GEOLOGICAL SITE

INVESTIGATION FOR

• DAM
• RESERVOIR
• TUNNEL
GEOLOGY IN SITE INVESTIGATION OF DAM AND
RESERVOIR

DAMS
• Dams are the solid barrier constructed across the river valley for impounding
the water.
• Dams are built mainly for controlling floods, irrigation, electricity generation
and for urban water supply
• Dams may be constructed for a specific use or it may be ‘multipurpose’ which
serves more than one use
 TYPES OF DAM
GRAVITY DAM
All the external forces such as
pressure due to height of water,
wave pressure ,upliftment pressure
is resisted by the weight of the
dam.
ARCH DAM
The arch effect allows the water
pressure and other forces to be
transferred to the
abutments(structure built to
support lateral pressure)
BUTTRESS DAM
They are well-suited for sites
with challenging topography or
weaker foundation conditions.The
buttresses provide additional
stability. It is economical
incomparision to the gravity dam
 GEOLOGICAL REQUIREMENTS (DAM)
• Topography: Topography in large measures dictates a first choice of dams. Generally a dam site is
ideal where a valley is constricted with steep rock slopes.
• Mainly, foundation condition depends upon the geological character and thickness of strata.
• Impact of the rock type on foundation of dam
Foundations are better on igneous rock and hard metamorphic rocks like
granite(I),gneiss(M),quartzite(M) than on sedimentary rocks like shale, phyllite, slate and schist
Note : Percolation is the movement of water through the soil itself
 Sedimentary rocks contains the number of pores and enhance the percolation due to which
foundation of dam may collapse and destabilize the setting.(Limestone)
 The surface of river consists of the sediments and deposits which aren’t compacted;
The amount of deposit depends on the nature and stage of formation of river ; if the thickness of loose
deposit is minimum the country rocks/bed will be found to occur at shallow depth
• Variation on stability of foundation due to dip of bedding plane
1) Beds with downstream dip (unstable)
2) Beds with upstream dip(stable)
3) Horizontal Beds(stable)
4) Vertical beds
 • Variation on stability of foundation due to
Folded Beds :
1. Dam along upstream side of anticline (favorable)
2. Dam along downstream side of syncline (favorable)
3. The downstream side of anticline ( Unfavorable)
. The upstream side of syncline ( Unfavorable )

 Faulted Beds :
Faulted zones are very prone to the earthquake. The relative displacement of the faulted walls
causes the instability to the foundation and seepage occurs through the cracks due to which settlement of
foundation occurs.

Joints:
They are the clear cut opening and causes the leakage/seepage .
RESERVOIR

• Reservoir are the cause of dam; that is when the dam are constructed in the
river reservoir is formed on the upstream of the river
• From the geological POV , reservoir can be claimed to be successful if it
doesn’t suffer from any serious leakage of water.
INVESTIGATION FOR RESERVOIR SITE SELECTION
• If the rocks are porous and permeable (aquifers);they will cause the seepage and
such rocks aren’t desirable but aquifuge and aquiclude are desirable at reservoir
site
• If the water table is so near to the ground surface, there will be no serious leakage
where as water table is deep situated below the reservoir, leakage will occur.
• Igneous rocks being impermeable in nature acts as an aquifuge
• Fold
• Fault
• Aquifuge (impermeable neither containing nor transmitting water)
• Aquiclude(contains water but don’t allow to transmit water)
Rock Type Dams Reservior
GRANITE
(impermeable and hard ) ✓ ✓
Vesicular Basalt × ×
Non vesicular Basalt ✓ ✓

Shale(very fined grained

rock which has low × ✓
(slippery in nature)
porosity and
impermeable)
Sandstone (Aquifer)
× ×
Rock type Dams Reservoir
Limestone(internally
cavernous and causes
leakage ) × ×
Gneiss (granite --- gneiss) ✓ ✓
Schist (foliated rocks) × ×
(basalt----schist)
Quartzite(Non porous, ✓ ✓
impermeable and hard)
Marble(limestone--- × ×
marble)
Slate(due to present of × ×
slaty cleavage,it is
permeable
TUNNEL

• Tunnels are underground passages or routes through hills and mountains used
for different purpose
• Tunnelling is an uncertain, often hazardous undertaking because information
on ground conditions along alignment is never complete, no matter how good
the site investigation
TERMINOLOGY

• Portal: opening of tunnel

• Overbreak: rock excavated beyond the required Cross section
• Shaft: vertical or inclined pipe of steel/concrete to the main tunnel
• Pilot tunnel: Secondary tunnel of small diameter along the alignment of
main/primary tunnel used for investigation of rock type
• Lining: concrete or steel is used to retain the soil mass around the
circumference of tunnel
METHOD OF TUNNELING
CUT AND COVER METHOD
This method is used where soft
rocks are present , it is economical
as the tunnel is made at the
shallow depth
TUNNEL BORING MACHINE DRILLING AND BLASTING
This method is used for excavating This method is suitable for the
the long tunnels; it is generally tunneling where alternate hard
suitable for hard and competent and soft rocks are present.
rocks which can provide geological
stability for long section of boring
with out support.
IMPORTANCE OF ROCK TYPE
• The nature of the rock type which are encountered along the tunnel alignment plays a key
role in the safety and stability of the tunnel

• Tunnelling through the competent rocks(strong hard and massive) is safe but slower.
• Tunnelling through the incompetent rocks(loose soft fractured) is easy but unsafe so
require lining.
 SUITABILITY OF ROCKS AT TUNNEL
IGNEOUS ROCK
• Massive igneous rock are
very competent but difficult
to work
• No lining is required on the
circumference
• Due to hard ,strong ,tough
and rigidity ,the
circumference of the tunnel
don’t succumb to collapse
• Tunneling through extrusive
rocks are more easily
workable due to vesicular
structure than intrusive rock
SEDIMENTARY ROCK
• Less competent than igneous
rock
• Thick bedded sandstones are
more competent and better
for tunneling(no lining
required)
• Due to lamination in shales
and inherent weakness
tunneling is easy but requires
lining)
• Limestone being calcareous
they are weaker and softer
METAMORPHIC ROCK
• Gneisses have similar property
as granite(IR) so it can withstand
tunneling process without lining
• Phyllite and schist are highly
foliated rocks and are soft ,
drilling and excavation is easy
but requires lining
• Quartzite are hard and
competent rocks hence difficult
in drilling and no lining required
 FOLDS:
• Tunnels along crest
The rock masses near the crest may be in highly fractured condition due to
development of tension joints as a consequence if the tunnel is made along the crest,
frequent falling of rocks takes place from the roof
• Tunnels along trough
Tunnel through the trough encounter unfavorable condition as the rock masses
are harder and resistant . Further more due to the dipping of limbs towards the tunnel,
there will be the problem of seepage too.
• Tunnel alignment parallel to the axis of fold:
This condition is desirable if the competent rock is selected because
similar rocks with similar properties (strength ,porosity ,blastibility , permeability)
are encountered along the course of tunnel. Tunneling along the limbs is only
desirable
• Tunnel alignment perpendicular to the axis of fold:
This is undesirable because, under a such a condition, different
rock formations are encountered from place to place along the alignment of
tunnel. Also the tunnel passes from number of series of anticline and syncline.
• Effect of undisturbed strata
Inclined strata
a) Tunnel along strike line:
when the tunnel is driven parallel to the strike ,the tendency in the rocks to slide into
the tunnel increases which causes instability.
• Tunnel across the strike of the rocks:
when the tunnel is horizontal and runs parallel to the dip direction , the
numerous beds will appear along the course which causes the instability and
overbreak
• Horizontal strata
This is preferable because thicker
formation are more competent and
hence tunnels through them will be
safe and stable
When the single formation of rock is
encountered through the alignment of
tunnel, (it has uniform physical
condition) hence the tunneling is easy
By the virtue of horizontal character,
there is no chance of seepage/no
ground water problem
• If the tunnel lies above the ground water table, there is no seepage problem but when tunnel lies below
the position of water table i.e the zone of saturation and the ground water problem is expected
• Overbreak on different nature of rocks
Factors governing amount of overbreak
• Nature of rocks
 Orientation and spacing of joints
 Orientation of bedding plane and thickness

Massive and soft rocks of a homogeneous nature causes less overbreak than harder rocks with joints
Alternating hard and soft rocks causes more overbreak
In metamorphic rock ,foliated rocks causes more overbreak if tunnel lies parallel to them and less if they
are mutually across.
Overbreak increases the cost of tunneling as lining and filing should be done.
• Fault are strictly not recommended to be present on the alignment of tunnel
because due to the relative displacement of wall ,It may collapse.
• Joints are the cracks on the rocks and causes the seepage problem . In jointed
rocks tunneling is easy but in other way roof of tunnel can not withstand without
support and cause water seepage.
ENGINEERING GEOLOGICAL DOCUMENTATION DURING
TUNNELING AND EXCAVATION
• Feasibility study
• RMR (Rock Mass Rating) or Q system rock mass quality index
The geological strength index (GSI), rock mass rating (RMR), and tunneling quality index
(Q) systems are widely used rock mass classifications that have been used to determine tunnel
stand-up time, roof span, excavation method, and support system.
• Tunnel portal mapping
• Face mapping
• Support system design
• Daily report about progress, geological structure, support system and material
used
• Weekly report
• Monthly report
• Monitoring and evaluation
BOREHOLE RECORD
• A borehole is the hole that is bored beneath the ground during the course
of the geotechnical evaluation to investigate the lithology .
• A borehole log, sometimes called soil boring log, is a comprehensive
documentation of findings from soil boring activities and soil sample analysis
Information provided from borehole record
• soil classification, soil density, soil consistency, colour, grain size, particle shape,
sedimentary structure, blow counts, layer boundaries and thickness, plasticity
• Borehole logs are a crucial record of fracture positions and aquifer
information.
• Past Question
Describe the various geological problems and documentation that occurs in tunnel
construction
Geological investigation for dams and reservoir
What is overbreak?