ABSTRACT
Cimia is an zoned embankment dam with clay core, built in the period 1975-1980 in Sicily. The dam has a maximum height of 39 m and determines a reservoir volume of 10 Mm3. Over the years the structure has undergone a progressive silting due to the influx of solids during floods and actually the bottom discharge is compromised and requires important re-efficiency interventions. The dam shows an excessive lowering of the crest level and cracks due to the consolidation of the embankment. The seismic assessment, carried out accounting for the new Italian guidelines, has shown a potential vulnerability of both the dam and the complimentary works. The planned verification and remediation interventions are complex and expensive, however the work is strategic, as it provides water resources for agriculture. The analysis of these issues and the remedies must therefore involve not only technical verification and planning, but also technical and economic support and training plans that guarantee the sustainability of strategic works. The approach methodology is relevant, given that there are hundreds of dams of the same type, where efforts have been made important for the management of water resources in arid areas, with the aggravated impact of climate change.
