Technical Service Center

Embankment Dams and Geotechnical Engineering Groups

These groups (86-68311, -68312, -68313, and -68314) specialize in geotechnical designs and studies. Our highly trained and experienced engineers and support staff are dedicated to providing top quality technical services for managing, developing, and protecting water and related resources.

Contact us:

Dennis Hanneman
Embankment Dams and
Geotechnical Engineering Groups
Bureau of Reclamation
Technical Service Center
P.O. Box 25007, Mail Code 86-68300
Denver, CO 80225-0007

Phone:
303-445-2958

We provide:

Embankment Dam Expertise	We analyze and design new and existing embankment dams. For dam safety programs of numerous agencies, we perform work from initial evaluations through first filling after its construction of safety modifications. We design all of the components of new dams. We offer timely response to dam emergencies and incidents.
Geotechnical Engineering	Our engineers and other staff members work closely with laboratories and geologists in the TSC and in Reclamation field offices in order to provide cost-effective products to our clients. The Rock Manual provides common technical information on properties of rocks, field and laboratory investigations, and testing of rocks used as foundations and materials for dams, tunnels, canals, and many other types of structures built for Reclamation.
Engineering Services	We perform state-of-the-art studies, analyses, and designs and produce specifications drawings and paragraphs for geotechnical aspects for a wide range of civil engineering features: Water resources projects such as: Earth and concrete dams Canals and pipelines Structure foundations Cutoff walls Underground excavations Environmentally oriented projects such as: Hazardous and toxic waste sites (including site characterization, remediation, and removal actions, and emergency response) Tailings dams, heap-leach pads, and waste dumps
General Engineering Capabilities	Geotechnical engineering analyses (including static stability analyses, filter and drain analyses, stress analyses, liquefaction analyses, and seismic deformations). Development of detailed specifications and designs for new projects and remediation of existing projects Settlement and bearing capacity analyses Dewatering designs; seepage/groundwater modeling Rock mechanics analysis and design Site characterization Development and evaluation of field exploration/monitoring programs Evaluation of natural soil and rock slopes, including landslides
Project Management	Our project managers are accomplished in the day-to-day management of multipurpose studies and of design and construction projects, both small and large. We have a demonstrated ability in managing and motivating of all sizes of multidisciplinary teams. Our project managers manage projects designed by our in-house staff and by Architect-Engineer consultants.
Specialized Engineering Capabilities	Geosynthetics design Seismic analysis and design State-of-the-art technical review and senior advisory services Numerical modeling of structures and foundations Soil-structure interaction modeling Slope protection evaluation and design Foundation improvement evaluation and design Blasting requirements Risk analyses Dam safety examinations and evaluations
Mine Closure and Reclamation	The Geotechnical Groups are experienced in mine closure and reclamation of underground and surface mines, mineral processing facilities, and smelters. Our staff experience in solving mine closure and waste-disposal problems includes decontaminating cyanide heap-leach facilities, sealing mine shafts and adits, reclaiming mine waste dumps and tailing ponds, mitigation of acidic mine drainage, and revegetating high-altitude hardrock mine sites.
Miscellaneous Services	Disaster response services, such as inspections and damage survey reports. Information about the current library of Reclamation's technical publications, which are used throughout the world.

About Us

All of our senior geotechnical engineering staff are registered professional engineers.
Our staff includes engineers with graduate degrees.
Our past and current clientele includes Reclamation regional, project, and area offices; other Federal agencies (such as the EPA, DOE, BIA, USFS, and NPS); Native American Indian Tribes; and foreign governments (such as Taiwan, Indonesia, China, and Malaysia).
We have established a close and strong working relationship with the geotechnical experts in both the private sector and academia.