Energy Infrastructure

Norway’s extensive network of dams, primarily for hydropower and water storage, is vital for renewable energy. Dam structures built over a century ago, are now engineered to withstand extreme conditions, meeting safety standards set by the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE).

Sirkelvann Hydro-power plant production capacity 4 GWh. Photo: Nordkraft

The average dam age is around 46 years, significant modernization efforts are underway to upgrade older dams for enhanced safety and efficiency. Such upgrades can increase energy output and provide increased safety.

Modern dam refurbishments projects are increasingly focused on adapting to climate change, designed to handle elevated precipitation levels and other impacts. Norway’s commitment to dam safety, efficiency, and climate resilience highlights the ongoing evolution of its critical hydropower infrastructure.

Nygårdsfjellet windfarm with production capacity of 32.2 MW. Photo: Nordkraft

The ArcIn group collaborates closely with the Nordkraft and NVE to further develop SHM technologies in the energy infrastructure for predictive maintenance.

Contact point

Professor Dag Lukkassen

e-mail: dag.lukkassen@uit.no

PhD thesis

Some new contributions related to structural problems in engineering, Andres Seger, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, 2021

Publications

A simplified three-dimensional method for stability assessment of buttress dams.
New thoughts on and discussion of numerical methods for assessing concrete dams under static loading.
On the Torsion Problem for Anisotropic Periodic Plate Structures.