PROCEEDINGS OF THE 2ND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON HYDROPOWER LILLEHAMMER / NORWAY / 16-18 JUNE 1992 Hydropower '92 Edited by E.BROCH & D.K.LYSNE The Norwegian Institute of Technology, University of Trondheim OFFPRINT A.A.BALKEMA / ROTTERDAM / BROOKFIELD / 1992Hycropower'92, Broch & iysne (eds) © 1992 Balkema, Rettordam. ISBN 90 5410 0540 Pressure tunnel in the Urugua-i dam (Misiones, Argentina) Juan C.Malecki, Carlos A. Prato & Raul A.Lescano Inconas S.R.L., Professional Engineering Consulting Services, Cérdoba, Argentina ABETRACT: This paper includes, in a synthetic manner, the experience acquired from the design and subsequent loading operation of the pressure tunnel in the Uruguaci hydro- development, with scarce rock overburden on the lower section, This is a description of the approach used to check, in an economic and rapid manner, that at least within the range of pressures tested, the hydrofracturation phenonenom exists. the design of the Linang is centered on satisfying the requizenents of durability and control of water flow, related to the technology of the material used and the surrounding rock mase. Re— ference is made to the behaviour after the first pressure tests and the influence on the drainage system of the rock mass, which provide interesting orientative data, since the lower section of the tunnel 15 a media not free from the risk of hydrofracturation, al- ‘though structurally significant for the resistance to internal pressures. ENYRODU:ZION show & very porous texture, the colour is reddish and is slightly fractured. the une Urugua-£ hydroelectric scheme 1s com- -—«aamigdaloid basalt voids are filled with posea by an KC gravity dam, with a zoned other minerals (silica, calcite) and the Material embankment dan on each side, the vesicular basalt has its pores free from Powerhouse has an installed capacity of any material. 120 bw, fed through a 900 m long and 7 m ‘ne thickness of the layers is variable, diameter tunnel, most frequently less than 10 m, the ‘me project was built on the Urugua-i strength of these rocks is very high, ge creek, © km upstream from the creek dis- neally above $0 and below 180 MPa, The cuarye into the Paran& river, in the NE most noticeable discontinuities are the corner of the northern province of Mi- sumnorizontal ones, and the majority co- siones. ‘he owner is the provincial go- xresyond to the contact between layers, vernment-owned electrical company, B1Sh. even though there are ome subhorizontal ane contractor was Consorcie Urugua-i, discontinuities within the same layer. and the engineering was provided by Bech- ne of these discontinuities, of highly tel Int. the management of the project altered rock, was found between marks 175 was performed by Inconas SRL, and 266 m, measured along the longituai- ‘here was a panel of experts ana ite nal axis of reference. It was a zone 1,50 members were Dr. Don U. Deere, Dr. Gico- to 2 m thick, sloping towards the up- vannt Lombardi and Dr. Flavio Lyra. stream side. The sloping configuration of the altered zone meant that the affected Jengtn of the tunnel was shorter than 50 GEOLGGICAL WAAYURES une tunnel 1s within a series of nearly horizontal basaltic layer. ¥or engineer- | GEOMECHANICAL CLASSIFICATION OF PHE ROCK Ang puryoses, the basaltic rock was clas sified anto two principal types: Aine two types of rock possess difterent i. Macroctystalline basalts very dense, ‘technical properties and the differencee aassive with very small size voids, cark are very noticeable. The microcrystalline- gray and very fracturea. basalt is very tractured. the typical 2, Anigcaloid or vesicular basalts they block is @ prism of an average size of 1750,50 m, there are three sets of well de~ finea fractures, two vertical at almost 90° from each other and a third horizon- tal one, The vesicular and amigdaloid ba~ salt nas few fractures, mainly svbhori~ ontal, ana of very rough surfaces. Parameters Basalt Basalt uw (t/a3) 2,9 2,6 ¥ 19,50 22,50 7K 67 63 To uma) 170 5400 * 56° 36° ¢ ray 2.6 6,7 Longit.wave veloc. (kaya) 4,25 40 shear wave veloc. (ays) 2,50 2,22 Moaul.dynanic anxorn.(HPa)40300 32900 Modul.static deform. (a) 22250 21850 Poisson coefficient 0,23 0,28 where 7 Qiand RAm Classification parameters a2) the values of the strength shown are the remult of teste on epecimens Ob- tained through arillings mre value of the static modules, co- rreeponds to correlation between shear wave frequency and in eitu deformation measurements (3) in brazilian projects located in the same geological environe ment. MBLATIONSIIP BRIWSEN INTERNAL PRESSURE, KOCK COVBK AND ‘THE NikD FOR LINING A great number of failures in pressure ‘unnels are related to zones in which the internal pressure was higher due to the equivalent pressure resulting from the overburden (4,6,8). In this case there are two locations in which the above men- tioned condition exists. One of then, un~ der the dam, and a stretch somewhat be~ yona the toe of the dan, the other be~ ‘ween mark 750 m and the aownetream end of the tumel. It is in these locations where a possibility existe that hydraulic fractures takes place, aue to water pas- Sing through the lining (11). What is conditioning the risk of hydro fracturing is the stress pattern within the rock mass, which {t is necessary to evaluate (7) as well as the possibilities of dissipation of the water pressure. A 176 complete evaluation implies the measure- ment of the natural stress pattern in the rock, evaluating the magnitude and di- xections of the principal stresses. If the smaller of the principal stresses i: Jarger tnan the internal pressure of the tunnel, there is no risk of hydrofractu- ring. If this is not so, a lining is ne~ cessary to prevent the passage of water. Woen the lining is partially pervious, ae in this case, it has to be considered ‘that cracks in the lining might exist, allowing the transfer of the interna! Pressure to the rock, therefore an ade~ quate drainage system to relieve the Pressures has to be provided. In the Uru gua-i tunnel, pressure relief boreholes were performed, Fo evaluate the risk of hydraulic frac ‘ture in the rock due to water losses ‘through the lining, a simple and practi cal method was used, Loreholes were per formed from the ingide of the tunnel at different locations, and water pressure tests were pertormed, locating the pres surized seguents of the borehole my means of plugs. ‘The preselected segments had to contain preexisting fractures (5). A total of five horizontal boreholes were performed, and they were aimed at Antercepting the principal patterns of the crack. the pressures were within the range of 1,6 and 5,0 MPa. ‘the diameter of the boreholes was 3" with continuous extraction of borehole cores. whe inspection of these cores al lowed the selection of the areas to be ‘tasted that contained only one crack. Rach test was performed in two cycles, the tirst (Fig.1) until the existing crack began to open up, which was evi~ dencea when a marked increase in the ab- sorption of water ocurred, marking an abrupt change in the slope of the pres- sure ve. water flow diagram) when these conditions were reached, the water pres- sure was reduced to zero, and a second cycle started, during which the crack re- opened at lower pressures and it was un cer these conditions that only the rock stresses acted, During the first cycle the stresses produced by the bond existing between the ‘two blocks was destroyed. This bona is due to solidified salty solutions or re~ sidual hydrothermal liquids, vestiges of which are comonly found in basalte of this area.