From 2 to 5 September 2026, the city of San Miguel de Tucumán hosted the 12th Argentine Congress on Dams and Multipurpose Projects (CAPyAM 2026), one of Latin America’s leading forums for technical and scientific exchange in the fields of dam engineering, safety and management.
Organised by the Argentine Committee on Dams, the event brought together professionals, companies, public authorities, researchers and international specialists to share developments and experiences related to the design, construction, rehabilitation, operation and safety of hydraulic infrastructure. The programme included technical sessions, keynote lectures, infrastructure visits and professional networking activities.
Course on risk management for tailings dams
iPresas’ participation began with the pre-congress course “Risk-Based Tailings Dam Management through Semi-Quantitative Risk Analysis (SQRA)”, delivered by Francisco García Brook and Juan Facundo Souto.
The session combined conceptual content with practical exercises to introduce participants to the application of semi-quantitative risk analysis to tailings dams. The course was structured around the Potential Failure Modes Analysis (PFMA) process, providing a systematic and participatory framework for identifying, analysing and classifying the potential mechanisms that could compromise the safety of a facility.
The session covered the main stages of an SQRA:
- Review of the available information and assessment of the dam’s current condition.
- Identification and characterisation of potential failure modes.
- Discussion and consolidation of failure modes by multidisciplinary teams.
- Classification according to their likelihood of occurrence, consequences and uncertainties.
- Definition and prioritisation of risk reduction measures.
The interactive format reproduced the dynamics of an actual risk analysis session, encouraging knowledge exchange and the integration of different technical perspectives. This allowed participants to gain an understanding not only of the methodological foundations of SQRA, but also of its usefulness in supporting decision-making and establishing priorities for action.
This methodology, aligned with the principles of the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM), facilitates the integration of risk as a central element in the management of tailings dams throughout their entire life cycle.
From failure modes to continuous risk management
As part of the Congress’s technical programme, Francisco García Brook presented the paper “Application of Risk Analysis Methodologies to Tailings Dams: From Failure Mode Identification to Continuous Risk Management”. Juan Facundo Souto, meanwhile, presented “Improving Dam Safety through Risk Analysis: International Experience and Lessons Learned”.
From complementary perspectives, both presentations demonstrated how risk analysis provides a better understanding of infrastructure vulnerabilities, supports the prioritisation of actions and contributes to more continuous and evidence-based safety management.
Ambas presentaciones mostraron, desde perspectivas complementarias, cómo el análisis de riesgos permite conocer mejor las vulnerabilidades de las infraestructuras, priorizar actuaciones y respaldar una gestión de la seguridad más continua y fundamentada.
A forum for sharing knowledge and strengthening safety
iPresas’ participation in CAPyAM 2026 provided an opportunity to share methodologies, practical case studies and international experience, as well as to exchange knowledge with professionals involved in the safety of conventional and tailings dams.
Events such as this contribute to strengthening a safety culture based on knowledge, collaboration and informed decision-making. At iPresas, we continue to promote the practical application of risk analysis as a tool for improving safety, optimising available resources and strengthening infrastructure management throughout its entire life cycle.
