THE ROLE OF MONITORING IN THE REHABILITATION OF PLAVINAS HPP, LATVIA R. Peter Brenner’ and Richard Guimond’ Juba Laasonen” Juerg Speerl? Dzintars Ostanievics* ABSTRACT The Plavinas hydro-electric powexplant in Latvia is located within a complex hydro-gaologic environment. The powerhouse'spillway structure is founded on = buried valley, filled with glacial till and having pressurized aquifers on its flanks. Pressure and seepage control is by means of drainage blanket: and wells im the foundation and relief wells on the downstream. right bank. A large number of piazometers monitors the pressure in the various stratigraphic units. For the design of a reserve spillway required to ensure safety against flood events, the existence of highly pressured zones at the contact of the till with the pressurized aquifers on the slope of the buried vallay was an important geological consideration. Hydro-geological investigations revealed that these zones ate hydraulically connected. The stilling bazin of the reserve spillway will be close to the buried valley but construction activities must not intesfere with pressurized strata. Real-time monitoring of piezometric heads by means of am automatic data acquisition system will be used as a tool to ensure safety during construction activities. INTRODUCTION The Plavinas powerplant is the uppermost hydro-electric station of the Daugeva hydzo- cascade im Latvia. It is located near the town of Aizkraukle, some 90 km east of the capital city of Riga and about 107 km upstream from the river’s estuary. With its presently 68.5 AW of installed capacity and s maximum gross head of 40 m, itis also the largest of the three powerplants forming the cascade. It was designed by Instimta Hydroproject, Moscow, and commissioned in 1966. The scheme consists of 2 1282 m long, right wing embankment dam, a 158 m long concrete section consisting of the powerhouse with the spillway discharging over it, the main hydraulic fill dam of 675 m in length, built across the present river chanel, and a left wing embankment dam, 1892 m long, as illustusted im Fig. 1. The main dam and both wing embankment dams are founded on dolomite rock, which is partly karstic, whereas the powethouse-spillway structure, consisting of two adjacent blacks separated by 2 vertical joint, is situated om 2 deep buried pre-glacial valley filled mainly with glacial and fuvio- glacial deposits. GEOLOGICAL AND HYDRO-GEOLOGICAL SETTING AND CONCERNS Stratigraphy The powezhouse-spillway structure is the principal component of the scheme. However, its design aud later its performance Rave been strongly affected by the difficult foundation conditions and the regional kydro-geolozical setting. The Plavinas site lies in the Balticamtesian basin. The Daugava river in the Plavinas area represents a low regional drainage system. The subsurface conditions comsist of a serias of sedimentary rock stata of Middle to Upper Devonian age, covered by Quatemary deposits (Fig. 2). Some of these strate are confined aquifers and are under artesian pressure. The thickness of the sedimentary complex caa raach up to sbout 300 m. The Devouisn serie: is predominantly sub-horizoutal aud includes sandstones of the Aurikula Burtaieku and the Gauja-Amata stratigraphic units and dolomite rocks of the Plavinas-Daugeva complex. A simplified listing of the statigraphy is given in Table 1 1 Left embankment dam Ns, 1 aeepoeadl 2 Main dam ss ‘Spiltway 3 Powerhouse/spillway structure ae 4 Right embankment dam : Fig. 1 LayoutofPlavinas dam and location of reserve spillway The sandstone and dolomite layers are relatively pervious and act as aquifers. They are interspersed with silty-clayey deposits acting as aquicludes ‘The materials fillmg the pre-Quatemary buried valley are predominantly tills, with duvio- glacial deposits on top. The texture of the till is mostly clayey sand, typically having the following fractions: clay 14-17 %4, silt 30 %, sand 45-30 %4 and eravel 7-10 98. The Russian designer termed the more sandy till ss sandy loam and the more clayey variety as loam. These materials are fairly impervious, but there are also more pervious zaues with lenses of gravel and also pebbles. “Entrained” bedrock material lines the slopes of the buried valley. In the Latvian language this material is tamed as “Sleif” which haz been translated as “Train”. This material, scoured from the valley flanks by the glaciar and’ broken off from higher elevations, was dragged along the valley and consists mainly of gravel and rock fragments. It is highly pervious and may serve a3 2 hydraulic link between aquifers (Dislere, 2006). The Devonian rocks along the buried valley are fissured and cracked, particularly the sandstone: of the Amsta formation are believed to coutain mumerous vertical discontinuities. Some of these may originate from strass release when the valley was eroded.Foundation seepage control The prevailing hydro-geologic regime in the Plavina: area wa: a decisive design consideration in the realization of the powerhouse. To ensure the stability of this structure, comprehensive measures in seepage and pressure control had to be provided, namely (see also ‘Wieland et al., 2006): * Connected with the powerhouse structure: an upstream apron with drainaze, a multi- layer filter blanket and drainage wells below the foundation slab, and a downstream apron with drainage blanket and relief holes * On the downseam right bank: a large number of relief wells, arranged in several rows to drain the Amata sandstone and a drainage gallery in the Plavinas dolomite. Elevation (en al) es be feu gt eatin ta a amt Sues rv eee py et, See eo le amor eee a eat Ml +<3~ saa Fiz. 2. Geologicel section through buried valley along the dam axis Table 1 Stratigraphic units at Plavinas dam site “Age Stratismpey ‘Typo of material (dosignaticn) Qustemay to al. & FQ, River allurium with gravel and pobbles Raceat sig. Giscial til of variable composition ‘Upper Devonian | Daugara. Dalnmits, “dalostones” 101 13 {D,3a) “Uppar Devoniaa | Salarpils Doalostones and dolemitic marks te 13 Daly) ‘Upper Devonian | Plavinas Dolostoess, dolomitic marie cartons — | 71% 31 (D.pl) lays, and silts Upper Devonian | Upper Amem | Sandvtanes, weakly cemented, with Lower Amara | intercaltions of sand and clay (D, emt) on Upper Devoniaa | Ganja Tandstoes, weakly created 0 Osi) | ‘Middle Devonian | Burinieira | Sandstonss and eiltstonas = 60 (Dor)The discharge of the relief wells varies widely. Some of them have to be pumped while others are free flowing. Some wells also eject sand. Different types of well screen desis were employed. Usually, they consisted of 2 wire-wound steel bar skeleton covered by 2 slotted steel pipe or 2 wire mesh, embedded im 2 gravel pack. Abundant prasence of mica particles tends to clog the gravel pack in the vicinity of the screens thus requiring re-development and, after some years, even re-construction. The locations of the relief wells on the right bank and of piezometers on both the right and the left bank are shown in Fiz 3. In addition, a large sumber of piezometers are installed below the powerhouze. The control of the uplift pressure through drainage and relieving is critical for the stability of the powerhouse. There is an upward trending flow of the sroundwater within the pervious and across the impervious sediments. Within the rather impervious morainic soils filling the wuriad valley, very Bigh upward hydraulic gradients exist for the contimiqy of the groundwater low. The gradients are higher im the clayey silty, less pervious variety of the morainic soil. Various incidents have occurred in the powethouse foundation. These were oriedly described by Wieland et al. (2004). Hydro-geological singulariti The total discharge of the relief wells om the right bank amounts to about 160 litars/s. OF particular interest is a cluster of three wells which are rather close, 12. about 50 to 60 m from the downstream edge of the powerhouse (see Fig. 3). These wells (1201, 1221 & 1302) havea very high yield, ie. about 60% of the total discharge. They have been termed the High Yield Wells (HW). The reason for the high discharge of these wells is not clear but it is believed that these wells are in contact with a larger fracture in the Amata sandstone providing a hydraulic connection with deeper aquifers. The filter screens of tivo of these wells are in the Train material, while the screen of the third well is in the Amata sandstone. These three wells can be considered ag a singularity of the right bank reliaving evatem. Actually, some years az0 an incident similar to a blowout occurred in the vicinity of these wells. Interestingly, another singular point was found unexpectedly some 1.7 km downstream in a small tributary valley drained by the Lauce river when om January 6, 1999, a borehole was advanced in combination with a cone penetration test (CPT-4) im the undisturbed morainic soil (see Fiz. 4). This test was intended to serve as a reference to the soundings that were performad below the powerhouse. A second borehole, equipped with © 146 mum casing, was drilled right next to it for the purpose of soil sampling. When the drilling of this borehole CPT-6B, had reached Elev. -21.8 m, sampling wa: no longer possible because the soil waz loose with sand and dolomite frazments. A blowout of CPT-6 occurred on January 19, 1999. accompanied by larga quantities of coarse sand and gravel. The discharge was estimated to be about 45 liters's. This discharge had am effect on the High Yield Wells. Their cumulative discharge decreased dom 92 liters/s to G8 liters/: im the period January 19 to 20, 1999. Borehole CPT-6 was then plugged between January 27 and February 11, 1999. Starting from February 3, the discharge of the HYW increased again. Similarly, the blowout alzo affected the left bak and decreased the piezomatric levels. The greatest drop was noticed for the two piezometers with their tip in the Gauja formation. It reached 1.9 m in the vicinity of the powerhouse (piezometer Pz 3101) and 0.5 m some 70 m away from the powerhouse (Pz 3102). The piezometic levels im the Amate formation also decreased by 2:m im Pz 330] and by 3.7 m im Pz 3302. Drops of around one meter could evenbe observed in some of the pigzomaters in the moraine. Hence, the conclusion ftom this observation was that there must be a connection between all these wells and piezometers and that there must be some short-circuit through some very pervious channels. Exploration hole CPT-6B was plugged later and two new boring were made and transformed into relief wells, namely 5602 and 5603. ao 2 6 a 2 3 2 2S s eel ape =n en i eat Reservoir eo Fig. 3 Locations of piezometers and relief wells in the downstream area. Monitoring as a tool to understand the subsurface flow regime In order to obtain 2 better insight iato the hydraulic compaction: between the wells and piezometers, a serie: of relief tests was carried out with the Lauce wells. Meanwhile, the response of the wells and piezometers could be monitored in real time by means of an automatic data acquisition system (ADAS) whose installation was completed in 2001. Suck a system is invalusble in the management of a large number of sensors. An ADAS is able to read, quantify, and comvert physical information continuously, periodically or ou request and transmit it to a zemote data processing system thus enabling on-line monitoring of relatively xapidly changing sensor values. The system of data transfer at the Plavinas powerplant is illustrated in Fig. 5 and comprises 15 data loggers with 32 remote multiplexers and a system of nine computers which iacludes four acquisition computers, four workstations and one server for real time data processing (Popielski et al, 2001). Instrumentation at the Plavinas powerplant now contains more than one thousand measuring points. Out of these, initially 430 ware selected for replacement by automatic devices. Particularly, sensors for pressure and flow monitoring were given first priority in the incorporation into the ADAS.The ground elevation at the two Lauce wells (5602 & 5603) is around 38 m asl. The wells pais through 7 to § m of gravel with rock fragments and sand, followed by some 50 m of morainic material, Le. sandy loam and loam with inclusions of gravel and rock frazments. At a depth of about 59 m (zpprox. elev. -20 m asl), the holes encountered highly pervious entained material (gravel and sandstone Gagments) identified as entrained material. Well 5602 penatrates this Train layer by about 13 m (Le. to Elev. -33.5 m asl) while well 5603 ends at Elev. -23.1 m asl with about 2m in the Train material. The bedrock was not reached m any of these holes. peStilGing * basin Anis of proposed j Spllleray Fig. 4 Msp showing the locations of the Luce wells, the High Yield Wells, the boundaries of the buried valley aud the axis of the proposed reserve spillway with the stilling basin. Relieving tasts carried out during September 9 to 26, 2001, discharged a total of 120 liters/s (70 liters's fom well 5603 and 50 liters's dom well 3402). The outflow remained closed during the wight and weekends. Selected piezometer: representing different subsurface strata close to the powerhouse on both the right and left bank, and a: well the thre: High Yield Wells, were monitored by the ADAS. Figure 6 shows the response of the three High Yield Wells on the right bank to the relieving of the two Lauce wells and Fiz. 7 presents the response of piezometers in the Upper Amata on the left bank. The graphs clearly demonstrate the effects of the discharges at the Lauce wells at a distance of 1.5 to 1.7 km from the monitored sensors. Also shown in the graphs is the variation of the reservoir water level which varies weekly betveen about 70.5 and 72 m asl. These reservoir level fluctuations are imprinted on the varistion of the well discharges and the piezometric heads. During the pariod from September 17 to 21, the total discharge ftom the High Yield Wells decreased by 4.8 Titers/s, which includes the effact of the lower reservoir level. From September 17 to 25, the piezometric level dropped by about 0.6 to 0.9 m.RESERVE SPILLWAY Foundations conditions The reserve spillway is a major component im the overall rehabilitation of the powerplant. Itz main purpose is to comect the inadequate flood discharge capacity of the existing spillway to satisfy modern PMF criteria. It is a gated structure with four bays and has a desim discharge capacity of about 4000 m'!s. The ogee crest is at elevation 58.10 m asl. The location on the right hand embenkment dam was selected among five other locations because it has the least interference with existing structures, utilities m the ground or drainage facilities in the vicinity of the power plant and 2s well with settlements in the downstream area or private land plots The position of the axis of the reserve spillway is indicated in Figs. 1 and 5. Most of the structure is founded on the dense and impervious glacial till (moraine). Only the stilling basin at river level i: founded om Plavinas dolomite rock. The ground elevation at the river shore line is about 33 m as] while the top of the badrock is at 27 m asl Multi- plexer Acquisition PC Datalogger Fig. 5 Components of the automatic data acquisition system (ADAS) Hydro-geologic comcerus and monitoring A major geologic concem is, that the extension of the spillway axis intersects the buried valley not far from the end of the stilling basin (see Fig. 4), The exact position of the rim of the buried valley is uot known and will have to be explored by additional borings. However, at this location the shoreline of the present river bed and the rim of the buried valley almost coincide. The response of a possible interfarence with the buried valley during construction or during operation of the spillway mmst be predicwzble from the present knowledge supplemented by additional mvestigations. Thare are no deep drillholes in the immediate vicinity of the plamad reserve spillway. The closest investigations in the buried valley were carried out along 3 section which lies om the left bank of the present river channel, The section coutains fire boreholes (BH-1 to BH- sixth borehole, BH-6, was drilled next to the shoreline and is about 500 m from the stilline basin and positioned almost exactly on the extension of the spillway axis. All six hole: were drilled to teach bedrock. The purpose for drillimg these holes was to find locations with entrained materials below the moraine which would be under high pressure similar to the walls found in the Lance valley. Except for borehole no. 3, which exhibited material similar toentrained material within the depth range 130.0 to 137.6 (Elev. -93.5 to -1D1.1), there were na traces of entrained material in the other holes (ie. BH-1, BH-2, BH-+ and BH-5). (ps2 W) jana] sonuesoy (/SE Ww) jaro] OAEsEy z Bio z : Time Fig. 7 Respanse of piezometers in the Upper Amata on the left bank (in the vicinity of the z A 1 a z r z a ! Z peed es | eT LA Fi TTR a Lt $i i Ss ' Bt i = ; | E PaRERRERET (s/ss0]})} BBseyssig (ise w) peay sujewozg powerhouse) to relieving the Lauce wellsBorehole BH-6 was drilled on the basis of geophysical investigations (vertical and symmetic electric profiling and as well gravimatric surveying). Electric profilme wes caried out to a depth of about 65 m which is believed to be the elevation of entrained materials. The area containing the wells in the Lauce valley exhibited 2 low resistivity and the water from these wells had 2 conductivity which was tivo tw three time: higher than the background valuet. Hence, prospecting for entrained material zones had to focus om the identification of zones of low resistance. Borehole BH-6 is on the right hand slope of the buried valley. The hole waz drilled to a depth of 131 m lev. -96.1 m ail), ie. until bedrock was encountered. Entrained material which wes under pressure was found between the glacial till and rocks belonging to the Middle Devonin Burtnicku formation, which is below the Gauja formation at a depth reaching from 97.6 to 116 m below ground level. Subsequently, borehole BH-6 was equipped for conducting relieving tests. The filter wes installed in the depth interval of 111 to 120m, ie. in the lower part of the entrained material and partly in the upper range of the Burmizia rock. The pressure wes, however, not as high 25 expected; the piazometric head was only about 22m. The discharge fom this borehole amounted to 19.6 liters’ The imvestizations in the buried valley have damonstated that the occurrence of entrained material is mot persistant, also its thickness may vary. High pressures are expected to exist where the material overlies the Gauja formation or Amata connecting to Gauja through discontinuities. Most of the entrained material may be present on the slope: of the buried valley, but it is conceivable that there are also accumulations at the valley bottom. These may be hard to detect by geophysical means because of the mfluence of the slope: on the measurements. A further borehole, BH-1327, was drilled m 2003 about 200 m from the stilling basin of the planned reserve spillway. This is the nearest hole in the stilling basin area drilled to Amata level and it is close to the rim of the buried valley. This drill location was, however, not based on geophysical investigations and the purpose of this hole is not clear. The top of the Amaia formation in this borshole ix at EL 17.65 m asl, ia. sbout 9 m below the base of the stilling basin. There is a clayey stratum of about 3 m thickness separating the Plavinas dolomite from the Amata sandstone. The pressure encountered in the Amata rock of borehole BH-1327 was about 0.2 MPs, ie, the piszometric level rises to about HL +40 m asl, which is higher than the tailwater level. Further drillholes are, however, needed to establish a reliable pressure profile in the avea of the stilling basin. Some of the piezometers could then be connected to the ADAS, at least temporarily during the period of construction. Not all boreholes drilled into the Ameta will encounter prasturizad water. Ouly when drilling into highly pervious material between the base of the impervious moraine and the rock with artesian water will this occur. Such locations do not seem to be frequent because inspite of the large number of borehole: drilled in the area, only very few have encountered such conditions. Therefore, exploration drilling to better define tha rim of the buried valley slong the extension of the spillway anis may not find such conditions. From the relieving tests carried out with the Lauce wells, it is expected that even if 2 hich prassure zoue were encountered daring further exploration or during construction work, its impact on the pressures it the foundation of the powerplant would not enced a decrease in piezometric head of one to two meters. Still, precautionary measures are required when consmucting the stilling basin of the reserve spillway. The comtractor who installed the new instruments below the powerhouse, which required drilling through the drainage blanket used(or pinch) valves, which are able to control pressures up to four bars. (Popielzki et al, 2001). CONCLUSIONS: The Plavines powerplant is located in 2 complex and unique hydro-geological environment, involving pressurized subsurface strata in its foundation. To encure the stability of the powerhouse, changing of the prevailing regime of pore water pressure: and uplift pressures must be avoided whan rehabilitating the facility or when adding mew components to the system. Comprehensive site investization, installation of piezometers and possibly also relief wells with real-time monitoring by means of an ADAS can reduce uncertainties and minimize riske related to the hydrologic response to construction activities and to the impact induced by the operation of a new dacility. The paper illustrates how field investigations in combination with monitoring can improve the understanding of the subsurface conditions and the risk involved when new facility (in this case a reserve spillway) is added to the powerplant system. It facilitates the planning of additional investigations and predicting the response of the hydro-geologic regime to constuction activities and operational impact. If significant changes in the pressure regime below the powerhouse are predicted, countermeasures can be invoked during the design phase to minimize or preferably avoid adverse situations. REFERENCES Dislere, S. Monitoring as a tool of dam safety improvement at Plavinas HPP. In: Dams and Reservoirs, Societies and Environment in the 21" Century, LBarga ot al. ads., Voll, 611- 617, Taylor & Francis (2006). Popielski, A., Rollet, M., Bolmanis, A. Plavinas, Latvia. Hydropower & Dams, d Sulcs, U. Upgrading the instrumentation system at ol. 8, no. 3, 85-86 (2001) Wieland, ML, Brenner, RP., Speerli, J., Ostanievies, D. and Bolmanis, A. Safety evaluation of the Plavinas rim of river scheme in Latvia. Transactions 22 Jet. Congress on Large Dams. Barcelona, Q.86,F.72, Vol. 3, 1189-1209 (2003)... *Payry Exergy Ltd, Hardturmtrasse 161, CH-8037 Zurich, Switeecland * Fortum Power * University at Oy, P.O. Box 1, FI-00049 Fortam, Faland \ppliod Scivnces, Oburveastrasse 10, CH-8640 Rapparrvel, Switzerland Joint Biock Campany, Palkveea Brisea Stree: 12, L'V-1230 Riga, Larvia