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Geotechnical News • December 2014
www.geotechnicalnews.com
interest and also to encourage dam
owners to benefit from a range of
perspectives, which can lead to
identification of previously unde-
tected performance issues.
The above established arrangements
and provisions are part of the best
practice to control dam stewardship
activities and to minimize adverse
dam safety issues that would impact
the public.
Comment
The guidelines have provisions in
place to attain an impartial review for
DSR studies. However, the reten-
tion of the Review Engineer by
the owner for a DSR may lead to
a conflict of interest, which would
be contrary to the intent of an inde-
pendent review. Due to budgetary
restrictions, not all owners put a high
priority on the safety of their own
dams. Also business incentives could
make the Review Engineer beholden
to the owner. The DSR report would
thus often encourage owners to follow
best practices but it does not force
the owner to do so should the recom-
mendations involve great efforts or
expenditures. The danger therefore is
that the DSR practice may turn into
a formality; when in fact it should be
a guarantor that the dam design and
performance are sound.
Recommendation
The DSR is regarded as a milestone
review of the dam, normally appli-
cable every 5 to 10 years for dams
with an extreme to significant classifi-
cation. Under the present system, the
owner retains the Review Engineer. To
enhance the review system and ensure
an unbiased study, it is recommended
that the regulatory authority appoint
the Review Engineer, who will then
interact with the owner or owner’s
engineers for harmony in review tasks.
It is thus advised to revisit the current
guidelines on the above requirement.
Ali Ameli, PhD, PEng, PE
email:
The author is a principal with Geo
Engineering Ltd. based in Vancouver.
He has over 20 years of practice in
engineering and project management
related to variety of infrastructure
projects including (tailings) dams.
Gordon Eric Green 1936 - 2014
Gordon was born in Newcastle-Under-
Lyme, England to Eric & Jessie Green
on May 25
th
, 1936. He died peacefully
at his home in Seattle on June 23
rd
,
after a five year battle with multiple
myeloma. He leaves behind Gabrielle,
his wife of 41 years, son Andrew (wife
Patti) & grandchildren Chris, Quinten,
Kayla & Zackery.
A well known and highly respected
geotechnical engineer, Gordon ob-
tained a 1
st
class honours degree in
Civil Engineering (King’s College,
Durham). Gordon was awarded a 2
year Fulbright scholarship in the USA
where at Northwestern University he
obtained an MS in Soil Mechanics in
1962. He completed his stay by work-
ing briefly for Shannon & Wilson in
Seattle, then resuming his studies in
England at Imperial College, London.
By the time Gordon obtained a PhD
in Soil Mechanics in 1969 he held the
position of Lecturer in Soil Mechanics
until his departure from Imperial Col-
lege in 1974. Additionally, during this
period Gordon served as a consultant
to several European firms including
Soil Instruments, the leading British
manufacturer of geotechnical field
instrumentation, the design & instal-
lation of which became Gordon’s
specialty.
Shortly after meeting & marrying Ga-
brielle in 1972, the Green family de-
cided to emigrate and in 1974 settled
in Seattle. Gordon rejoined Shannon
& Wilson as a senior associate & later
principal engineer from 1974 – 1987,
where upon he joined Golder As-
sociates. In 1988 Gordon became an
independent Geotechnical Engineering
& Instrumentation Consultant working
in this capacity until 2011.
As a teenager, Gordon was an avid
biker; then hiking & rock climbing
became his passion especially the
Alps where he scaled Mont Blanc &
the Matterhorn mountains. Walking
the entire English Pennine Way was
another achievement. This love never
waned & in later years Gordon & Ga-
brielle spent many summer vacations
in the Alps or walking segments of the
600+ miles of the English Southwest
Coastal Path with sadly about 300
miles to go.
Gordon loved his home where he had
a well equipped & organized work-
shop for house or car repairs & his
woodworking hobby. No dripping taps
in this house! After retirement as his
disease progressed, Gordon regularly
tackled Sudoku & cross word puzzles
in the Seattle Times over a lengthy
breakfast. Cycle racing, especially
The Tour de France on TV was a not-
to-be-missed event. Gordon eagerly
awaited the 2014 Tour which started in
Yorkshire on July 5
th
; I’m sure he’ll be
watching it in spirit.
IN MEMORIAM