On October 27, 2026, David Macías Arias, from iPresas, delivered the presentation “New Risk Tools to Support Dam Safety Management” during a webinar jointly organized by the SPANCOLD Young Professionals Committee and the ICOLD Young Professionals Forum (YPF). The session focused on new technological tools designed to improve dam safety management through risk analysis.
During the session, the importance of incorporating risk analysis as a decision-support tool throughout the entire dam life cycle was discussed, from design and construction to operation and decommissioning. This approach makes it possible to integrate different technical disciplines, identify the main failure modes, and prioritize safety improvement measures based on their contribution to risk reduction.
The presentation also reviewed the main methodologies used in risk assessment, including Potential Failure Mode Analysis (PFMA), Semi-Quantitative Risk Analysis (SQRA), and Quantitative Risk Analysis (QRA), highlighting their application in dam safety reviews and investment planning.
One of the main highlights of the webinar was the presentation of bigEYE, a tool developed by iPresas that integrates artificial intelligence into risk analysis. Drawing on the experience gained from more than 450 dams analyzed by the iPresas team, bigEYE can identify potential failure modes specific to the dam under study, using the dam’s own characteristics and information as key input data. It also helps identify relevant risk factors and areas of uncertainty, and proposes a risk classification for the identified failure modes. Its main advantage is helping ensure that no relevant failure mode is overlooked during the workshops conducted by engineers and technical experts.
David Macías also presented NIRMAN (Natural and Infrastructure Risk Manager), a digital platform designed to support continuous risk management for dams and other critical infrastructure. This tool makes it possible to centralize information, update risk assessment results, compare risk levels, and prioritize risk reduction measures, while also considering future changes, such as the effects of climate change. The platform is particularly useful for companies and organizations managing multiple dams, as it provides a comprehensive overview of risk across their entire dam portfolio and helps prioritize investments among different dams.
Through these solutions, iPresas continues to drive technological innovation in dam safety, combining technical expertise, risk analysis, and new digital tools to advance toward more efficient, integrated, and informed safety management.
At iPresas, we would like to thank the SPANCOLD Young Professionals Committee and the ICOLD Young Professionals Forum for organizing the webinar and providing the opportunity to share our developments and experience with industry professionals, contributing to the international exchange of knowledge and the continuous improvement of dam safety.
