toddbrook-reservoir - "Toddbrook Reservoir", PERI UK, https://www.peri.ltd.uk/projects/toddbrook-reservoir.html - "Construction starts on Toddbrook reservoir restoration project", Water Power Magazine, 2022, https://www.waterpowermagazine.com/news/construction-starts-on-toddbrook-reservoir-restoration-project-10030695/ - "Safeguarding the future of Toddbrook Reservoir", Arup, https://www.arup.com/en-us/projects/toddbrook-reservoir/