Chapter Three

Concrete Dam
The structural integrity of any dam must be maintained under different
loading circumstances.
the gravity dam is mainly subjected to the following main forces;
Wind load

Wave load

Water load

Silt load Self weight

Earth quake load

Uplift load

1
Concrete dam conts

As per the degree of relative importance loads on the dam can be classified as ;

primary loads:- Major important loads irrespective of the dam type;

E.g. Self Wight load, water load and related seepage load

Secondary loads:- Universally applicable loads , even though their magnitude

is less;
E.g. Silt load (serve as to minimize uplift
pressure)

Exceptional loads:- loads which has limited applicability;

E.g. Tectonic load (earth quake load
Exercise :- write about the characteristic ,advantage, disadvantage of concrete
Dam
NB:-for Earth quake load dont consider uplift loads

2
 Loads and their centroidal location in gravity dams

Case -1 Non-over flow section

(i) Up stream vertical face

1
PH w H 2
H
@ 3 from the base of the dam.
2
Ap= X-sec 1 H ' from the base of the dam.
PH ' w H ' 2 @
area of stru. 2 3
b
H PH w Pv
H
3
H PH ' Through the centroid of
wH wH '
Trapezoidal, with out
wH w H H ' drainage gallery)
U *B @
2 B[ H 2 H ' ]
[ i.e.Z ]
Z 3( H H ' )
U
W c Ap@ Through the centroid of
1 x-sectional area Ap
B Pv wb * H '@ b from the toe of the dam.
2
3
3
(ii) Up stream face inclined

Pv1 If the upstream face of the gravity dam is inclined

in addition to the previous loads ( loads in vertical
u/s face) , only vertical loads of water i.e. P v will be
Pv2 added at its centroidal point from the toe of the dam.

where
Pv = Pv1+ Pv2

Conti

4
Case-2 Over flow section

Ha=Va2/2g T.E.L

H1 w H1 H a H H 2
PH 1 H a ( H 2 H1 ) * Yw @
2

H1 H a 2H1 3H a H 2
_
1
Z
H2 3 H1 2 H a H 2

PH From the base of the dam

w H 2 H a

5
1
Uplift pressure with drainage gallery and tension cracks
To reduce the uplift pressure , drains are formed trough the body of the dam, this
make the intensity of the uplift pressure to be differ from the full concrete dam.

Drainage gallery

H
T
H '
H
1
H ' ( H H ' )
3

6
 Wave Pressure ( hydrodynamic wave load)

Waves are generated on the reservoir by the blowing winds.

Pwave
hw

hw 0.032 UF 0.763 0.2714 F if F 32km

hw 0.032 UF if F 32km
w/r
hw = height of the wave
U = wind velocity in km/hr Dam
F = fetch length

Reservoir surface area

Pwave 2 whw 2 @ 0.375hw above the stilled water level.

7
 Earthquake force

Earth quake force may move in any direction, but for the design purpose it
has to be resolved in to vertical and horizontal components.(USBR)

The values of these horizontal (h ) and vertical (v) accelerations are generally
expressed as percentage of the acceleration due to gravity i.e. 0.1g or 0.2g, etc.

Vertical acceleration(v)
The contact b/n the foundation and the dam
will increase, hence the effective Weight
of the dam will also be increased.
The contact b/n the foundation and
W the dam Will decrease, which is the
worst case!!

Dam foundation
Down ward vertical movement.
W
Effective weight of the dam W * v
g
Upward vertical acceleration

8
 Reading assignment,
Horizontal acceleration(h )
Hydro-dynamic pressure. Reference, P.Novak and S.K. Garg

Horizontal Inertia force.

Fe H
4H
3

4H
Fe 0.555 h w H 2 acts @ from the base of the dam.
3
Von Karman formula
There is also a hydrodynamic formula developed by Zanger, but for average ordinary
purposes, the Von-Karman formula is sufficient.

9
 Sediment load

N.B! it is usual practice to assume the value of hs equals

to the height of dead storage.

s' hs 2 hs above the base of the

Psh K a @
dam.
2 3
Psh
hs

The submerged unit weight s ' and the active lateral pressure coefficient Ka
is given by
1 sin s
s ' s w K
1 sin s
a

where
s is the angle of shear resistance.
Reading assignment
s is sediment saturated unit weight. -Loading combinations in dams
Reference, Novak

10
 Design and analysis of gravity dam
Gravity dam may fail in the following way

Rotation and overturning,

Translation and sliding and
Overstress and material failure.

1- Over turning stability

To make the structure of the dam stable from rotational or overturning failure the
following governing criteria should be satisfied

F0 (factor of safety against over turning) should be greater than 1.5

Fo
M ve
> 1.5(safe against overturning)
M ve Include uplift moment

11
 2-Siding Stability (Fs)

Sliding Factor (FSS)

Shear friction Factor(FSF)

Limit equilibrium factor (FLE)

i) Sliding factor can be defined by

Fss
H
, for horizontal plane
V
H tan V is determined allowing for the effect of uplift (net)
V
Fss
, for foundations inclined at a small angle
1 tan
H
V

In order to be the dam stable against sliding Fss should be less than or equal
to 0.75 but for ELC (extreme loading condition) up to 0.9 is acceptable.

12
 ii) Shear friction factor (FSF) is defined as

S
FS F
H
Where
S total resistance to shear and defined by

CAb
S V tan( ) kN / m
cos (1 tan tan )
(Net)
Recommended shear friction factor (USBR 1987)

Location of sliding plane Normal Unusual Extreme

Dam Concrete base interface 3.0 2.0 > 1.0
Foundation rock 4.0 2.7 1.3

13
(iii) Limit Equilibrium Factor, FLE

f
FLE = T he shear stressed generated under the applied load
f = Available shear strength and expressed by Mohr
coulomb failure criteria

c n tan n = Stress acting normal to plain of sliding

FLE

n V / A
FLE = 2.0 for normal operation

FLE = 1.3 for seismic activity

14
 3- Stress analysis (compression or crushing)

If the compressive stress introduced in the dam is greater than its allowable stress ,the
dam may fail.

Normal pool level

max 1
V 6e
T T
Reservoir full H Resultant
force
condition V

min 1
V 6e
T/2 T/2 T T

Where;
Pmin + compression Pmax e = Eccentricity of the resultant force
from the center of the base

+ compr. V Total vertical force, excluding

Pmin - uplift
Tension
T= Base width
15
 Uplift load is excluded from the equations for
stress determination. In practice the influence of
internal uplift upon stress patterns is generally
disregarded.(USBR)

16
 Because of the gravity dam materials can not sustain tensile stresses, it should be
designed for certain amount or no tension should develops anywhere in the body of
the dam.
The maximum permissible tensile stress for high concrete gravity dams, under worst
loadings, may be taken as 500 KN/m2 (5kg/cm2).

Pmin
V 1 6e 0
T T

NB! A tension crack by itself does not fail the structure, but it leads to failure of the
structure by producing excessive compressive stresses.

In order to ensure that no tension is developed anywhere, the amount of P min should
at most equal to zero.
T
e
6
The maximum value of xeccentricity, that can be permitted on either side of the center is
_

equal to T/6 ------- the resultant must lie within the middle third.
The resultant distance from the toe of the dam is given by

x
M
V
17
Principal stress

P
P
B

Pvmin c A

Pvmax

B pv sec2 p' tan 2

For to be maximum, p should be
zero.

c A

18
 Base width design for gravity dam for reservoir full condition
I) In order to no tension to be develop in the body of the dam the following should be satisfied
H
T
Sc C
H
II) In order the dam is to be safe from sliding the following should be satisfied T
0.75( Sc C )

H
P T/3 W

wH

C w H

Sc u n it weig ht o f co n cret /unit wt of water U

T/2 T/2

e
19
 Buttress and arch Dams
Buttress dams are those dams which have sloping u/s face and transmit the water
load to a series of buttress at right angle to the axis of the dam.

The advantage of buttress dam is

manifested by reduction of uplift pressure
and by saving concrete.

20
N.B.!

The loading and safety criteria for

buttress dams or buttresses, is the same as
that for gravity dam section, except that the
provided buttress thickness t.

the Uplift pressure is considered to act only

under the buttress head,

21
 Arch Dams

Arch dams are those dams which has a solid wall, curved in plan and standing across
the entire width of the river valley, in a single span.
Depending upon the shape consideration, simple arch dams can be divided
as;

Constant radius arch dams

Constant angle arch dams; and

Cupola arch dam(dome-shaped )

Valley suited for arch dam

Those valleys with narrow gorges and top-width to dam height ratio less than 5 may
be feasible.

Sr 5
B
B
H
H
22
 Constant radius arch dams

Is the simplest geometry, u/s face of the dam is of constant radii with a uniform radial d/s slope. It is apparent
that central angle, 2, reaches a max. @ Crest level.

Vertical axis
The most economical angle for a constant arch dams is maintained when ;

2 110o

r1

r2

r3

23
 Constant angle arch dams

Central angle of different arch have the same magnitude from top to bottom & uses up to 70% of concrete as
compared to constant radius arch dam. But it is more complex as demonstrated in the figure. It is best suited to
narrow & steep-sided V-shaped valleys.

24
 Copula arch dams
Has a particularly complex geometry & profile, with constantly varying horizontal & vertical radii to
either face.

Design of arch dams

Arch dams can be designed on the basis of any one of the following methods;

i. Thin cylinder theory;

ii. The thick cylinder theory; and

iii. The elastic theory

Loads on arch dams are essentially the same as loads on gravity dams, and uplift forces
are less important, if no cracking occurs the uplift can be neglected.

Internal stresses caused by temperature change, ice pressure, and yielding of abutment are
very important.

25
 Thin cylinder theory

Ri t
dh
Ru
The theory assumes the arch to be
simply supported @ the abutments Rc
& that the stresses are approximately F
F
the same as in a thin cylinder of equal
outside radius.
B/2 B/2

w hRc hR
T w i Where,
0.5 w h w h Ru (Outer radius) Extrados.

Ri (internal radius) Intrados.

Rc Central radius.
How ????......
T Arch thickness.

26
 The most economical angle of arch with minimum volume is 133o34.

V= A.R2 = T*1*R2 Vertical axis

w hR wh
T KR ; K
2
B
V KR K
2 2
sin / 2 1 unit

dV
0
T

27
 Thick cylinder theory

:- is improvement of thin cylinder theory

Ru
Ri

T
Ru
R

Ri
T

Ru2 Ru2 Rd 2 / R 2 Pu
p w

pi

Ru Rd
2 2

ring stress is max @ d / s face
T Ru Rd is uniform at any elevation .
Reading assignment
2 w Z 1 Ru
2

h max ( for R Rd ) For design

Tr ( Ru Rd ) On Elastic Arch theory
2 w Z 1 Ru
2
Reference:- P.Novack
Tr For analysis (fourth edition)
( Ru Rd )

28
 Tekezea arch dam in Ethiopia

The End
29
 Chapter- Four
Embankment Dams
Embankment dams are those dams which are built of naturally available materials.

Embankment Dam

Earth Dam Rockfill Dam Composite

Type

Accordint to design
According to method of
Constructuion

Homogenous Zoned Diaphriagm Rolled Hydraulic Semi Hydraulic

fill type fill type fill type

What is there
difference ?

30
Homogeneous Earth Dams:- are constructed entirely or almost entirely of one type of earth
material (exclusive of slope protection).

Build up one type of material

Phreatic line or seepage line

Slope protection

Horizontal blanket

Zoned Earth Dam;- however, contains materials of different kinds in different parts of the
embankment. The most common type of an earth dam usually adopted is the zoned earth dam
as it leads to an economic & more stable design of the dam.
Impervious
zone
Transition filter

Vertical
u/s core d/s Eg.Clay + fine sand
shell shell

31
 Diaphragm Earthen Dams; this types of dam are the same as that of Zone dam but the
main difference is it has thin thickness of core.

Diaphragm
(core)

Rock Fill Dam

The designation rock fill embankment is appropriate where over 50% of the fill material
may be classified as rock pieces. It is an embankment which uses large size rock pieces
to provide stability and impervious membrane to provide water tightness.
Decked rock fill dams

32
 Causes of Failure of Earth Dams
The analysis of earth dam must ask a question:

How does the earthen dams most probably expected to fail? And
what are the causes failures?

Generally, from the previous experiences, the failure of earth dam is grouped in to

Hydraulic failures
Seepage failure
Structural failure

Exercise :-write about the advantage, disadvantage, and

characteristics Of embankment dams

33
Hydraulic Failures: Hydraulic failures include the following:

Overtopping
Erosion of U/S face
Erosion of D/S face
Erosion of D/S toe

Seepage failures: Seepage failures may be due to

Piping through the body of the dam

Piping through the foundation of the dam
Conduit leakage
Sloughing of downstream toe.

34
Structural Failures: Structural failures may be due to the following reasons:

Upstream and Downstream slope failures due to pore pressures

Upstream slope failure due to sudden draw down
Down stream slope failure during full reservoir condition
Foundation slide: Spontaneous liquefaction
Failure by spreading
Failure due to Earth quake
Slope protection failures
Failure due to damage caused by burrowing animals
Damage caused by Water soluble materials

35
Criteria for Safe Design of Earth Dam
Appropriate design flood
Free from Overtopping Adequate spillway
Phreatic (seepage)
Sufficient outletline should
works
exit
the dam body
Sufficient freesafely
boardwithout
sloughing downstream face.
Free from seepage failure Seepage through the body of the
dam, foundation and abutments
Safe U/S
should How
be & D/S
can slope
controlledonebyduring
adapting
construction
measures. satisfy these
Free from structural failure Safedam
The U/S and
slope
design during sudden
foundation should
draw
be safedown condition.
criteria????......
against piping failure.
Safe D/S
There slope
should be during steady
no opportunity
There must be proper slope seepage condition
for free passage of water from
protection against wind & rain Foundation shear stressthe
within
U/S to D/S both through dam
drop erosion. the foundation.
safe limits.
and
There must be proper drainage Earth quake resistant dam

Economic section

36
Selection of an Earth Dam

1) Top Width
In terms of the Height of the dam.
2) Free board
Based on nature of spill way, Height of dam

3) Casing or outer shell

4) Central impervious core

5) Cut-off trench

6) Downstream drainage system

37
38
 Seepage Analysis
Seepage analysis is used:-
To determine the quantity of water passing through the body of the dam and
foundation.
To obtain the distribution of pore water pressure.
Laplace equation for two dimensional flows
In earth dams, the flow is essentially two dimensional;
Consider an element of soil is size x, y and of unit thickness perpendicular to the plane of
the paper. Let Vx and Vy be the entry velocity components in x and y direction.

39
 v v y
vx y.1 v y x.1 vx x x y.1 v y x.1
x y

v x v y This is the continuity equation.

0
x y

According to Darcys law

Where;
h
vx K xix K x *
x h = hydraulic head under which water flows.
h Kx and Ky are coefficient of permeability in
VY kY IY Ky x and y direction.
y

Then substitute to the previous formula;

2 K x h ( K y .h)
2

0
x 2 y 2

For an isotropic soil, Ky = Kx = K

2h 2h
0
x 2 y 2

40
 Substituting velocity potential = = K*h , we get
graphical method
2 2 analytical methods
0 solution
x 2 y 2 experimental methods
l
Computation of rate of seepage from flow net b b h= is same for all

Let: b and 1 be the width and length of the field (i.e square.)
h = head drop through the field.
q = discharge passing through the flow channel.
H = total head causing flow
= difference between upstream and downstream heads
h
Then, from Darcys law of flow through soils: q K . (bx1)
l

41
 h
h Where, Nd = total number of potential drops in the complete flow net,
Nd
In the above flow net we have Nd=10
h b
q K
Nd l

Hence the total discharge through the complete flow net is given by

h b Nf b Where
q q k. .N f kh . Nf = total number of flow channels in the net
Nd l Nd l In the above flow net, we have Nf=3

Reading assignment
on
Seepage discharge for anisotropic soils
q=(kx*ky) Nf /Nd*H
Reference:
P.Novak et al. (Hydraulic structures)
Garg. S.K 1996 Irrigation engineering
and Hydraulic structure

42
 Phreatic Line in Earth Dam
Phreatic line / seepage line is the line at the upper surface of the seepage flow at which the
pressure is atmospheric.

Phreatic line for a homogeneous Earth dam with horizontal drainage blanket

yo b2 h 2 b

yo
q k( )( y o 2 xy o )
2

y o 2 xy o
2

q kyo

43
Phreatic line for a dam with no filter
General solution by Casagrande

The focus in this case will be the

Lowest point F of the d/s slope.

a
Table for the value of with slope angle Locations of K according to Schaffernak
a a
a
and Van Iterson analythical solution
a a For b' b' 2 h2
300 0.36 <30 0 --------- a cos cos 2 sin 2
600 0.32
900 0.26 q = k (a sin) (tan)
1200 0.18
1350 0.14 300< < 600___ a b 2 h 2 b 2 h 2 cot 2
1500 0.10
1800 0.0 q = k. (sin) (a sin )
44
Arthur Casagrande

45
Phreatic line for homogenous Earth dam with rock toe

Phreatic line for zoned Earth dam with central core

46
 Example 4.1

For the following cross sectional view of earthen dam draw the seepage line and
determine the amount of discharge that passes through the body of the dam;
Assume the coefficient of permeability (K) as 5 x 10-6 m/sec

4.5 m

2.5 m

19.5 m

58.5 m 25 m

44 m
73.5 m

47
 Stability Analysis of Earthen dams
Stability analysis under the following four heads are generally needed

Stability analysis of down stream slope during steady seepage.

Stability of up stream slope during sudden Draw down.
Stability of up stream & down stream slope during and immediately
after construction.
Stability of foundation against shear.
stability analysis using Swedish circle method
It is one of the most generally accepted methods of checking slope

48
 Mr cL tan N Shear Strength available
Fs resisting / driving = 1.5
Md T shear Strength required for Stability

49
Location of the most CRITICAL circle
In the course of stability analysis, it is quite
cumbersome(Problematic) to take so many trial surfaces
and hence Fellenius has shown, to reduce number of trials,
suggested a line called Fellenius line (line AB) for a
homogeneous slope (see fig below) on which the most
critical circle lies.
The center of the most critical circle may lie anywhere on
the line AB or its extension. However the exact position of
critical circle is obtained after conducting the stability
analysis for different points. The center O with minimum
factor of safety is the center of the most critical circle.

50
Method of locating center of critical slip circle
Fs3
Fs 2
Fs1

rc

H=dam height V

H Fellenius line
4.5 H B

51
Stability of down stream slope during steady seepage

52
 Example 4.2

Check the stability of the d/s slope for the following earthen dam x-sections

a) When the seepage line (pheratic line) have no contact with the slip circle and;
b) When the soil of the slip circle get fully submerged .

sub 1.2t / m3

2
H= 25 m 1

25o
d 1.83t / m3
Coordinate of Y1 Y2 Y3 Y4
end slice sat 2.2t / m3
Magnitude (m) 6 7.5 7.5 6.5 C=2.4 t/m3
 Chapter Five
River Diversion During Construction

In order to build a dam, one major temporary or semi temporary (but essential and
hardly avoidable) activity is required. That is river diversion during construction.

River diversion takes place for two purposes:

o For construction purpose

o For water use purpose

Ways of diverting water before construction

I.Provision of diversion tunnel or Channel
Diversion tunnel or
diversion channel

U/S Costruction zone

D/S
U/S coffer dam

D/S coffer dam

 II. Two stage construction

U/S U/S

Applicable for
Coffer
dam Concrete dam !!..
Construction

Construction
zone on the
area

Completed
portion of 2nd stage
the dam
diverted overtopped
flow flow
D/S
D/S
ii.2nd stage diversion
i. 1st stage diversion

III. Through culverts in the body of the dam

Example: Gilgel Gibe Hydroelectric project

Culverts

U/S coffer dam

Construction zone

Culverts
D/S Coffer dam
of main dam

Culverts

Construction zone
of main dam
High costs- often represent 5-10% of total cost when large discharges have to be handled.

Basic Planning Considerations

Considerations of:
o Available space
o Hydraulic conditions, geological conditions
o Possibility to incorporate temporary structures in permanent structures -economy.
o Feasibility of construction of diversion structures

o Components of river division schemes often have to be constructed in the river bed, with
flowing water. To obtain more favorable (or feasible) conditions-dry period (low discharges)
The selection of discharge capacity of the diversion structures is fundamental for:

o Definition of cofferdam height (stage-discharge relationship)

o Definition of size of conveyance system such as diversion tunnel diameter channel width depth

The discharge capacity for river diversion is decided on base of a risk analysis.

Optimized
region

Cost (birr)
Risk

T1 T2 T3 T T5
4

Return period (T)