Professional Documents
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Earth Dams
1-Introduction
Earth dams are trapezoidal in shape, they are constructed where the foundation
materials are weak. Earth dams are relatively smaller in height and broad at the
base. They are mainly built with clay, sand and gravel, hence they are also
known as Earth fill dam or Rock fill dam.
Rock fill dam 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.
Earth dams are built of soil, as the soil is a non-rigid material, earth dam is
called non-rigid dams.
Since ancient times earth dams have been constructed for the purpose of water
storage for irrigation and flood control.
Earth dams can be constructed on almost all type of foundations, provided
suitable measurements are taken to minimize seepage and failure in foundation.
Earth dams are more suitable than gravity dams if a strong foundation is not
available at the site for the construction of a gravity dam. Earth dams are usually
cheaper than gravity dams if the soil quantity is available near the site.
1
Figure1: seepage though a completely homogenous dam
Phreatic line
The top flow line of a saturated soil below which seepage takes place, is called
the phreatic line. Hydrostatic pressure acts below the phreatic line whereas
atmospheric pressure exists above the phreatic line. For an earthen dam,
the phreatic line approximately assumes the shape of a parabola.
2-3-Diaphragm-Type Earth Dam
A diaphragm-type earth dam consists of a thin impervious core called
diaphragm, surrounded by pervious shells. This type is sometimes called the thin
core earth dam. The difference between a zoned and a diaphragm-type of earth
dam is in the thickness of the core. If the thickness of the core at any elevation is
less than the height of the embankment above that elevation or 3 m, the dam is
generally considered to be of the diaphragm type. The diaphragm are constructed
either vertical at the center(Figure 4 a) or inclined below upstream face
(Figure 4 b). The diaphragm is constructed of impervious material e.g. clay,
concrete, steel, bituminous concrete and timber. This type of dam is constructed
only when the impervious material is not adequate to construct a zoned earth
dam.
3-Foundation Requirements
Earth dams can be constructed virtually under any foundation conditions.
However, the underlying strata must be studied thoroughly and proper
foundation treatments if needed be applied. Generally foundations are classified
into three broad groups of, rock foundations, pervious soil foundations and
impervious soil foundations.
3-1-Rock Foundations
Rock foundations are generally suitable for an earth dam to be constructed on it.
The shear stress that earth dams impose is usually lower than the bearing
capacity of rock foundations. If the rock foundation is intact and having
minimum fractures then seepage will not be an issue. However if the foundation
is found to be highly fractured and having joints or seams of low strength then
the foundation will be susceptible to excessive seepage. Therefore, in such
cases, the foundation is grouted and in the case of weak zones, they are replaced
with concrete.
3-2-Pervious Soil Foundations
The foundation of earth dams may be composed of recent alluvial soils of
relatively pervious sand and gravel which overlay impervious geological
formation like rock or clay. The issue with such foundation is the probability of
occurrence of high under seepage. Furthermore the force exerted by seepage
may lead to piping of foundation thereby failure of dam. Pervious foundations
are broadly categorized into two groups:
Coarse Sand and Gravel
Such foundations have high shear strength and pose no problem from the point
of stability. As these soils have high permeability, they get consolidated very
rapidly under the loads of the dam and the shear strength increases almost
simultaneously with the construction of the dam. The main problem with such
foundations is the under seepage.
Loose-Fine Sand or Coarse silt
If the foundation material consists of loose fine sand or coarse silt, it presents
difficult foundation problems. Such soils have low shear strength and high
compressibility, which cause problems. When such soils are subjected to a
sudden shear stresses caused by earthquakes, the loose soil rearranges its
structure to a denser one. In doing so, the load that was carried by soil particles
will be passed over to the pore water thus leading to the phenomena of
liquefaction.
Soil liquefaction describes a phenomenon whereby a saturated or partially
saturated soil substantially loses strength and stiffness in response to an applied
stress, usually earthquake shaking or other sudden change in stress condition,
causing it to behave like a liquid.
Such a behavior is observed in uniform sands which are very fine and consist of
rounded grains and their relative density is less than 50%. Such soils should be
avoided as foundation of earth dams as far as possible. Otherwise they should be
compacted by pile driving or other methods so that they become quite dense
before the construction of the dam.
4-1-Hydraulic Failures
The hydraulic failures may occur due to one or more of the following causes:
1-Overtopping
An earth dam fails when it is overtopped. Overtopping is the most common
cause of the failure of an earth dam. Overtopping of the earth dam occurs when:
1-The design flood is underestimated.
2-The spillway capacity is not adequate.
3-The spillway gates are not properly operated.
4-The freeboard is not sufficient.
5-Excessive settlements of the foundation and dam occur.
2-Erosion of U/S Face
The U/S face if not protected, the waves generated in the reservoir will erode it
and gradually leading to the failure of the U/S face or of the dam. To avoid the
erosion of the U/S face, rip rap is laid over it for protection. Under the riprap a
filter must be laid, otherwise, the soil beneath the protection will get washed out
after sudden drawdowns. The riprap must of adequate thickness and weight in
order to not get displaced by the force of waves.
3-Erosion of D/S Face
D/S face is susceptible to get eroded by heavy rains and sometimes winds. Rains
can erode the slope and create gullies that will cause the failure of the slope or
the total failure. To avoid the erosion of the D/S face, two measures are usually
taken:
a-Sodding of the D/S face.
b-Provision of berms in order to decrease the velocity of the flowing water.
Piping in dams may occur due to one or more of the following reasons:
1-Poor construction
2-Differential settlement
3-Burrowing animals
4-Surface cracks
5-Presence of roots
6-Soluble saults
40
c- Conduit Leakage
Conduits are usually provided in earth dams. Water may seep along the outer
side of conduit wall and eventually leading to piping and dam failure. This
occurs when the soil around the conduit is not compacted properly. There is
another scenario of seepage along the conduit outside wall, this is the leakage of
water from the conduit. This takes place when cracks develop in the conduit.
Cracks develop because of differential settlement in foundation, settlement of
the soil beneath the conduit the damage of the conduit itself or the overloading
of the conduit by the embankment above it.
d-Sloughing of Downstream Toe
Sloughing is a process in which the soil mass falls down after saturation. It is a
type of local slope failure. The sloughing of the downstream toe of the earth
dam occurs under the reservoir full conditions when the downstream portion of
the dam becomes saturated and continuously remains in the same state, causing
softening and weakening of the soil mass. This usually occurs when the phreatic
line cuts D/S face. Also choked outlet leads to sloughing of the D/S toe.
Sloughing leads to failure of dam as follow:
1-Because of the soil softening and weakening, a small slump (miniature slide)
at the D/S toe occurs.
2-The fallen part will leave a steep face at the D/S slope.
3-Because of the continuous seepage, the steep face get saturated and leading to
another slump and leaving a steep face. This process will continue until the
remained part of embankment cannot hold back water and eventually the dam
collapses.
4-3-Structural Failures
Structural failures in earth dams are generally shear failures leading to sliding of
the embankments or the foundation.
Slides in Embankment
Sliding of the slopes of the embankment occurs when the shear forces tending to
cause sliding on any potential sliding surface exceed the resisting forces. The
failure of slopes is one of the main causes of the failure of the earth dams. The
following three cases of slope failure are common:
41
1- Failure of the U/S slope during sudden drawdown:
The most critical condition for the U/S slope occurs during the sudden
drawdown of the reservoir. During that condition, the pore water pressure in the
soil is not dissipated fully due to low permeability of the slope and consequently
the shear strength of the soil reduced and the slope may fail .
6-Failure by spreading usually occurs when the earth dam is located above a
stratified deposited that contains layers of silty clay. This poses a problem when
the pore water pressure gets developed large.
It is usual practice to construct dams to a greater height than the required for
settlement allowance by 1 to 2% of height of dam.
The extra height of dam is called camber.
Camber is not equal at all sections of a dam.
Camber is highest at the middle sections and the least at abutments.
6.5 Cutoff in Foundation
To reduce seepage through the foundation and to avoid piping failure, a cutoff
wall is usually provided when the foundation is pervious to moderate depths.
The cutoff can be a cutoff trench or a sheet pile cutoff.
Figure 11: Seepage control in foundation
If the depth of the pervious strata is large and constructing a cutoff trench is
uneconomical, then an impervious blanket is provided. The blanket is the
extension of the impervious core toward upstream up to some distances in the
reservoir.
6.6 Impervious Core
If sufficient material is available, a zoned earth dam is preferred. The
impervious core can be constructed vertically or inclined. The head that causes
the seepage of water is mostly dissipated at the core, thus the phreatic line is
kept in the dam body. The shells give stability and the D/S shell works as a
drain, thus, pore water pressure built up is reduced. Further notes are made
below:
The slopes of the core should not be greater than (x-0.5):1 on U/S and (y-0.5):1
on D/s. where x: 1 is the U/S slope of the shell and y: 1 is the D/S slope of the
shell.
The maximum U/S and D/S slopes of the core are usually 1.5:1 and 1:1
respectively.
If the difference of the particles sized of the shell material and core material is
large, transition filters are provided.
6.7 Downstream Drainage System
The downstream drainage system is required for all types of earth dams. The
drainage system consists of materials appreciably more pervious than the
embankment materials. Different types of drainage systems are explained later
in this chapter.
50
Figure 13: Earth dam section with D/S horizontal drainage blanket
Figure 14: Earth dam section with D/S horizontal drainage combined rock toe
and inclined chimney filter
Pervious foundation
If the foundation is pervious, in addition to provision of drainage for the dam
body, care must be taken of the seepage that occurs in the foundation. For such
cases three alternatives are available:
Provision of a sheet pile cutoff (Figure 15a)
Provision of a cutoff trench (Figure 15b)
The pervious foundation is overlaid by a thin layer of semi pervious zone
(Figure 15c)
(a)
51
Figure 15: Cross section of earth dams on pervious foundations in the availability
of only impervious soils
8- Seepage Analysis
Seepage analysis is required to determine the quantity of water passing through
the body of the earth dam and its foundation. Design of filters/measures to
control seepage requires a seepage analysis of the embankment and foundation.
Distribution of pore water pressure within the body of dam and its foundation is
required in the stability analysis of slopes and foundation.
Seepage analysis is performed on 2D cross-sections of unit width. Basically, the
dam is divided into a number of sections of finite length(Figure16).
Figure 16: Valley Cross section
T n O n O n O n O n O
For each 2D cross section of unit width, seepage quantity through the
embankment and foundation (if previous) is calculated separately and then
added .
Q body
Q foundation
T T T
Seepage analysis is performed based on Laplace’s equation and Darcy’s law.
There are three approaches to solve the seepage problem:
1-Graphical method
2-Experimental method
3-Numerical method
8-1 Seepage through pervious foundations
To quantify seepage rate through pervious foundation, flow net technique was
used in past. However, there are empirical formula that can be used for
preliminary design. USBR has given the following empirical formula to
calculate seepage flow rate through a pervious foundation without seepage
control measures taken:
T ĄKh
a
H
Ą O
a
Kf is the permeability of the
foundation soil. L2
d
8.2 Seepage through pervious foundations with positive and partial cutoff
trench
The positive cutoff trench consists of a trench formed at the base of the dam by
open excavation in the foundation up to impervious stratum and backfilled with
a compacted impervious soil (Figure 19,a). Generally the same impervious
material is used for both. The positive cutoff trenches have been constructed up
to 50 m depth.
Sometimes, cutoff trench are not extend up to the impervious layer i.e. it only
penetrates until a finite depth and in such cases it is called Partial cutoff trench
(Figure 19,b). Therefore the percent of reduction of the underseepage depends
on the percent of the penetration of the curoff. (Figure 20) shows such a
relationship. The base width of the positive cutoff trench can be calculated
using:
t K a
Where;
H=reservoir head above ground surface
d= depth of cutoff trench excavation below ground surface
Figure 19: Earth dam with cutoff trench
(a): Positive cutoff trench, (b): Partial cutoff trench
Ą O a
[
Where, L1 is the length of the impervious part of the dam.
L1 L2 d
4+
, √4/ C+ C/
2-Compute the optimum length of the blanket:
√
,;
3-Determine the value of the equivalent resistance
, X r:
=*71( )
4-Find the percentage reduction in the discharge for the blankets of the assumed
length:
@2=18>= +5*74.= @2=1 +5*74.=
@2=18>= +5*74.=
Example 1:
Design an upstream impervious blanket and evaluate the percentage of seepage
reduction for the zoned dam shown below. The permeability of the foundation
-5
and the blanket is 0.005 m/s and 1*10 m/s, respectively. The thickness of the
upstream impermeable blanket is 1.5 m.
54 m 7m
1 4.5 4 1
50 m 3
1 1 2.5
30 m
Solution:
` √
√ √
j
O O
Use L1=213m
(` O ) ( )
[ j
`
Ą
T Ą Kh j ⁄pb`
a
Ą
O a
T ĄKh j ⁄pb`
T T
S T
Example 2:
Evaluate the percentage of seepage reduction for the dam cross section shown
-3
below. The permeability of each of foundation and impermeable soil is 3*10
-5
and 1*10 m/s respectively. The thickness of the blanket is 2 m.
44 m 10 m
1 4 4 1
40 m
2 1
1 2
120 m 10 m
20 m
30 m
Solution:
First evaluate the impact of the impervious blanket:
h √
` √
hww
(` O ) ( )
` j
[ a
Ą
[
O a
T Ą Kh j ⁄pb`
Evaluate the impact of the partial cutoff trench
a
lc obar`qflk (Iolj Ifdrob )
G
O a
n ĄKh j ⁄pb`
lc obar`qflk _v qeb qtl jb^probp
Grout Curtains
A grout curtain is obtained by injecting a grout of cement, clay, chemicals or a
combination of these materials. For fissured rocks, cement grouting is efficient.
However, when foundation is composed of sand and gravel, clay grouting is
efficient.
Slurry Trench Cutoff
A trench is excavated in the foundation down to the impervious stratum. The
trench is kept filled with bentonite slurry which prevents the side walls of the
trench from collapsing. The backfill usually consists of a mixture of sand and
gravel and bentonite slurry blended with about 15 to 20% natural silt.
Steel Sheet Piles
A steel sheet pile consists of a series of interconnected sheet piles to form a
continuous impervious barrier. The steel sheet piles are effective for
homogenous soil. If there are boulders or cobbles in the foundation stratum, the
piles may be damaged and interlocks may break.
8.3 Drainage of Foundations
In pervious foundations and impervious foundations of silt and clays soils, it is
necessary to have drainage measures. Drainage measures are intended at
discharging the seeped water safely from the foundation without occurrence of
piping.
Toe Drains and Drainage Blankets
The minimum depth of the trench is usually specified as 1.25 m.
The drain pipes should be surrounded by a properly designed filter to prevent
clogging of the drains by in-wash fine materials .
Relief Wells
The relief wells are generally used for the drainage of foundation if it consists
of a deep pervious stratum .
Relief wells are provided at or near the d/s toe.
The minimum diameter of the pipe is 15 cm.
The spacing of the relief wells is usually between 15 to 30 m.
60
Figure 24: Drainage of foundation by vertical sand drains
Seepage:
Seepage occurs through the body of all earthen dams and also through their
pervious foundations. The amount of seepage has to be controlled in dams in
order to avoid their failures.
The seepage through a pervious soil material, for two dimensional flow, is given
by Laplace equation,
A graphical solution of the above equation suggests that the flow through the
soil, can be represented by a flow-net, which consists of two sets of curves,
known as Equipotential lines ( i.e. lines of equal energy) and Stream lines ( i.e.
flow lines), perpendicular to each other.
61
Seepage Discharge Through the Isotropic Soils
The seepage rate (q) can be computed from the flow net, using Darcy’s Law.
Assuming the dam cross-section have unit width, the flow through the square
ABCD
Where ∆H is the energy drop between the two equipotential lines bounding the
square ABCD
Example 3:
For the flow net shown in Figure.
(a) How high would water rise if a piezometer is placed at (i) A (ii) B (iii) C?
3
(b) If k = 0.01mm/s, determine the seepage loss of the dam in (m /day/m).
63
Solution:
(a) point A
10
H No. of equipotential line *Δh 10 3* 7.5
m above the ground surface
12
point B
10
H No. of equipotential line *Δh 10 5* 5.833 m
12
point C
point A and point C locate at the same equipotential lines so the high of water
is same as in point A and equal to 7.5 m above the ground surface.
(b)
Nf
q k H
N
d
5
q 1*10- 5 *(60*60* 24) *10* 3.6 m3/day/m
12
) √" '"
1- Phreatic line for a homogeneous earth dam without toe filter (drainage)
In the case of a homogeneous earth dam resting on an impervious foundation
with no drainage filter, the top flow line ends at some point on the downstream
face of the dam, the focus of the base parabola in this case happens to be the
downstream toe of the dam itself as shown in (Figure 27).
Figure (27): Phreatic line for a homogeneous earth dam without toe filter
The following are the steps in the graphical determination of the top flow line
for a homogeneous dam resting on an impervious foundation without filters:
1. Draw the earth dam section and upstream water level (H) to some convenient
scale. Let Point-2 is the point on the upstream face coinciding with water level.
2. Let ∆ be the horizontal distance between point- 2 and upstream heel of the
dam. Locate Point-1 at a distance of 0.3∆ from Point-2 on the water surface.
That is distance 1- 2 is 0.3∆.
3. Focus of the base parabola is located at the downstream toe of the dam, that is
Point-0 (horizontal distance 0 - 1 is d). Select x-z reference axis with focus 0 as
origin.
4. directrix of the parabola is at distance S from the focus 0, where S is given
by,
" (√- -)
5. By choosing
base parabolasuitable values
using the of X-ordinates compute the Z-ordinates of the
relation,
) √" '"
6. Join all these points to get base parabola starting from Point-1 and
concluding at a point midway between focus-0 and directrix. This parabola will
be correct for the central portion of the top flow line. Necessary corrections at
the entry on the upstream side and at exist on the downstream side are to be
made.
7. Upstream correction: The portion of the top flow line at entry is sketched to
meet the boundary condition there that is phreatic line meets perpendicularly
with the upstream face, which is a boundary equipotential and the phreatic line
is made to meet the base parabola tangentially at a convenient point.
8. Downstream correction (Casagrande’s method): The breakout point on the
downstream discharge face may be determined by measuring out L from the toe
along the face. If ᵦ is the downstream slope angle then L may be computed from
the following equations,
o
For ᵦ < 30
√ 𝒅 𝒅
𝒐𝒔 ᵦ 𝒔 ᵦ 𝒔𝒊𝒏 ᵦ
𝒐
o o
For angles 30 < ᵦ < 60
√𝒅 √𝒅 𝒐𝒕 ᵦ
9- The discharge through dam per unit length is given by:
𝒒 𝒌𝑺
Example 4: An earth dam made of homogeneous material has the following
data:
At exit, the point K at which the phreatic line intersects the d/s face can be easily
obtained by using the equation,
70
Hence, a= 17.7m which is slightly above the value obtained, and is thus a safer
side.
Figure 28: Phreatic line through a homogenous earth dam with horizontal filter
3-Phreatic line for a homogenous earth dam with rock toe filter
In case of a homogenous earth dam with a rock toe filter, the focus point is located at
the upstream end of the filter (Figure 30). Usually, the angle α for a rock toe is greater
0 o
than 90 and sometimes it is 90 . The base parabola intersect the rock toe at point K.
Therefore, correction must be made. As in the previous case amount of (∆a) is
calculated and point J will be marked. Then a vertical line will be drawn at J and the
71
phreatic line must intersect the point J tangentially to the vertical. The entrance
correction is done as before.
Figure 29: Phreatic line for a homogenous earth dam with a rock toe filter
α φ
W R
N
T
Figure32: Fellenius method U
Q
W Z Z úú
Force equilibrium in the direction of normal is, Q X U ď
Force equilibrium in the tangential direction is, W F U ď
Q X
W F
ď
F `i ď
W ` i ( Q X) ď
In the above formulae, c is the cohesion of the soil and T is the tangential component of
W and it is the sliding force.
The sliding force is balanced by the shear strength of the soil which is the right side of the
above formula.
I^`qlo lc p^cbqv ∑ Ubpfpqfkd jljbkq
∑ ^`qr^qfkd jljbkq
Ubpfpqfkd jljbkq (` i (Q X) ď) o
^`qr^qfkd jljbkq Wo Z ú o
∑(` i (Q X) ď)
I^`qlo lc p^cbqv
∑W
Where:
2
c: is the cohesion of the soil in KN/m
l: is the base length
U: is the pore water force in KN
φ: is the internal angle of friction of the soil
α: is the angle which normal makes it with vertical
Example 5:
For the following cross section of dam with shown slip surface and the data tabulated
3 o
below, compute the factor of safety against sliding. γ is 20 KN/m , φ is 35 and c is 10
KPa.
h b α u Ar W N T U N C
Slic e
(deg) - *L
e a
1 0 4.9 53.1 0 11.7 234. 140. 187. 0 140. 82.8
2 4.7 7
4.9 6
38.2 18 3
27.0 6
540. 7
424. 8
334. 113. 6
310. 9
63.3
3 2
6.1 7
4.9 6
26.1 38. 4
30.5 8
610. 6
547. 9
269. 9
213. 7
334. 0
55.3
4 6
6.1 7
4.9 7
15.2 5
44. 0
27.5 0
551. 5
531. 0
145. 2
229.3 3
302. 8
51.5
5 1
4.9 7
4.9 94.9 5
36. 6
19.6 2
393. 7
391. 434.1 181.6 4
210. 2
49.8
6 8
2.9 7
4.9 -7 4
14.2 67.28 2
145. 7
145. - 71.1 173. 9
49.9
3 7 5.1 5 6 0 13.2
957.13 9
1372 0
352.88
Area = (h1+h2/2)*b
W = area *γ ∑(` i (Q X) ď)
N = W cos α
T = W sin α
∑W
U = L*u
L = b /cos α
I^`qlo lc p^cbqv
∑( ( ) )= 1.37
I^`qlo lc p^cbqv
Example 6:
For the slip surface shown below for the zoned earth dam cross section, calculate the
factor of safety against sliding.
Cor Shel
e ls
o 20 21.
3
(KN/m ) 5
C (KPa) 20 0
φ 20 40
2
Area(m ) b α u C
Slic Core Shell (deg) N(KN T(KN φ c (N- *L
1 29.53 6.4 41.9 0 439.1 395.1 20 20 159.82 173.6
2 63.06 6.4 35.2 8.1 1030.0 727.9 20 20 351.37 157.9
3 21.56 7.18 6.4 29.0 15.3 512.1 284.3 20 20 145.30 147.5
4 41.52 33.97 6.4 23.1 11.6 1435.0 614.4 20 20 492.58 140.3
5 15.03 60.12 6.4 17.5 0 1518.9 481.2 20 20 552.85 135.3
6 73.92 8.1 11.4 0 1557.7 314.9 40 0 1307.13 0
7 49.90 8.1 4.6 0 1069.3 87.5 40 0 897.32 0
8 17.9 8.1 - 0 385.4 - 40 0 323.46 0
2892.23 4229.83 754.76
Zbfdeq ü Dob^
ď ∑(Q X) `O
I^`qlo lc V^cbqv
9.3 Location of the Most Critical Circle
To account for the most critical slip surface, a number of slip surface centers are
assumed and the factor of safety is calculated for each. Then the most critical slip
surface is which that has the minimum factor of safety. Fellenius developed a method to
minimize the number of trials for a homogenous slope, the procedure is as follow:
1- The center of the most critical slip surface lies somewhere on the line QP (Figure 40).
First locate point Q using the coordinate (4.5 H, H) where H is the height of dam. The
toe of the considered slope is the point of origin for locating point Q.
Figure 33 Fellenius method to locate the center of the most critical slip surface
2- To locate point P, two lines are drawn from the crest of dam and the toe. Two
angles are required to direct these two lines.
The line is further extrapolated and a number of points are assumed as centers and
minimum F.S is discuss.
For a purely cohesive soil (φ=0) the center of the most critical slip surface lies on point
P.
In drawing the slip surface consider the following points:
- Except for the very small values of φ, the slip surface passes through the toe of a slope.
-If a hard stratum exists below an earth dam then the slip surface cannot pass through it
and would be tangential to it.
For the following cases the slip surface would pass below the toe: (Figure 34)
o o
1-For small values of φ (0-15 ) and slope inclinations below 53 the slip surface passes
under the toe.
2-When the soil of dam and foundation are homogenous.
3-When the soil of the dam and the foundation are of the same shear strength .
Figure 34: Slip surface for soils with small angles of internal friction
V t ) ( )
( q^k
t (e e) )e t (e
t
t e ď t e ď `
t e ď `
ď
p
č t e
_
Where;
S: shear force
Wm: mean unit weight of dam and foundation soil
Φ1: equivalent angle internal of friction of cohesion less soil
Wd: unit weight of soil of dam
WF: unit weight of soil of foundation
Φ: thethe
C: is angle of internal
cohesion of thefriction of soil of foundation
soil of foundation
80
Dsbo^db
Dsbo^dbVeb^o
Veb^oVqobkdqe
Vqobpp
The average shear strength of the
I^`qlo lc p^cbqv ^d^fkpq ^sbo^db peb^o foundation is taken as the mean of the
shear strengths
of the foundation at the point C below
the toe of the dam and the point B
below the shoulder of the dam.
The shear strength below point C:
V ` Ź e ď
The shear strength below point B:
V ` Ź e ď
⁄
(
I^`qlo lc p^cbqv V V
)
^d^fkpq ^sbo^db č
peb^o
To find the factor of safety against
maximum shear stress, the shear
strength at point D
where
occurs the maximum
is given by: shear stress
V ` t ́ e ď
Where;
w´m: the
the mean effective
soil mass (Wm –unit
Wwweight
) of
V
Í
č
81
Example 7:
A homogenous earth dam 25 m high has a crest width of 8 m, U/S slope is 4:1 and D/S
slope is 3:1. The foundation consists of soft clay up to a depth of 10 m, and beneath that
there is a rigid boundary. Check the stability of foundation against shear for the
upstream portion of the dam. Assume the following properties:
soil ɣsat C
Φ 2
Dam 20 2
o (KN/m
20 )
Foundatio 21 1 50
n 0
Solution:
e e ď
V t ) ( )
( q^k
t (e e) )e t (e
t NQ j
t e ď `
ď
t e
ď
e e ď
V t ) ( )
( q^k
V (
p ) ( ) NQ
č
_
q^k
č NS^
Shear strength below U/S toe (S1)
V ` Ź e ď
V NS^
Shear strength below shoulder (S2)
V ` Ź e ď
V NS^
⁄ ( )
I^`qlo lc p^cbqv ^d^fkpq ^sbo^db peb^o
Xkp^cb
čV ` čt ́ e ď NS^
V NS^
Í Xkp^cb
10- Design of Filters
5- To satisfy filtration criteria determine the maximum D15 according to the Table (2)
7- Determine the following ratio. If its condition is not met then both values might be
adjusted.
jfkfjrj G
9- Calculate maximum D60 as follow:
j^ufjrj G j^ufjrj G
10- Calculate the minimum D60 as follow:
j^ufjrj G
jfkfjrj G
11-Determine the maximum D100 and minimum D5 from Table (4).
Table (4) Maximum D100 and Minimum D5
12- Use Table (5) to determine the value of maximum D90.
Table (5) Maximum D90
Example 8:
Design a filter with the main function of protection for a soil with the grain size
distribution given blow:
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0.001
0.01 0.1 1
Grain size (mm)
Solution:
The soil does not contain particles larger than sieve No 4. (diam. =4.75mm)
d200 (0.075mm) is 90% and according to Table(1), the base soil is in the Category I.
From table (2), determine maximum D15:
P^ufjrj
P^ufjrj G
G a klq ibpp qe^k
jj jj
jj
The minimum
Check D15offrom
the width Tableband:
the filter (3), is 0.1 mm.
j^ufjrj G
jfkfjrj G
Modify the the
Determine maximum D15 and
maximum to beminimum
0.5 mm. D :
10
P^ufjrj G jj
Pfkfjrj G jj
Determine the maximum D60
P^ufjrj G jj
jj
Pfkfjrj G
From Table (4) the maximum D100 and minimum D5 are 75 mm and 0.075 mm
respectively.
From Table (5) the maximum D90 is 20 mm.
Maximum Minimum
% %
size(mm size(mm
Passing Passing
) )
0.375 5 0.075 5
0.42 10 0.083 10
0.5 15 0.1 15
2.5 60 0.5 60
20 90 4 90
75 100 15 100
Grain Size Distribution
100
90
80
70
% passing
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0.001
Inclined Filter
T hfD
fD qā
h
q mbojb^_fifqv
q lc qeb cfiqbo
Horizontal Filter
Notes:
1- The safety factor for the thickness of the filter is 2.
2- The minimum thickness that should be adopted is 1 m due to construction limitations.
3- To estimate the permeability of the filters use Table (6).
90
Table(6): Permeability of different soil type
91
Example 9 :
Assume filter designed in Example 4 is inclined, calculate its thickness. The discharge
3 o
is 6.0122 m /day. The d/s slope of the core is 45 with the horizontal.
Solution:
Estimate the permeability of the filter
-4
D20-avg=0.36 mm, k is 346 * 10 cm/s
j
T
fT ( )
hfD pb`
q j q
q j
Use t=1 m.
Example 10:
Design the thickness of a horizontal filter according to the following data:
-6 3
L=56 m, K=3600*10 m/sec, Q=0.00015544 m /sec
Solution
q √ √ j