What is Dam

Definition of Dam is as an obstruction constructed across a stream or river. At the back of this barrier
water is collected forming a pool. The side on which water is collected is called upstream side and the
other side of the barrier is called downstream side. The pool of water which is formed upstream is called a
Reservoir.

Uses of Dams and Reservoirs

Following are the uses of Dams

 The water collected in the lake can be used for recreation, as a reservoir of drinking water or it
can be supplied to the surrounding farm land through canals for irrigation.
 The energy of this collected water can be used to turn a mill to grind wheat or to turn the blades
of a turbine to generate electrical power.
 In times of floods, uses of dams can serve as protections for the towns and cities downstream of
the river.
 Apart from these advantages dams are very significant in times of war. As they help in planning
war strategies and in controlling the advancement of enemy forces.

Classification of Dams by Material, Use, Hydraulic Design

Dams can be classified in various ways depending upon the purpose of classification

Classification of Dams according to the Material used for Dam Construction

1. Earth Dams
2. Rock fill Dams
 3. Solid masonry gravity Dams
4. Hallow masonry gravity Dams
5. Steel Dams
6. Timber dams
7. Arch dams

The first three types of Dam are ancient in origin while the last four have come in general use only in the
last century or so.

Classification of Dams according to Use

1. Storage Dams
2. Detention Dams
3. Diversion Dams

Classification according to Hydraulic design

1. Overflow Dams
2. Non-Overflow Dams
3. Rigid Dams
4. Non-Rigid Dams

Types of Dams

Following are the types of Dams

Earth Dams are constructed of soil pounded and compacted into solid mass. These are constructed in
areas where the foundation is not strong to bear the weight of a concrete dam and where earth is easily
available.

Rock fill Dams are formed of loose rocks and boulders piled in the river bed. A slab of reinforced
concrete is often laid across the upstream face of a rock fill dam to make it water tight.

Solid Masonry Gravity Dams are big and expensive to be built but are more durable and solid than earth
and rock dam. They can be constructed on any dam site, where there is a natural foundation strong
enough to bear the weight of the dam.

Hollow Masonry Gravity Dams are designed on the same lines on which the solid masonry gravity
dams are designed but they contain about 35 to 40 % less concrete or masonry. Generally the weight of
water is carried by a deck of R.C.C.

Steel Dams are used as temporary coffer dams needed for the construction of permanent dams. Steel
coffer dams are usually reinforced with timber or earth fills.

Timber Dams have short life usually not more than 30 to 40 years and must have regular maintenance
during that time. However they are valuable in agricultural areas for meeting low level needs.
Arch Dams ae very complex and complicated types of Dams. They make use of the horizontal arch
action in place of weight to hold back water. They are best suited for sites where the dam is required to be
very high and narrow.

Storage Dams are constructed in order to store water during the periods of surplus water supply. The
stored water can be used in different seasons and for different uses. These dams may be further classified
depending upon the specific use of the water, such as navigation, recreation, water supply and electricity
etc.

Diversion Dams are small dams used to raise the river water level, in order to feed an off-taking canal. A
diversion dam is generally called a weir or barrage.

Detention Dams detain flood waters temporarily so as to retard flood run-off and thus minimize the
effects of floods. Detention dams are sometimes built to trap sediment. They are often called debris dams.

Overflow Dams are designed to pass the surplus water over their crest. They are often called spillways.
They are made of materials that do not erode with such discharges.

Non-Overflow Dams are those which are not designed to be overtopped. This type of design gives wider
choice of materials including earth-fill and rock-fill dams.

Rigid Dams These types of Dams are those which are constructed of rigid materials like masonry,
concrete, steel, timber etc while Non-Rigid dams are constructed of earth and rock-fill.

Geology and Dams

On a large dam construction project the engineering geologist is concerned with:

 the geology of the dam site including the foundation for the dam itself and the sites for other
structures such as spillway, diversion tunnel and outlet works. Questions that need an answer
include whether the dam foundation has sufficient strength and durability to support the type of
 dam proposed, whether the foundation is watertight and if not how much grouting will be
required and whether the spillway will require concrete lining;

 the geology of the area to be occupied by the reservoir once the dam is completed. Questions
often asked here include whether the storage area is watertight or are there areas of cavernous
limestone which might lead to the dam not retaining water and whether landslides into the
reservoir are possible which might cause a wave of water to be pushed over the top of the dam;

 finding sources of the construction materials which will be needed to build the dam.

Extensive site investigations are usually required to answer these questions. No two dam sites are
identical as far as geology is concerned so each new dam construction project must be investigated
individually. Some dam sites may be relatively uniform in their geology ie one rock type with a simple
structure and a regular pattern of surface weathering. More often though the geology will be complex
with several different rock types with different physical properties such as strength, durability and
susceptibility to weathering. The geological structure may also be complex with geological units folded
and faulted into a complicated, difficult to interpret pattern. Degree of surface weathering may vary
suddenly from one geological unit to another further complicating the task of the engineering geologist.

The following two examples are of dams where the site geology was a very significant factor in the
design and overall layout of the entire project:

Glennies Creek Dam: A 10 metre thick layer of completely weathered, non-welded tuff (a soil type
material) at the dam site had a controlling influence on the choice of type of dam and the siting of the
dam, diversion tunnel and the spillway; in fact, the whole project layout was determined by the outcrop
and weathering pattern of the non-welded tuff.

Windamere Dam: The embankment dam was built on a weathered, sedimentary rock foundation. The
rock fill construction material to build the dam was obtained from an unlined rock cut spillway in
unweathered andesite about 1 km from the dam site. If a spillway had been built adjacent to the dam in
the weathered sedimentary rocks it would have had to have been lined with concrete to prevent erosion, at
a greatly increased cost.

In the design of embankment dams there are two major decisions which have to be taken, both of which
depend on geological factors:

 The extent to which it will be necessary to provide concrete lining and/or energy dissipation
structures in the dam spillway.

 The extent to which the spillway excavation will be able to supply fill for use in the construction
of the dam embankment.

The geology of the dam spillway is thus important to the overall design and layout of the whole dam
construction project.