Examples

1. Design a constant radius arch dam for a valley 40m wide at the base and 160m at height of
100m from the base. Take the height of the dam as 100m. Allowable stress in concrete is
4000KN/m2. Assume 2m thickness at the top, w=10KN/m3 and the valley is symmetrical
2. For constant angle?

160 q55 Ri=Li/2sinq 0.819152 98 Ru 100

1. Constant Radius Arch Dam
Depth Span Li Ru P=rh Ri Thickness q 2q
0 160 100 0 98 2 55 110
20 136 100 200 95 5 46 92
40 112 100 400 90 10 39 77
60 88 100 600 85 15 31 63
80 64 100 800 80 20 24 47
100 40 100 1000 75 25 16 31
Constant Angle Arch Dam
Depth Span Li q P=rh Ri Thickness Ru 2q
0 160 55 0 98 2 100 110
20 136 55 200 83 4 87 110
40 112 55 400 68 8 76 110
60 88 55 600 54 9 63 110
80 64 55 800 39 10 49 110
100 40 55 1000 24 8 33 110
m at height of
concrete is
ymmetrical
 Example

1. Determine the factor of safety for the slip surface shown in table for sudden drawdown condition with the
of the embankment material

Saturated weight = 21.0 kN/ m3

Submerged weight = 11.0 kN/ m3
Cohesion = 24.5 kN/ m2
Angle of internal friction,  = 35°

Arc length Area of

Slice  (degrees)
(meters) slice (m2)
1 54.5 6.70 12.26
2 41 3.80 19.51
3 31 3.50 21.37
4 22 3.35 20.90
5 13 3.05 19.97
6 5 3.05 16.72
7 – 3.5 3.05 12.08
8 – 13 4.30 6.69

T component N component
S.No. q (degrees) Arc length (m) Area of slice(m2)
Weight, W (KN/m) Wsinq (KN/m) Weight, W (KN/m)
1 54.5 6.7 12.26 257.46 209.60 134.86
2 41 3.8 19.51 409.71 268.79 214.61
3 31 3.5 21.37 448.77 231.13 235.07
4 22 3.35 20.9 438.9 164.41 229.9
5 13 3.05 19.97 419.37 94.34 219.67
6 5 3.05 16.72 351.12 30.60 183.92
7 -3.5 3.05 12.08 253.68 -15.49 132.88
8 -13 4.3 6.69 140.49 -31.60 73.59
30.8 951.79
Factor of Saftey, SF= 1.72
down condition with the following properties

N component
Wcosq (KN/m)
78.31
161.97
201.49
213.16
214.04
183.22
132.63
71.70
1256.53