Chapter 01 (CoTM - 4142)

Design and Construction of Water Works
(COTM - 4142)
18-Nov-22 Design & Construction of Water Works (CoTM - 4142) 1

Chapter - 1
Introduction to Dam Engineering
1.1. Introduction
1.2. Classification of Dams
1.3. Merit and Demerit of Dam
1.4. Selection of Dam Site
1.5. Dam Foundation Treatment
1.6. River Diversion During Construction

1.1. Introduction
What is a Dam?
It is a hydraulic structure constructed across the river/stream
that used to impound water. A dam and a reservoir are
complements of each other.
Upstream Reservoir
Dam
Downstream

1.1. Introduction
Why do we build dams?
Global water distribution

1.1. Introduction
Continental available water resource as compared with demand

1.1. Introduction

1.1. Introduction
Global Distribution of Dams
1.1. Introduction
Ethiopia case
1.1. Introduction
Name of the Dam Height Purpose
Aba Samuel 22m Hydropower & Flood Control
Arjo Dedesa 47m Irrigation
Genale Dawa III 110m Hydropower
Genale Dawa IV 39m Hydropower
GERD 155m Hydropower
Gidabo 22m Irrigation
Gilgel Gibe I 40m Hydropower
Gilgel Gibe III 250m Hydropower
Kesem 90m Irrigation
Koka 47m Hydropower
Ribb 74m Irrigation & Flood Control
Megech 76m Irrigation & Water Supply
Melka Wakena 42m Hydropower
Tekeze 185m Hydropower
Tendaho 53m Irrigation
Zarema May-Day
18-Nov-22
135m Irrigation
Design & Construction of Water Works (CoTM - 4142) 9
1.1. Introduction
Purpose of a dam (impounded water)

– Irrigation
– Hydropower generation
– Flood prevention
– Water supply
– Inland navigation (Transportation)
– Recreation (boating, skiing, camping, picnic areas,
and boat launch facilities)
– Mine tailing (to remove storing byproducts of mining
operations)
– Other purposes (facilitates the infiltration,
development of the overall socio-economic …)

1.1. Introduction
Purpose of a Dam (impounded water)
Dam can be classified based on:
» function
» hydraulic design
» materials used for construction
» structural behaviour (shape)

Storage
Function Diversion
Detention
Arch Dam
Shape
Trapezoidal
Dam Stone Gravity
Construction
Material RCC Arch
Structural Buttress
Earth
Design Rock fill
Overflow
Hydraulic
Non-overflow
A. Classification based on the function
• Storage – it is constructed to create a reservoir to store

water during periods when there is huge flow in the river
(in excess of demand) for utilisation later during
periods of low flow (demand exceeds flow in the
river). Water stored in the reservoir is used for irrigation,
power generation, water supply etc.

• Diversion – it is constructed to divert part of or

nearly all the water from a river into a conduit or a
channel.
• Detention – it is primarily constructed to temporarily

detain all or part of the flood water in a river and to
gradually release the stored water later at controlled
rates so that the entire region on the downstream side
of the dam is protected from possible damage due to
floods. It may also be used as a storage dam.

• Coffer dams: it is an enclosure constructed around

the construction site to exclude water so that the
construction can be done in dry

B. Based on Hydraulic Design

• Non-overflow Dam
Section – it constructed
Maximum Water Level
such that water is not
allowed to overflow over
the crest.
Overflow Dam Section– it constructed with a crest to permit overflow of
surplus water that cannot be retained in the reservoir. Generally dams are
not designed as overflow dams for its entire length. Diversion weirs of
small height may be designed to permit overflow over its entire length.
In most cases, dams are so

designed that part of its
length is designed as an
overflow dam (this part is
called the spillway) while
the rest of its length is
designed as a non-overflow
dam.
In some cases, these two

sections are not combined
like Embankment dam.
C. Based on Material of Construction
• Rigid Dam – it is constructed with rigid material such as stone,

masonry, concrete, steel or timber.
• Non-rigid Dam (Embankment Dams) – It is constructed with
non-rigid material such as earth, rock etc.
–Earthen dam – gravel, sand, silt, clay etc
–Rock-fill dam – rock material supporting a water tight
material
–Rock-fill composite dam – Rock-fill on the d/s side and
earth-fill on the u/s side
• Earthen dams are provided with a stone masonry or concrete overflow

(spillway) section. Such dams are called composite dams.
• In some cases, part of the length of the dam is constructed as earth
dam and the rest (excluding the spillway) as a masonry dam. Such
dams are called masonry earthen dams.

D. Based on Structural Behavior

Gravity Dam
It is a masonry or concrete dam which resists the forces
acting on it by its own weight. Its cross-section is
approximately triangular in shape.

Arch Dam
• It is a curved masonry or concrete dam, convex upstream,
which resists the forces acting on it by arch action.
• Arch shape gives strength

• Used less material (cheaper)
• Narrow valley sites
• Need strong abutments
Buttress Dam
It consists of water retaining sloping membrane or deck on the
u/s which is supported by a series of buttresses. The buttresses
are arranged in the form that equally spaced triangular masonry
or reinforced concrete walls or counter-forts.
• Face is held up by a series of
supports
• It has a flat or curved face
• It is a gravity dam reinforced by
structural supports
• The support transmits a force from a
roof or wall to another supporting
structure
• This type of structure can be
considered even if the foundation
rocks are little weaker.
Embankment Dam
It is a non-rigid dam which resists the forces acting on it by its
shear strength and to some extent also by its own weight
(gravity). Its structural behaviour is in many ways different
from that of a gravity dam.
– It is constructed where the foundation or the underlying

material or rocks are weak to support the masonry dam or
where the suitable competent rocks are at greater depth.
– Mainly built with clay, sand and gravel, hence they are also
known as earth-fill dam or rock-fill dam.

Classification of dam types with respect to size/height of
the dam
–Low dam / Small dam
–Medium dams
–High dam / Large dams
• International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD) assumes a dam as

big when its height is larger than 15m.
• If the height of the dam is between 10m and 15m and matches the
following criteria, then ICOLD accepts the dam as large:
– If the crest length is greater than 500m
– If the reservoir capacity is larger than 1 million m3
– If the flood discharge is more than 2000 m3 /s
– If there are some difficulties in the construction of
foundation

World's Highest Dams
Name Location Structural Height Type of Dam
Rogun Tajikistan 335m
Jinping – I China 305m Concrete
Nurek Tajikistan 300m Earth fill
Xiaowan China 292m Arch
Baihetan China 289m Arch
African’s largest Dams
Name Location Structural Height Type of Dam
Gibe III Ethiopia 243m
Tekeze Ethiopia 188m Arch
Katse Lesotho 185m Arch
Cahora Bassa Mozambique 171m
GERD Ethiopia 155m Gravity, RCC
Aswan Egypt 111m Embankment
Classification of dam according to its purpose/use
–Water supply dam

–Irrigation dams
–Power dams
–Flood control dams, etc
Purpose
–Single purpose
–Multipurpose dams

1.3. Merit and Demerit of Dams
Advantages:
• Irrigation (Agriculture)
• Water Supply (Domestic & Others)
• Generation of Hydro-electric Power
• electricity produced by water does not pollute the
environment
• Sediment Control
• Drought Mitigation
• Aswan dam (Egypt) used to irrigate about 4000 km2 of
dessert areas
• Regulate the water flow i.e. Flood Control
• Navigation
• The lake that forms behind the dam can be used for water
sports and leisure / pleasure activities.
• Often large dams become tourist attractions

1.3. Merit and Demerit of Dams
Disadvantages:
• Expensive to build
• Flooded large areas resulting a natural environment
deterioration.
• Displacement of people and lose of farm lands.
• Alter population movement
• Large dams can cause serious geological damage.
For example, the building of the Hoover Dam in the
USA triggered a number of earth quakes and has
depressed the earths surface at its location.
• Can cause a conflict between neighbouring countries
since dams block the progress of a river flow .
• Alters the natural water table level. For example, the
building of the Aswan Dam in Egypt has altered the
level of the water table.
1.4. Dams: Choice and Selection
The following are the main factors that to be examined at
the stage of dam type selection:
• Topography and geological conditions of the proposed
dam site,
• Availability of suitable materials for the dam,
• The feasibility of spillway construction, and
• The need to be able to cope with conditions of
extreme flood and/or earthquake.
• Others (height, cost, communication etc…)

Topographically:
• Most suitable place must be chosen for construction. Ideally it
must be a narrow gorge or a small valley with enough
catchment area available behind so that calculated amount of
water can be easily stored in the reservoir created upstream.
Location of Spillway:
• All dam should have an adequate spillway for the passing of
flood flows. If the river gorge is narrow, then there may not be
sufficient spillway width available and a suitable location
around the periphery of the reservoir has to be found to locate
a spillway
Construction:
• The site should be near to the materials which will be used for
construction. The non-availability will make the cost of project
is high.

Technically:
• The site must be sound as possible: strong, impermeable
and stable. Strong rocks make the job of designer easy.
Impermeable sites ensure better storage inventories. Site
must be stable with respect to seismic shocks slope
failures around the dam.
Possibility of river diversion during construction:
• The way, river can be diverted at a particular site for
making way for construction of the dam may affect the
design of the dam and also the construction schedule
Sedimentation Possibilities:
• The average quantity of sediment carried by the river has
to be known, as precisely as possible, which would give an
idea of the rate at which a proposed reservoir way get filled
up.
Human Welfare:
• Site selection should be done in such a way that it must
cause minimum damage to public in case of destruction or
failure.
Ecology:
• The creation of water due to dam must not create ecological
disorder. Fish culture is the first sector that suffers the major
shock due to dam construction. It indirectly affects the other
population. The dam should become an acceptable element
of the ecological set up of the area.
Geology of the Site Lithology:
• Surface and subsurface studies must be carried out. These
studies reveal the type, the composition and texture of the
rocks at the proposed dam site.

Engineering Aspect (Site Investigation)
a. Strength parameter: it consists of three types investigation –
laboratory, in-situ static and dynamic.
– The compressive and shearing strength of the rocks
are estimated by laboratory test. These tests are
complimented with in-situ studies using static and
dynamic studies.
▪ Static study: with this test settlements and strains
are recorded with different loadings which is used to
estimate the bearing strength, modulus of elasticity
and Poisson's ratio.
▪ The dynamic method involve creating seismic
waves artificially at selected locations and recording
the velocity of the shock waves through the rocks of
the sites. The shock wave velocity relates to the
density, rigidity, porosity and permeability of the
rocks at the site.
Engineering Aspect: (Site Investigation)
b. Porosity and Permeability:
Dam is a water impounding structure. So water must not find
easy avenues to escape other than provided in design such
as spillways. So porosity and permeability of the rocks are
tested both in laboratory and in-situ. Artificial treatment is
given to the critical zones such as grouting to make the
rocks water tight.
c. Material Availability:
The material used for construction should be found at the
vicinity of dam construction. This is to reduce the cost of
transportation. If the cost of transportation of construction
material is excessively high, then an alternate design with
locally available materials have to be considered.

Engineering Aspect: (Site Investigation)
Seismicity : it is very important to analyse the behaviour of the

dam under earthquake vibrations thereby making it
possible for the designer to check if a particular section of
the dam is suitable or not.
Hydrology – the study of hydrology also very important and it
comprises:
» Determination of a river flow (discharge)
» Sediment deposition
» Reservoir capacity & operation
» Reservoir losses
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA): short & long term
impact, noise & dust hazards, effect on micro climate

Selection of Dam Type
Based on Topography:
–A narrow U-shaped valley, i.e. a narrow stream flowing

between high rocky walls, would suggest a concrete overflow
dam.
–A low plain, would be suggested an earth-fill dam with
separate spillways.
–A narrow V-shaped valley indicates the choice of an Arch
dam
–Solid rock foundations such as granite have strong bearing
power and almost every kind of dam can be built on such
foundations

Selection of Dam Type
Based on Geology (foundation condition):

–Gravel foundations are suitable for earthen and rock-fill
dams.
–Silt and fine sand foundations suggest construction of earth
dams or very low gravity dams.
–Clay foundations are likely to cause enormous settlement of
the dam. Constructions of gravity dams or rock-fill dams are
not suitable on such foundations. Earthen dams after
special treatments can be built.
Selection:
Availability of Materials
• The dam requires a large quantity of materials for its construction
• It is another important factor in selecting the type of dam. In order
to achieve economy in dam construction, the materials required
must be available locally or at short distances from the construction
site
• sufficient quantity should be available at near the dam site to
reduce the cost
Spillway Size and Location
• The capacity of the spillway will depend on the magnitude of the
floods to be by-passed. The spillway is therefore much more
important on rivers and streams with large flood potential.
Earthquake Zone
• If dam is situated in an earthquake zone, its design must include
earthquake forces. The type of structure best suited to resist
earthquake shocks without danger are earthen dams and concrete
gravity dams.

Stages in dam site appraisal and project development (P. Novak,
2001)

Foundation Treatment in Dams:
If it is economically feasible, all material under the base of a
proposed dam which could cause excessive settlement and
leakage should be removed. If this cannot be done, the dam
design should be modified to take account of such material.
Sometimes it may be necessary to remove material to
considerable depths in isolated areas of the foundation. This
is known as dental work. The general overall removal of
material is termed stripping, whereas the removal of loose
masses of rocks on the abutments is termed scaling.
The foundation treatment in dam consists of three parts:

– grouting,
– drainage, and
– excavation of cut-off and backfilling with concrete.

Grouting as applied to
civil and geotechnical
construction, involves the
injection under pressure of
a liquid or suspension into
the voids of a soil or rock
mass or into voids
between the soil or rock
mass and an existing
structure.

Drainage
• Drainage of the foundation is provided for through
holes drilled.
• The main purpose of the drainage holes drilled from
into the rock foundation from the foundation and the
drainage gallery was to reduce uplift and drainage
galleries in the dam and from the foundation
percolation of water near the downstream toe of the
tunnels in the abutments.
• to prevent plugging of drainage holes during grouting
operations, the drilling of drainage holes should be
delayed until all grouting is completed.

1.6. River Diversion during Dam Construction
River Diversion
• The diversion structures are the group of works necessary to
guarantee that the river can bypass the dam site during the
main structure construction.
• The primary function of the diversion structure is to protect
and ensure the site safety during construction.
• A river diversion can be of various types. The implemented
structure design is based on a compromise between the cost
of the diversion facilities and the amount of risk involved.
• The following factors should be analyzed:
• Streamflow characteristics;
• Physical characteristics of the site;
• Type the dam that requires river diversion;
• Definitive structures on the dam;
• Sequence of construction operations.
Types of River Diversion
1. River diversion tunnel (the river diversion through tunnel has
great applicability in embankment dams but it has the
highest cost)
2. River diversion in conduits (alternative to tunnel diversion
when surrounding rock has no enough quality to make a
tunnel)
3. River diversion in channel (when it’s not economically
feasible to carry out a tunnel- this solution can use where
the topography is characterized by flattened valleys.
4. Opening left in the dam body (this method use in concrete
dams, more especially arch dam.
5. Temporary diversion with laterally constriction of the river (in
lateral contraction of the river section by building a
cofferdam)



Chapter 01 (CoTM - 4142)

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Chapter 01 (CoTM - 4142)

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Design and Construction of Water Works

18-Nov-22 Design & Construction of Water Works (CoTM - 4142) 1

18-Nov-22 Design & Construction of Water Works (CoTM - 4142) 2

18-Nov-22 Design & Construction of Water Works (CoTM - 4142) 3

Global water distribution

18-Nov-22 Design & Construction of Water Works (CoTM - 4142) 4

18-Nov-22 Design & Construction of Water Works (CoTM - 4142) 5

18-Nov-22 Design & Construction of Water Works (CoTM - 4142) 6

Purpose of a dam (impounded water)

18-Nov-22 Design & Construction of Water Works (CoTM - 4142) 10

Dam can be classified based on:

» materials used for construction

» structural behaviour (shape)

18-Nov-22 Design & Construction of Water Works (CoTM - 4142) 12

• Storage – it is constructed to create a reservoir to store

18-Nov-22 Design & Construction of Water Works (CoTM - 4142) 14

• Diversion – it is constructed to divert part of or

• Detention – it is primarily constructed to temporarily

18-Nov-22 Design & Construction of Water Works (CoTM - 4142) 16

• Coffer dams: it is an enclosure constructed around

18-Nov-22 Design & Construction of Water Works (CoTM - 4142) 17

18-Nov-22 Design & Construction of Water Works (CoTM - 4142) 18

In most cases, dams are so

In some cases, these two

• Rigid Dam – it is constructed with rigid material such as stone,

• Earthen dams are provided with a stone masonry or concrete overflow

18-Nov-22 Design & Construction of Water Works (CoTM - 4142) 21

18-Nov-22 Design & Construction of Water Works (CoTM - 4142) 22

18-Nov-22 Design & Construction of Water Works (CoTM - 4142) 23

• Arch shape gives strength

– It is constructed where the foundation or the underlying

18-Nov-22 Design & Construction of Water Works (CoTM - 4142) 26

• International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD) assumes a dam as

18-Nov-22 Design & Construction of Water Works (CoTM - 4142) 27

Classification of dam according to its purpose/use

–Water supply dam

18-Nov-22 Design & Construction of Water Works (CoTM - 4142) 29

18-Nov-22 Design & Construction of Water Works (CoTM - 4142) 30

18-Nov-22 Design & Construction of Water Works (CoTM - 4142) 32

18-Nov-22 Design & Construction of Water Works (CoTM - 4142) 33

18-Nov-22 Design & Construction of Water Works (CoTM - 4142) 35

18-Nov-22 Design & Construction of Water Works (CoTM - 4142) 37

Seismicity : it is very important to analyse the behaviour of the

18-Nov-22 Design & Construction of Water Works (CoTM - 4142) 38

–A narrow U-shaped valley, i.e. a narrow stream flowing

18-Nov-22 Design & Construction of Water Works (CoTM - 4142) 39

Based on Geology (foundation condition):

18-Nov-22 Design & Construction of Water Works (CoTM - 4142) 42

18-Nov-22 Design & Construction of Water Works (CoTM - 4142) 43

The foundation treatment in dam consists of three parts:

18-Nov-22 Design & Construction of Water Works (CoTM - 4142) 44

18-Nov-22 Design & Construction of Water Works (CoTM - 4142) 45

18-Nov-22 Design & Construction of Water Works (CoTM - 4142) 46

18-Nov-22 Design & Construction of Water Works (CoTM - 4142) 49

18-Nov-22 Design & Construction of Water Works (CoTM - 4142) 50

Types of River Diversion

18-Nov-22 Design & Construction of Water Works (CoTM - 4142) 51

You might also like