18/11/2015
The structures of dams and dikes are stable. We are monitoring the structures, in real time, by means of radar and daily inspections.
According to information provided today at the press conference at Germano unit in Mariana (MG), the current safety factor of Selinha dike is 1.22 – meaning it is 22% above the minimum balance which is 1.00. In the case of Santarem, the current index is 1.37, which means that it is 37% above the balance minimum point.
The emergency works for containment and reinforcement, announced at the same press conference, aim to increase the safety factor and to reduce risks in the structures resulting from the accident. The NBR 13028 standard provides that, in a normal operating condition, the safety factor should be equal to or higher than 1.5, so, 50% above the equilibrium limit.
We reiterate, once again, that Samarco has been working hard with all their efforts to minimize the effects of the accident and take preventive measures in order to increase the safety factors of the two structures.
