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reservoir
October 2016
Abstract
The work that follows is the design of a reinforced concrete water intake tower located inside a
reservoir, following the rules of European standards and other works.
Taking as initial data the geometric definition of an existing water intake tower, designed in the 1950
decade, the reinforced concrete design of the structure was made in the perspective of modern codes,
to guarantee safety. The materials used and cover of reinforcement were discussed taking into
account durability issues.
The actions on the structure were analysed taking into special attention the seismic hydrodynamic
added masses.
The structure was modelled in a finite element analysis program in order to evaluate the stresses
resulting from the defined actions.
Having the design stresses, it is possible to accurately perform the safety checks and reinforcement
calculations for the relevant ultimate and serviceability limit states.
Finally, some aspects relevant for the correct detailing of rebar are mentioned and some conclusions
are taken about this type of structure and its behaviour.
Keywords: Intake tower, hydrodynamic added masses, structural design, reinforced concrete
1 Introduction
A water intake tower is a hydraulic structure with the purpose of collecting water for a variety of uses,
such as providing water to populations and agricultural fields, utilization in industrial facilities and
power generation.
Therefore, its concept should be based on hydraulic principles that guarantee the necessary flow of
water upstream. Nonetheless, its structural safety must be guaranteed, and is the main aspect of this
work.
The present work will consider the analysis and design of a reinforced
concrete tower structure, with an initial geometry that was previously
defined, and hypothetically situated inside a reservoir in West Algarve city,
near Lagos, a region of high seismic effects in the Portuguese context.
2 Geometrical definition
The structure, represented in figure 1, has 61,8 meters of height above
foundation, which is admitted to be supported in a concrete foundation with
sufficient weight to ensure stability. The ground foundation is considered as
good quality foundation, a competent rock.
As it’s possible to see, the structure is composed of 10 columns, 4 of those
only supporting the beam of the rolling bridge, whereas the other six go from
the base to the top. These 6 columns change their cross-section along their
height, having a considerable dimension near the base, which allows them
to resist significant loads.
The main tower composed of columns P1-A, P1-D and P2 has four plans of
diagonal bracings, very effective for resistance against horizontal actions.
These bracings need to be stopped at 13,5m above footing level so there is
Figure 1 - Three
space for the grates that move along a guideline in the columns to stay. This dimensional geometric
structural discontinuity is analysed in detail. model of the structure
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Although the grates are most of the time on the mentioned place, the most compromising place that
they can be for the safety of the structure is at its top, so when designing the structure, this position
was the one considered, especially for seismic action
Columns P1-A, P1-D and P2 are also supported on base walls, with a high resistant capability and
stiffness. These walls provide a significant resistance to the tower for lateral loading, and inside them
is the beginning of the hydraulic circuit of the intake tower.
Columns P2, P1-B and P1-C are also connected by beams, with a similar purpose to the diagonal
bracing, but those aren’t as effective. Joining both columns P1-B and P1-C is another plan of diagonal
bracings, similar to the other four. On the beams from the backside of the tower are ladders that give
access to the lower levels of the structure.
This structure has two slabs, one of which has no particular purpose and the other is a support
platform for works on the tower. It is usually acted by live loading, basically from normal operation of
the structure.
Class 𝑓𝑐𝑘 [MPa] 𝑓𝑐𝑑 [MPa] 𝑓𝑐𝑡𝑘 0.05[MPa] 𝑓𝑐𝑡𝑚 [MPa] 𝑓𝑐𝑡𝑘 0.95 [MPa] 𝐸𝑐,28 [GPa]
C30/37 30 20 2 2.9 3.8 33
The covers used follow as well the premises of NP EN 1992 1-1 [1]. They are dependent from the
structural class and exposition class
4 Actions
The project actions that were taken into account were the imposed load, the dead load, the permanent
load, the wind action, the seismic action on full and empty reservoir and the temperature action.
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4.1 Imposed load
The platform slab has a function of supporting any works that may happen on the tower. Because of
this, this slab is often loaded by heavy materials such as machinery, or other deposited materials.
The document Critérios de Projecto Civil de Usinas Hidroelétricas from Eletrobras [2] gives insight
about intake towers and the actions that should be considered on their design. This document
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suggests the use of a distributed imposed load of 15kN/m on the platform slab, and this was the only
imposed load considered.
Action Value
Ladders 2kN
Grates 100kN
Floodgate 200kN
Crane 200kN
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Materials 1kN/m
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response spectrums depend on the zone of the structure and the type of foundation grounds. This
tower is located on zones 1.1 and 2.1 and the foundation ground is type A.
Having this defined, the norm’s Nacional Annex [6] indicates the values needed to define the elastic
response spectrum of the horizontal and vertical acceleration.
They are also affected by an importance factor that tries to evaluate the risk for the populations
associated with a possible collapse of the structure collapse. This structure was evaluated as class of
importance 2, and therefore the importance factor is equal to 1,0 for seismic actions type 1 and type 2.
However, these elastic response spectrums are too conservative to be used on the actual design,
because when the seismic shake happens the structure loses stiffness and as such, it’s easier for the
seismic displacements to happen and fewer forces are generated.
Because of this, if the structure has enough ductility its response spectrum can be divided by the
behaviour factor q, to obtain the design response spectrum, as described by equation (1).
𝑆𝑒
𝑆𝑑 = (1)
𝑞
4.4.5 Temperature
The effects of temperature on the vast majority of structures aren’t usually concerning for their safety,
because of the loss of stiffness on the ultimate limit states. These effects may pose problems for the
serviceability limit states as the loss of stiffness isn’t as significant.
However, the thermal action is slow and as a cause of that NP EN 1991 1-5 [7] allows the designer to
consider the modulus of elasticity of concrete as half of the real one to ease the stresses due to
temperature, as the variation isn’t instantaneous.
As this structure is most of the time submerged, the change of temperature considered for the load
combinations was that of inside the water.
However the temperature of the water below
water level doesn’t change as described by NP
EN 1991 1-5 [7], because the variations
mentioned in this norm are air temperature.
Therefore, studies made by University of Évora
for Alqueva reservoir [8] were consulted and
comparisons were drawn for this reservoir about
the temperature below water level. Figure 2
illustrates the temperature variation at various
levels below water level.
It’s possible to see that below a certain level the
temperature is constant and with a value of
15ºC. Well, in Lagos and according to NP EN
1991 1-5 [7] this would mean a 0ºC variation of Figure 2 - Temperature changes below water lever at Alqueva
reservoir [8]
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temperature and no stresses generated due to the thermal load, so, to simulate the higher variation on
the upper levels, on the part of the structure that’s always above water level was applied an uniform
variation of temperature of 10ºC and bellow an uniform variation of 5ºC. This approach is very
simplified and supposedly conservative.
Table 4 – Load combinations for the ultimate and serviceability limit states
The values for 𝜈 are 0,4 or 0,45 if it is seismic action type or type 2 accordingly. As for 𝛾𝑄,𝑖 , if the action is
unfavourable on the structure its value is 1,5 and if it’s favourable is 0.
5.1 Materials
The materials used were C30/37 concrete, with some modifications to its properties according to the
project situation. Whenever a temperature load was acting on the structure, the concrete modulus of
elasticity was reduced by 50%, by indication of NP EN 1991 1-5 [7].
5.2 Columns
The columns were defined as beam elements respecting the geometrical cross-section characteristics.
As their cross-section changes along height, so do their axis. However, the axes were continued from
bottom to top to simplify the model. The material used was C30/37 concrete.
5.3 Slabs
The slabs were defined as shell thin elements, so as to generate all slab and membrane stresses, and
ignoring the shear deformability of these elements. They were modelled by the axes of the beams,
and meshed into properly refined meshes, so the results given were as accurate as possible.
5.4 Beams
The definition of the beams was very similar as that of the pillar and therefore won’t be as detailed.
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5.6 Base walls
The base walls were modelled as shell thin elements similarly to the slabs, due to its laminar aspect.
This is the way their characteristics are best represented, however they could also have been
modelled considering beam elements.
Due to its cross-section being hard to represent, a simplification was made, considering for each wall
the thickness of the zone where it was the less thick.
5.8 Actions
The dead load of the structure is automatically considered on the model. The wind and imposed loads
and the permanent load on the slab were modelled as uniformly distributed loads. The other
permanent loads due to the crane, flood gates, grates and ladders were modelled as point loads on
the most compromising place. The thermal action was taken into account applying a temperature
change on the elements.
To model the seismic action, response spectrums for both horizontal and vertical shakes were
defined. The modal combination used was the complete quadratic combination, and the directional
combination was a linear add of the seismic motion in one of the three directions plus 30% of the
others, as suggested by NP EN 1998 1-1 [4]. The modes considered were the ones whose effective
modal masses added to 90% of the total mass, to avoid disproportioned work using all the modes. To
model the hydrodynamic added masses, masses were added to the discretized points of the structure.
The first three modes of vibration in an empty and full reservoir are represented on figure 3
Figure 3 - First three vibration modes of the structure from top to bottom. Left ones are empty reservoir, right ones
full
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The period of vibration from the modes increases when adding the water masses,
which was expected because for the same stiffness of the structure there’s an
increase in mass, meaning the period of vibration for each mode will be higher.
The overall aspect of the three dimensional model with the added masses is as
shown in figure 4.
6.1.1.1 Bending
The conditioning stresses for the bending design of the rolling bridge beam are the ones shown on
table 5. To take into account the dynamic effect of the crane moving on top of the bridge, its action
was aggravated by a dynamic factor, as described in Swiss norm SIA 261/1:2003 [11] and its value
was 1,20.
Table 5 – Bending moments and reinforcement for the rolling bridge beam
Section A B C D E
𝑀𝑠𝑑 [kNm] 312 -530,4 or 199,2 432 710,4 -713,16
2 14,73(3φ25)-
Reinforcement[cm ] 9,42(3φ20) 12,56(4φ20) 19,64(4φ25) 19,64(4φ25)
6,28(2φ20)+
𝑀𝑅𝑑 [kNm] -379 -732 or 247 479 732 -737
6.1.1.3 Shear
To ensure a proper design for shear and a ductile failure mode, the shear stresses on the beam were
obtained using capacity design, meaning the stresses were the result of the equilibrium of resistant
moment and not acting moments. The acting stresses resulting of this and the reinforcement needed
is displayed on table 6.
Table 6 – Shear stresses and reinforcement for the rolling bridge beam
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6.1.2.1 Bending
The stresses and reinforcement needed on both bending directions of the slab are shown on table 7
6.1.2.2 Shear
Usually slab aren’t reinforced for shear, because due mostly to the arc effect, slabs have great
resistance to this solicitation. This is shown on table 8, where we can compare the acting and resistant
shear stresses.
6.1.4 Columns
The columns need to be verified for bending acting together with axial forces as well as shear. Also,
because they are subjected to huge compressive axial forces, to ensure ductility they need to be
reinforced for confinement of the cross-section.
Table 10 – Axial force, bending moments and reinforcement for the column
6.1.4.2 Shear
Although this may be discussible and is a bit conservative, the acting shear stresses, similarly to the
beams were obtained by capacity design. The stresses obtained and the respective reinforcement are
as shown on table X
To guarantee adequate confinement, as indicated by NP EN 1998 1-1 [4] the mechanical volumetric
ratio of the required confinement reinforcement should be bigger than a certain value, described by
equation (2).
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𝑏𝑐
𝛼𝜔𝑤𝑑 ≥ 30𝜇𝜑 𝜈𝑑 𝜀𝑠𝑦,𝑑 − 0,035 (2)
𝑏𝑜
6.2.1.1 Slab
Slabs have a big capacity for redistributing stresses and because of this aren’t usually prone to
problem regarding cracking. However, since the loading on this slab is very heavy and is almost
always acting on the structure, the resultant stresses for the quasi-permanent combination are
relatively high. These stresses are shown on table 13 and the resulting crack width.
Figure 4 – Displacements on
the equipment guide sections
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Table 14 – Displacements on the equipment guide sections
9 References
[1] NP EN 1992-1-1:2010, Eurocódigo 2 – Projecto de estruturas de betão, Parte 1-1: Regras gerais e
regras para edifícios;
[2] Eletrobrás (2003), Critérios de Projeto Civil de Usinas Hidroelétricas
[3] NP EN 1991 1-4:2009, Eurocódigo 1 – Acções em estruturas, Parte 1-1: Acções gerais pesos
volúmicos, pesos próprios, sobrecargas em edifícios
[4] NP EN 1998 1-1:2010, Eurocódigo 8 – Projecto de estruturas para resistência aos sismos, Parte 1:
Regras gerais, acções sísmicas e regras para edifícios;
[5] U.S Army Corps of Engineers, Structural Design and Evaluation of Outlet Works, 2003
[6] Anexo Nacional da NP EN 1998 1-1:2010, Eurocódigo 8 – Projecto de estruturas para resistência
aos sismos, Parte 1: Regras gerais, acções sísmicas e regras para edifícios;
[7] NP EN 1991 1-5:2009, Eurocódigo 1 – Acções em estruturas, Parte 1-5: Acções gerais Acções
térmicas
[8] University of Évora, Evolução da temperatura da água a várias profundidades (Alqueva-Montante),
http://www.alex2014.cge.uevora.pt/?p=258, consulted in May 2016
[9] NP EN 1990:2009, Eurocódigo – Bases para o projecto de estruturas
[10] Manual of Software SAP2000 Ultimate V.18.0.1 2016 Csi Berkeley
[11] SIA 261/1:2003, Actions sur les structures porteuses – Spécifications complementaires
[12] ALASHKI, Ilia, Gala Reinforcement Version 4.1e, 2002
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