Program Highlights

Time Name Speakers
7:30 AM - 8:30 AMWorkshop Breakfast
7:30 AM - 2:00 PMWorkshop Registration
8:30 AM - 4:30 PMWorkshop: Dam Safety Reviews
8:30 AM - 4:30 PMWorkshop: Dikes and Levees Working Group
8:30 AM - 4:30 PMWorkshop: Public Safety Around Dams
8:30 AM - 4:30 PMWorkshop: Risk Informed Decision Making
8:30 AM - 4:30 PMWorkshop: Young Professionals Development Workshop
10:00 AM - 10:30 AMWorkshop Coffee Break
12:00 PM - 1:00 PMWorkshop Lunch
2:30 PM - 3:00 PMWorkshop Coffee Break
4:30 PM - 6:30 PMSaturday Evening Social
Time Name Speakers
7:30 AM - 8:30 AMWorkshop Breakfast
7:30 AM - 2:00 PMWorkshop Registration
8:30 AM - 4:30 PMWorkshop: Dam Safety 101
8:30 AM - 4:30 PMWorkshop: Emergency Management for Dam Safety
8:30 AM - 4:30 PMWorkshop: Failure Modes Analysis
8:30 AM - 4:30 PMWorkshop: Fish Passage 101
8:30 AM - 4:30 PMWorkshop: TSF Closure Isn't a Risky Business - If Done Right
10:00 AM - 10:30 AMWorkshop Coffee Break
12:00 PM - 1:00 PMWorkshop Lunch
2:00 PM - 2:30 PMWorkshop Coffee Break
6:00 PM - 8:30 PMHello to Nova Scotia Reception
Time Name Speakers
7:00 AM - 6:30 PMRegistration
7:30 AM - 8:30 AMBreakfast
8:30 AM - 9:00 AMConference Opening
9:00 AM - 9:30 AMCDA Updates From the ED
9:30 AM - 10:00 AMKeynote Session:1+1=3 How safety professionals involved in tailings and water retaining dams have collaborated in Canada to accomplish more than the sum of their parts.Andy Small, Klohn Crippen Berger
Tony Bennet, KGS Group
10:00 AM - 7:00 PMCDA Trade Show
10:00 AM - 10:40 AMCoffee Break
10:40 AM - 12:00 PM1A1 - Chignecto Isthmus Resiliency Project Kevin Bekkers, NS Department of Public Works
10:40 AM - 12:00 PM1B1 - Workout Drills For Users Of RCEMFuad Curi, KGS Group
10:40 AM - 12:00 PM1B2 - Modeling Historical Dam Failures In Hec-Ras 2dMauricio Dziedzic, University of Northern British Columbia
10:40 AM - 12:00 PM1B3 - A Practical Approach To Probabilistic Dam Breach ModelingChris Goodell, Kleinschmidt Associates
10:40 AM - 12:00 PM1B4 - Influence Of Topographic Resolution And Accuracy Across Multiple Terrain Types In Dam Breach AnalysisVéronique Nell, PhotoSat
10:40 AM - 12:00 PM1C1 - Post-tensioned (PT) Anchors for Dam Stability and Upgrade: Methodology and Constructability LessonsMassoud Daliry, Stantec
10:40 AM - 12:00 PM1C2 - Frederick House Lake Dam Rehabilitation: Managing Inherent Uncertainty And Construction ComplexityHooman Ghassemi, Cima+
10:40 AM - 12:00 PM1C3 - Monitoring Of A Dam Affected By Alkali-Aggregate Reaction (AAR)Catalin Gheorghiu, HYDRO-QUÉBEC
10:40 AM - 12:00 PM1C4 - Long-Term Vibration Monitoring Of The Mactaquac Dam Intake And Spillway StructuresLeonardo Miranda, University of New Brunswick
Kaveh Arjomandi, University of New Brunswick
10:40 AM - 12:00 PM1D1 - Integrated Approach To Rapidly Iterate Through Lea Stability Analyses For Design Of Staged Construction Over Silty Clay SoilsAmy Adams, Knight Piésold Ltd.
10:40 AM - 12:00 PM1D2 - From Sinkholes To Stability: A Continuous Geomembrane Design Approach For Spray Canal’s Complex Canal SectionsGary Brunet, TransAlta
10:40 AM - 12:00 PM1D3 - Project Management In A Multi-Stakeholder Environment: Lessons From India’s Dam Rehabilitation And Improvement Project (Drip)Ashutosh Bagchi, Concordia University
10:40 AM - 12:00 PM1D4 - Springbank Off-Stream Reservoir Construction Risks, Challenges, And SuccessesMathieu Boudreau, Stantec Consulting Ltd
10:40 AM - 12:00 PM1E1 - Enhancing Dam And Dike Safety Inspections Through Digital Technologies: A Tailings Facility Case StudyLouis-Philippe Grimard, BBA Inc.
10:40 AM - 12:00 PM1E2 - Evolving Design Practices Petroleum Coke As An Internal Filter In Oil Sands Mining DamsChris Fortier, Suncor Energy Inc
10:40 AM - 12:00 PM1E3 - Constructability And Performance Evaluation Of An Excavator Displacement Technique For Improving Liquefiable Tailings – Case StudyAravind Murali, Klohn Crippen Berger Ltd
10:40 AM - 12:00 PM1E4 - Assessing The Credibility Of Backward Erosion Piping In Tailings Dams: A Progression-Based FrameworkShielan Liu, Newfields Canada Inc.
12:00 PM - 1:30 PMLunch on Trade Show Floor
1:30 PM - 2:50 PMAnnual General Meeting
2:50 PM - 3:25 PMCoffee Break
3:25 PM - 4:45 PM2A1 - CDA Committee Reports
3:25 PM - 4:45 PM2B1 - Verifying Design Intent For Earth Fill DamsAhlam Abdulnabi, Thurber Engineering Ltd.
3:25 PM - 4:45 PM2B2 - Managing Geotechnical Instrumentation on a Megaproject – Site C Tyson Kaempffer, BC Hydro
3:25 PM - 4:45 PM2B3 - High-Fidelity Water Passage Condition Assessment Using Integrated Photogrammetry And Precision Metrology: Beechwood Unit 3Cody Bradley, Bradley Engineering Ltd.
3:25 PM - 4:45 PM2B4 - A DTS-Based Alerting System For Continuous Seepage Surveillance At A Dam Abutment Based On Comparisons To Historical DataEmanuel de Gante Carrillo, University of New Brunswick
Karl Butler, University of New Brunswick
3:25 PM - 4:45 PM2C1 - Novel Digital Twin Framework For Determining Design Flows For Dam SafetyChristian Almestad, DHI
3:25 PM - 4:45 PM2C2 - Modernizing PMP In Canada: Summary Of AWA's Studies From The Yukon To The Atlantic, Incorporating Climate Change Impacts On PMPBill Kappel, Applied Weather Associates
3:25 PM - 4:45 PM2C3 - Adapting Baskatong Reservoir To Evolving Hydrological And Operational ChallengesJavier Patarroyo, Hydro-Québec
3:25 PM - 4:45 PM2C4 - Modelling Of The Failure Of An Extreme Consequence Hydroelectric Dam During The Probable Maximum FloodFelix Nguyen, AtkinsRéalis
3:25 PM - 4:45 PM2D1 - Seismic Deformation Analysis Using Flac And Re-Evaluation Using Simplified Methods: The Mactaquac Main Dam Case StudyIlia Wainshtein, WSP
3:25 PM - 4:45 PM2D2 - Earthquake Trigger Levels For Event-Driven Inspections Of Dams Without Seismic InstrumentsDaniel Klassen, Klohn Crippen Berger
3:25 PM - 4:45 PM2D3 - Improving The Accuracy And Efficiency Of The Seismic Safety Evaluation Of Dams And Their Appurtenant StructuresNajib Bouaanani, Polytechnique Montréal
3:25 PM - 4:45 PM2D4 - Comparative Study Of 1D And 2D Site Response Considering Liquefaction In DamsHongwei Liu, Seequent
3:25 PM - 4:45 PM2E1 - Legacy Tsf Under Water Cover: Alarp As A Mine Closure Decision FrameworkPetar Lukov, GHD
3:25 PM - 4:45 PM2E2 - P-Area Decant Tunnel Decommissioning Part 1 – Risk Assessment And DesignCarlos Diaz, Klohn Crippen Berger
3:25 PM - 4:45 PM2E3 - The Evolution Of Keephills Ash Lagoon From 2008 To 2025Chris Grapel, Klohn Crippen Berger Ltd.
3:25 PM - 4:45 PM2E4 - Integrating Various In Situ Test Data For Improved Flow Liquefaction Assessment Of TailingsBen Plumridge, WSP
4:45 PM - 6:45 PMTrade Show Reception
7:00 PM - 10:00 PMYoung Professionals Social
Time Name Speakers
7:30 AM - 8:30 AMBreakfast
8:30 AM - 10:00 AMKeynote Session: Mitigating Volcanic Hazards on the Reykjanes PeninsulaJón Haukur Steingrímsson, Efla Engineering Iceland
9:00 AM - 4:30 PMCDA Trade Show
10:00 AM - 10:40 AMCoffee Break
10:40 AM - 12:00 PM3A1 - Multitier Methodology For Risk And Vulnerability Assessment In Critical InfrastructureLeif Basberg, Statkraft Energi AS
10:40 AM - 12:00 PM3A2 - Factor Of Safety-Probability Of Failure Equivalence: Implications For Dam Safety AssessmentRocio Segura, Polytechnique de Montréal
10:40 AM - 12:00 PM3A3 - Decision‑Making Under Changing Hydrologic Regimes: Advancing System‑Scale Dam Management Through Ahp‑Driven Multi‑Criteria EvaluationJose Carlos Concha Tejada, Hatch Ltd
10:40 AM - 12:00 PM3A4 - Practical Implementation Of Risk Informed Decision-Making- A Dam Owner’s FrameworkGanesh Hiriyanna Rao Ravindra, Statkraft Energi AS
10:40 AM - 12:00 PM3B1 - Data-To-Decision Analysis Of Long-Term Displacement Monitoring In An Arch DamBikram Kesharee Patra, International Centre of Excellence for Dams (ICED), Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee
10:40 AM - 12:00 PM3B2 - Performance Monitoring And Instrumentation Systems At Bakun DamJonathan Kung Yew Tiong, Sarawak Energy Berhad
10:40 AM - 12:00 PM3B3 - Assessment Of Aging Concrete Infrastructure Through Drone-Based Inspection And 3D Digital Modeling: A Case StudyNegar Roghanian, WSP Canada
10:40 AM - 12:00 PM3B4 - Application Of Artificial Neural Networks For Monitoring Interpretation Of A Concrete Arch-Gravity DamRiccardo Stucchi, Lombardi Engineering Ltd.
10:40 AM - 12:00 PM3C1 - International Session
10:40 AM - 12:00 PM3D1 - Strengthening Emergency Preparedness Through Practical Exercises, Meaningful Engagement, And Lessons Learned From Minor Emergency EventsKatherine Miller, WSPUK
10:40 AM - 12:00 PM3D2 - Development Of OPG’s Technical Design Guideline For Waterway Booms And An Overview Of The Design ProcessElise Neufeld, Hatch Ltd.
10:40 AM - 12:00 PM3D3 - Improvements And Lessons Learned From Wsa’s Public Interaction Around Dams ProgramAmy Tiede, Water Security Agency Saskatchewan
10:40 AM - 12:00 PM3D4 - The Need For Up-To-Date Dam Breach Inundation Studies And Emergency Management Plans To Manage Residual Risks - Alberta ProspectiveMohan Acharya, Government of Alberta
Liz Smith, Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation
10:40 AM - 12:00 PM3E1 - Instability-Onset Strength Ratio For Credible Failure Mode AssessmentJiarui Chen, University of Alberta
10:40 AM - 12:00 PM3E2 - Rheological Measurement of Soft Tailings and Application in Tailings Dam Breach Inundation AnalysisH. Joanna Chen, WSP Canada Inc.
10:40 AM - 12:00 PM3E3 - Framework For Linking Failure Mechanisms To Release Volume EstimatesLisa Conlan, Klohn Crippen Berger
10:40 AM - 12:00 PM3E4 - Runout Modelling Of The Las Palmas Tailings Dam Breach Using The Material Point MethodMichael Louws, Klohn Crippen Berger Ltd.
12:00 PM - 1:30 PMCDA Structural Community of Interest: Advancing Structural Guidance for Dam Safety
12:00 PM - 1:30 PMLunch on Trade Show Floor
1:30 PM - 2:50 PM4A1 - Multi-Hazard Stability Assessment Of A Concrete Gravity DamRodrigo José de Almeida Torres Filho, Université de Sherbrooke
1:30 PM - 2:50 PM4A2 - Assessment And Implementation Of Risk Reduction Measures For Uplift At Aging SpillwaysGordon McPhail, KGS Group
1:30 PM - 2:50 PM4A3 - Tensioned (PT) Anchors For Dam Stability And Upgrade: Methodology And Constructability LessonsMahmoud (Mo) Ali, Klohn Crippen Berger Ltd.
1:30 PM - 2:50 PM4A4 - Influence Of Interface Modelling And Uplift On Seismic Sliding Demand In Gravity DamsBikram Kesharee Patra, International Centre of Excellence for Dams (ICED), Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee
1:30 PM - 2:50 PM4B1 - Influence Of Topographic Resolution And Accuracy Across Multiple Terrain Types In Dam Breach Analysis
1:30 PM - 2:50 PM4B2 - Design And Construction Of A Dike To Mitigate Pratt Stream Flooding In Coaticook: An OverviewFrancois Saint Pierre, CIMA+
1:30 PM - 2:50 PM4B3 - Managing Invasive Mussel Infestation At Hydroelectric Dams: A Case Study In Operational EfficiencyAaron Vanderberg, ASI Marine
1:30 PM - 2:50 PM4B4 - Geoelectrical Surveying Of Bay Of Fundy Dykes: A Rapid Screening Workflow To Identify Internal VulnerabilitiesRocelle Patricia Mendoza, University of New Brunswick / Orica Digital Solutions (Measurand)
1:30 PM - 2:50 PM4C1 - International Session
1:30 PM - 2:50 PM4D1 - Kakabeka Falls Generating Station - Innovative Water Passage ConfigurationHarrison Salter, Hatch
1:30 PM - 2:50 PM4D2 - Damspot – A Tool For Revealing Hydropower PotentialArnaud Vandel, Artelia
1:30 PM - 2:50 PM4D3 - Forecasting Challenges In Run-Of-River Mini Hydropower Systems: Lessons From The Kota 2 Mini Hydro ProjectChris Aaron Winston, Sarawak Energy
1:30 PM - 2:50 PM4D4 - Setting Instrumentation Alert Levels For The Site C Powerhouse Buttress Using Numerical Model PredictionsPatrice Mclean, AtkinsRealis
1:30 PM - 2:50 PM4E1 - Integrating The Global Industry Standard On Tailings Management Into Project Development StagesBryan Bale, Teck Resources Ltd.
1:30 PM - 2:50 PM4E2 - Practical Implementation Of Deviance Accountability ReportingCole Mrak, Klohn Crippen Berger
1:30 PM - 2:50 PM4E3 - Assessing And Supporting The Effectiveness Of Tailings And Water Dam Governance: Governance And Performance Reviews At TeckJennifer Brash, Teck Resources Ltd
1:30 PM - 2:50 PM4E4 - Beyond Compliance: Enhancing The Effectiveness Of Tailings Management SystemsRachel Sawyer, Okane Consultants
2:50 PM - 3:25 PMCoffee Break
3:25 PM - 4:45 PM5A1 - When Engineering Judgement Meets AI: Dams in a Dynamic FutureAndrew Bayliss, AtkinsRealis Canada Inc.
Eric Péloquin, Hydro-Québec
Jean-Samuel Poirier, KorrAI
Pal Mann, CD, FCSSE, FEC, P.Eng., ICD.D., Engineers Nova Scotia
3:25 PM - 4:45 PM5B1 - Experimental Investigation Of Boom Performance In Ice-Free And Ice-Block Conditions Under High Flow VelocitiesFaezeh Fooladimahani, University of Manitoba
3:25 PM - 4:45 PM5B2 - The Design And Modeling Leading To Successful Operation Of An Innovative Energy Dissipation Solution At Site CJeremy Bruce, Klohn Crippen Berger Ltd.
Wael Taha, ing., M. Ing., Lasalle|NHC
3:25 PM - 4:45 PM5B3 - Design Enhancement Using Hydraulic Behaviour From Model TestingSeng Hing Ngu, Sarawak Energy Berhad
3:25 PM - 4:45 PM5B4 - Automating Spillway Rating Curve Generation Using 3d Cfd And Optimization MethodsJon Bouchard, Flow-3D Hydro
3:25 PM - 4:45 PM5C1 - The Owner's Engineer As A Risk Integrator: Framework For Decision‑Making Of An Aging Spillway ReplacementMasood Meidani, BBA Consultants
3:25 PM - 4:45 PM5C2 - The Design And Construction Of A Reinforced Concrete Core Wall Rockfill Dam To Replace An Aging Rockfill DamJustin Powers, KGS Group
3:25 PM - 4:45 PM5C3 - Let It Down Easy – Challenges In The Design Of The Deloraine Dam Spillway ReplacementElise Neufeld, Hatch Ltd.
3:25 PM - 4:45 PM5C4 - A Risk-Informed Spillway Modernization Case Study: From Theoretical Spill Capacity To Operational ReliabilityYannick Labonté, Groupe Carbonneau
Guillaume Petit, Croupe Carbonneau
3:25 PM - 4:45 PM5D1 - Dam Failures To PFMA: Advancing Risk-Informed Safety Practice In IndiaBikram Kesharee Patra, International Centre of Excellence for Dams (ICED), Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee
3:25 PM - 4:45 PM5D2 - The St. Margaret's Bay System Flood Study, Dam Breach Analysis And Consequence ClassificationDiana Sankar, Hatch
3:25 PM - 4:45 PM5D3 - Improvements In OMS Manuals At BC HydroTerry Oswell, BC Hydro
3:25 PM - 4:45 PM5D4 - Building Adaptive Dam Safety Programs: Results From A Cross Canada Survey Of Dam OwnersLucas Wazney, KGS Group
3:25 PM - 4:45 PM5E1 - Adapting CDA Recommended Pmf Estimation Methods To Long Duration Freshets For Mining Dams In Interior BcAvneet Button, Klohn Crippen Berger Ltd.
Maggie MacKay, Klohn Crippen Berger Ltd.
3:25 PM - 4:45 PM5E2 - Optimizing Tailings Dam Freeboard: A Study Of Submerged Breakwater Effects On Wind Generated Waves FreeboardMike Movahedan, WSP
3:25 PM - 4:45 PM5E3 - Coming Soon
3:25 PM - 4:45 PM5E4 - Updates to the Mining Association of Canada’s TSM Requirements and Guidance for Tailings Management
6:00 PM - 11:00 PMOcean Terminal Reception at Pier 21
Time Name Speakers
7:30 AM - 8:30 AMBreakfast
7:30 AM - 2:00 PMRegistration
8:30 AM - 8:45 AMWelcome
8:45 AM - 9:45 AMKeynote Session: Winning Teams: Excelling Under PressureDr. Kimberley Amirault-Ryan
9:45 AM - 10:15 AMBreak
10:15 AM - 11:15 AM6B1 - Use Of Failure Mode Analysis And Decision Framework For Project Scope And Design Decisions For Strathcona DamNathan Sweeney, BC Hydro
10:15 AM - 11:15 AM6B2 - Rehabilitating An Embankment Dike: From Its Discovery In The Forest To Its ReconstructionLouis-Philippe Grimard, BBA Inc.
10:15 AM - 11:15 AM6B3 - Conestogo Dam Upstream Rehabilitation: Challenges And Opportunities For Managing Performance And ReliabilityMitch Jewson, Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA)
10:15 AM - 11:15 AM6C1 - International Session
10:15 AM - 11:15 AM6D1 - Modelling Sediment Dynamics At The Springbank Off-Stream Reservoir With FLOW-3D HYDROMojtaba Jandaghian, National Research Council Canada
10:15 AM - 11:15 AM6D2 - Practical Methods For Field‑Based Riprap Gradation AssessmentNicole Whitmore, Klohn Crippen Berger
10:15 AM - 11:15 AM6D3 - Assessing Riprap Stability And Scour Risk At Hydraulic Structures Using A Coupled CFD-DEM FrameworkVahid Pilechi, National Research Council of Canada
10:15 AM - 11:15 AM6E1 - Performance Evaluation Of The Grouting And Drainage Curtain At 3 De Febrero Rcc Dam, El SalvadorJose Carlos Concha Tejada, Hatch Ltd
10:15 AM - 11:15 AM6E2 - High Pressures In Dam Cores Due To Air Migration: Wac Bennett Case StudyIain Gidley, Thurber Engineering
10:15 AM - 11:15 AM6E3 - A Proposed Framework For Internal Erosion Assessment Of Zoned Embankment Dams With Broadly-Graded Filter MaterialsMaoxin Li, BC Hydro
11:15 AM - 11:35 AMBreak
11:35 AM - 12:35 PM7B1 - Guidelines For Carrying Out Probable Maximum Flood StudiesZoran Micovic, BC Hydro
11:35 AM - 12:35 PM7B2 - Toward More Robust Probable Maximum Flood Estimates Through Ensemble Based Modelling And Uncertainty ExplorationJean Odry, Hydro-Québec
11:35 AM - 12:35 PM7B3 - Integrated Risk Management Strategies For Compound Events In Hydrology Under Climate Change ScenariosPerry Mitchelmore, Mitchelmore Engineering Company Ltd.
11:35 AM - 12:35 PM7C1 - Optimizing A Pile Layout To Minimize Long-Term Displacements On A Bedding Plane Shear ZoneVicki Nguyen, Klohn Crippen Berger
11:35 AM - 12:35 PM7C2 - Stability Assessment Of Complex Structures Using FEA To Determine The Remediation Pathway For An Existing Arch DamBrendan Shute, GHD
11:35 AM - 12:35 PM7C3 - Environmental And Operational Effects On The Measured Modal Parameters Of The Mactaquac Intake StructureKaveh Arjomandi, University of New Brunswick
11:35 AM - 12:35 PM7D1 - Development Of Dynamic Probing To SPT Correlation In Glacial DepositsTara Glisic, Klohn Crippen Berger Ltd.
11:35 AM - 12:35 PM7D2 - Case Study: Excavator Slurry Trenching For Construction Of The Northeast Diversion Tunnel Outlet Cutoff Wall At The Site C DamNathan Coughenour, Canada Geo-Solutions Inc
11:35 AM - 12:35 PM7D3 - Reliability Features In Spillway Design - Site C Case StudyDustin Dowler, BC Hydro
11:35 AM - 12:35 PM7E1 - Shear Properties Of Joints To Assess The Seismic Performance Of A Century-Old Concrete Dam Rehabilitated Through InjectionsSylvain Renaud, AtkinsRéalis
11:35 AM - 12:35 PM7E2 - Different Tools For Different Purposes: Aligning Legal, Regulatory And Technical Frameworks For Dam SafetyJiri Herza, HATS Consulting
11:35 AM - 12:35 PM7E3 - A Parametric Digital Twin Framework for Automated Finite Element Modelling of Concrete Gravity Dams Ashutosh Bagchi, Concordia University
12:35 PM - 1:45 PMCDA Awards Lunch
1:45 PM - 2:00 PMClosing Remarks

Note: Program is subject to change.

Networking Opportunities:

  • Hello to Nova Scotia, Welcome Reception - Sunday, October 25
  • CDA Trade Show - Monday, October 26 & Tuesday, October 27
  • Trade Show Reception - Monday, October 26
  • Young Professionals Social (Open to All Delegates) (additional ticket purchase is required) - Monday, October 26
  • Ocean Terminal Reception at Pier 21 - Tuesday, October 27

Educational Opportunities:

  • Keynote Sessions - Monday, October 26 & Wednesday, October 28
  • Technical Session - Monday, October 26 - Wednesday, October 28
  • Pre-Conference Workshops (additional ticket purchase is required) - Saturday, October 24 & Sunday, October 25
  • Post-Conference Tours (additional ticket purchase is required) - Thursday, October 29

Canadian Dam Association Highlights:

  • Annual General Meeting - Monday, October 26
  • Awards Lunch - Wednesday, October 28