FLOOD MANAGEMENT AND RIVER ENGINEERING (CE 805) 8th sem (for secA &B )

Date: 15/5/20

ARCH DAM:

This dam is curved in plan. The arch of this dam resists the water pressure, therefore, it is called arch
dam. An arch dam is a curved dam that carries a major part of its water load horizontally to the
abutments by the arch action. The remaining part of the horizontal pressure is transferred to the
foundation by cantilever action of the central portion. As most of the horizontal thrust is transmitted
to abutments through arch action, this dam can be constructed where abutments are very strong. As
the weight of the arch is not considered as resisting any horizontal water thrust, the uplift on the
weight is not important in design.

Fig 7.3 shows a concrete arch dam. Massive masonry dams, slightly curved are considered as
gravity dams. Most of the early arch dams were built of rubble, ashlar or cyclopean masonry, but
nowadays only arch dams of concrete are being constructed.
 Arch dams are usually classified on the basis of thickness, symmetry with respect to the
crown, section or the characteristics of extrados and intrados curves. For example, these dams may
be thin arch, thick arch, constant thickness, variable thickness, symmetrical arch, no- symmetrical
arc, single arch, compound arch, constant radius, variable radius etc.

.
.