Upstream slope protection

The upstream slopes of embankment dams are exposed to dynamic and mechanical attack by wave
action and climatic weather conditions. The materials used to prevent damage must resist these forces
and conditions.

1. Dumped stone riprap

1.1 Introduction
 Prevent erosion and damage from wave action
 Quarried rock, the most common source for rock fragment
 Must contain high proportion of near maximum size fragments as per the design
requirement to resist wave attack and smaller rock to fill voids and interlock the
stones.
 Ratio of maximum to minimum dimension rock fragment shall not exceed 3 as
higher the relative density, greater the resistance towards wave damage.

1.2 Quality of rock for riprap

 Evaluation by the petrographic examination, laboratory durability testing
 The testing needs to be performed on small representative samples as large rock
fragment are used.
 Ideally similar quality specification as concrete aggregate.
 Natural boulders have poorer interlocking property than quarried rock pieces.

1.3 Production of riprap

 Processing the rock for riprap by scalping, crushing and screening in a plant
 Economic selection of quarry site.
 Optimize the hole density and powder factors using computer programs for
effective blasting using geological conditions of site and maximum rock fragment
size as input.

1.4 Field Placement and Control

 First consideration in placement is a good mixture of rock sizes is available in each
load delivered to the site, which is often ensured by gradation test beforehand.
 Placing the loads along the slope against previously placed riprap to prevent
segregation.
 Proceed the dumping in horizontal rows and progress up slope.
 Common methods of placement – backhoe, Grade Alls , dragline with skip , cranes
with clamshell and rubber tired front end loaders
 Continual visual inspection to ensure proper mixing and interlocking of rock
fragments.

2. Hand placed riprap

 Similar quality to that of dumped rip rap material but differs in particle shape requirement
and fragment size
 Consists of stones carefully laid by hand in a definite pattern with least voids possible and
relatively smooth surface
 Roughly square face rock lay up easily and rapidly than rounded rocks.
 Place the flat stratified rock with their longer axis aligning up and down the slope.
 joint offsets between two large rock fragments as much as possible
  Avoidance of joint openings in underlying fill with arrangement of various size of rock
fragment and closing of the openings with spools but enough openings in the surface to
dissipate the water pressure.
 Not effective where considerable settlement is expected.

3. Soil – Cement slope protection

 Economical where suitable riprap is not available near the dam site.
 Mixture of soil, Portland cement and water.
 Can be made with variety of mineral, taking into account the gradation.
 Generally placed and compacted in horizontal layers about 6 inch thick
 Thickness of soil cement slope protection is 2 -4 feet normal to slope considering the
practical minimum placing horizontal width of 8 – 12 feet.

4. Roller compacted concrete slope protection

 Siginifcant difference with soil cement slope protection is the gradation and quality of the
aggregate.
 Required aggregates more like concrete aggregates than soil.
 Frequently used for downstream slope protection for small dams requiring additional
spillway capacity

5. Concrete paving and precast concrete blocks

 Used on both earthfill and rockfill dams (better performance).
 Its success as slope protection depends on field conditions, on the behavior of
embankment and on the ability of paving to resist cracking
 Materials must meet standards and criteria for structural concrete in respect to strength
and durability.

6. Bituminous concrete lining

 Act as both impervious membrane and slope protection.

7. Gabion and reno mattresses

 Gabion mattresses are  ‘Reno-mattresses’ are similar to

rectangular wire boxes filled Gabion mattresses, except that
with rock. these mattresses have less height
 The mattresses are wired shut and are laid end to end up the
after filling and stacked on top incline.
on one another to form a  The wire cages are built in large
stepped slope. sections, and are kept in place
 The wires are often galvanized, by the friction between the
or PVC-coated to provide some mattresses and the embankment.
corrosion resistance.  No footings are necessary;
 excellent for steep side slopes. however, protection at the toe
will be required to prevent scour
 used for small structures where large rock fragments are not available, or are not
economical.
 Wire boxes serve to increase the effective size of the rock fragments.
 Maximum size of rock fragments is generally 2 to 5 centimeters.
8. Steel and timber facing
 Used successfully in gravel and rockfill dams to form impervious membrane and
incidentally upstream slope protection.
 Necessary materials obtained from commercial source.