Determination of the Oldman River Dam foundation sh&r it;ength

P
M. M. DAVACHI,B. J. SINCLAIR,H. H. HARTMAIER,AND B. L. BAGGOTT
Acres International Limited, Suite 500, 10201 Southport Road S W, Calgary, Alta., Canada T2 W 4x9
AND
J. E. PETERS
UMA Engineering Ltd., 2540 Kensington Road NW, Calgary, Alta., Canada T2N 3S3
Received March 26, 1991
Accepted May 10, 1991
The paper describes the results of site investigation and laboratory testing and the analysis performed for the
Can. Geotech. J. Downloaded from www.nrcresearchpress.com by University of Waterloo on 01/07/15

determination of foundation shear strength at the Oldman River Dam site in southwestern Alberta, Canada. Horizontally
bedded claystones, siltstones, and sandstones at the site contain relatively weak bedding-plane shears that adversely
affect foundation stability. Data on the bedding-plane shear characteristics were collected by mapping, borehole coring,
shaft exploration, and large-diameter sampling. Shear planes of structure-wide continuity were identified. Numerous
laboratory direct shear tests were done to measure in situ and residual shear strengths. The design angle of shearing
resistance of selected continuous bedding-plane shears was evaluated by summing the representative residual angle of
shearing resistance and components of the angle of shearing resistance due to in situ state, roughness, and thickness
of the bedding-plane shears. Relatively flat dam slopes were found to be required for stability. The methods used at
the Oldman River Dam should be applicable at other sites located in flat-lying mudrock sequences.
Key words: Oldman River Dam, foundation shear strength, sedimentary rocks, bedding-plane shear, residual angle
of shearing resistance, in situ state, roughness, thickness.

L'article prCsente les rksultats des investigations sur le site et des essais de laboratoire, de m&me;huel'analyse rCalisCe
pour dCterminer la resistance au cisaillement des fondations sur le site du barrage Oldman River dans le sud-ouest
de l'Alberta, Canada. Des lits horizontaux de schistes argileux, de siltstones et de grks sur le site contiennent des plans
de cisaillement lit& relativement faibles qui affectent dkfavorablement la stabilitC de la fondation. Des donnCes sur
For personal use only.

les caractkristiques des plans lit& de cisaillement ont CtC colligCes par cartographie, par les carottes de forage, par les
puits d'exploration, et par l'ichantillonnage a grand diamktre. Des plans de cisaillement continus sur la largeur de
la structure ont CtC identifiCs. De nombreux essais de cisaillement direct ont CtC faits en laboratoire pour mesurer les
rCsistances au cisaillement in situ et rksiduelles. Pour le calcul, I'angle de risistance au cisaillement le long de plans
litb continus de cisaillement sClectionnCs a CtC CvaluC en additionnant l'angle residue1 representatif de la rCsistance
au cisaillement avec les composantes de l'angle de rCsistance au cisaillement dues 1'Ctat in situ, a la rugositk, et a
l'tpaisseur des plans litCs de cisaillement. L'on a trouvC que des pentes relativement douces Ctaient requises pour assurer
la stabiliti du barrage. Les mCthodes utilisCes au barrage de Oldman River devraient Ctre applicables sur d'autres sites
localisCs sur des alternances de mudrock reposant a de faibles inclinaisons.
Mots elks : Barrage de Oldman River, rCsistance au cisaillement de fondation, roches ~Cdirnentaires,plan lit6 de cisaille-
ment, angle de risistance au cisaillement rbiduel, Ctat in situ, rugositC, Cpaisseur.
[Traduit par la ridaction]
Can. Geotech. .I.28, 698-707 (1991)

Introduction
Project description
The Oldman River Dam is a flow-regulation project that
provides onstream storage of a dependable supply of water
for multipurpose use and irrigation service area expansion
in southern Alberta. Figures 1 and 2 show the location and
project layout.
The 76 m high d a m (Fig. 3) is a zoned earth and rockfill
embankment with a central core of glacial till and shells
comprising rock fill obtained from the spillway excavation
and sand and gravel from the river alluvium. Internal filters
and drains of processed sand and gravel control seepage
through the dam and its foundation. It contains some
8.25 x lo6 m 3 of fill materials.
The 25 m high spillway structure comprises a 110 m wide
headworks transitioning t o a 40 m wide chute and flip-
bucket energy dissipator. The Oldman River D a m was
diverted through two, 900 m long concrete-lined tunnels,
6.5 m in diameter, in the left riverbank. The other major
project features consist of a 1.5 k m long dyke with a maxi-
Printed in Canada / Imprime au Canada
m u m height of 10 m, a 1.3 k m long grout curtain u p t o
100 m deep, and 1.5 km of 3 m diameter pressure-relief tun-
nels in the river banks.
Purpose of paper
The foundation bedrock a t the d a m site comprises near-
horizontal mudrocks and sandstones. Thin bedding-plane
shears of relatively low shear strength characterize many of
the mudrock strata. For the stability analyses of the main
project structures, it was necessary t o identify the continuous
bedding-plane shears, assess their characteristics, especially
those relating t o shear strength, perform extensive shear-
strength testing, and finally determine appropriate shear-
strength parameters for each of the critical bedding-plane
shears.
This paper describes the geological and geotechnical
investigations, testing, and methodology used t o identify the
bedding-plane shears in the bedrock foundation and assess
their shear strength for the design of the project structures.
 DAVACHI l3T AL.

Foundation investigations
Geological and geotechnical investigations that were used
to assess the shear strength of the bedrock foundation
included the following: (i) detailed geological mapping of
numerous surface and underground excavations in rock,
including the diversion tunnels; (ii) core drilling, logging,
and sampling using Christensen core barrels with Stratopac
bits, resulting in 76 mm diameter cores of excellent quality
and core recovery; (iii) six exploratory shafts, 1 m in
diameter, and a 100 m long test tunnel, logged in great
detail; (iv) horizontal cylindrical core samples (200 mm
diameter by 300 mm long) extracted from the walls of the
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exploratory shafts, diversion tunnels, and portal excavations OldmanI River

(Baggott et al. 1985); and ( v ) direct shear, index, and mate- Dam Site
rial property testing of the large-diameter core samples, as
well as borehole cores.

Geological setting and conditions

Formations and rock types
The Oldman River Dam Project is situated on the western
limb of the north-northwest-trending Alberta Syncline,
which is a gently folded asymmetric syncline east of the
Rocky Mountain Foothills. The eastern limb dips very gently
westward. The dip of the western limb varies from near
horizontal near the axis to moderately steeply eastward at
the western limit. FIG. 1. Project location.
The dam site is located about 5 km west of the Alberta
For personal use only.

Syncline axis. The abutments and valley floor are composed

of the Porcupine Hills Formation of Paleocene age. The
Willow Creek Formation of Late Cretaceous age disconfor-
mably underlies the Porcupine Hills Formation at a depth
of approximately 45 m below the valley floor. The dip of
the rock units at the dam site is about 0.5" northeast.
Rock types in the project area consist of claystones,
siltstones, shallow overbank sandstones, and deep-channel
sandstones. All strata are nonmarine clastic deposits and
tend to be variable in the horizontal and vertical directions.
The siltstones and claystones are gradational; collectively
they are classed as mudrocks.
Major rock units identified for design purpose include,
from top to bottom, the Upper Mudrock Sequence, the
Basal Sandstone Sequence, and the Lower Mudrock
Sequence, as shown in the following table:
Approx.
Major contact
rock elevation
Formation unit (m)*
Upper Murdock Sequence
Porcupine Hills ....................... 1048
Basal Sandstone Sequence
........................................ 1005
Willow Creek Lower Mudrock Sequence
* In valley bottom at dam centre line.
The Upper and Lower mudrock sequences comprise pre-
dominantly mudrocks with minor sandstone beds. Channel
sandstones, which were probably deposited in a fluviodeltaic
environment, are characteristic in the Upper Mudrock
Sequence. The Basal Sandstone Sequence is mostly com-
posed of uniform sandstones in its upper and lower members;
the intermediate member comprises alternating sandstone
and mudrock. Bed thickness is approximately 0.2-2 m in
the mudrock sequences and up to 5 m in the Basal Sandstone
Sequence.
Thin beds of black or dark grey, carbonaceous claystone
and siltstone occur throughout the mudrocks. These strata
are continuous across the dam site and serve as stratigraphic
marker beds.
Geological conditions relating to foundation shear
strength are discussed below.
Bedding-plane shears
General
Detailed field investigations indicated the presence of
planes of relative weakness, i.e., bedding-plane shears, in
the mudrocks. These features, which are generally parallel
to the bedding, were found at various locations and strati-
graphic levels. Although they have undergone relative
displacement, the magnitude of the movement is usually
undetectable because of the apparent absence of strati-
graphic offset.
Special emphasis was given to identification and descrip-
tion of these features, since their presence strongly influences
foundation shear strength.
(1) They usually occur along contacts between relatively
strong and weak rocks, such as sandstone and claystone,
or in claystones situated between stronger siltstones or
sandstones.
(2) They generally parallel bedding and, hence, are usually
near horizontal in flat-lying mudrocks.
(3) They may occur as single shear planes, groups of
closely spaced subparallel shear planes, or as brecciated
zones, i.e., numerous intersecting fracture planes.
(4) Single shear planes are usually less than 2 mm thick
and occasionally up to 10 mm thick. Groups of shear planes
or brecciated zones can have a total thickness of up to
 CAN. GEOTECH. J. VOL. 28, 1991
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100 50

FIG. 2. Project layout.

FIG.3. Oldman River Dam section. Elevations in metres.

75 mm. Thickness is highly variable. Upper and lower wall-
rock contacts of the shears may not be parallel, depending
on thickness.
(5) Thin shear planes, i.e., less than 2 mm, often contain
fillings of silt and clay gouge, whereas thicker ones may con-
tain small angular rock fragments and gouge.
(6) They are commonly associated with thin, dark, car-
bonaceous claystones marker beds.
(7) They are commonly continuous for distances of hun-
dreds of metres, and some up to 1000 m.
(8) Depending on mudrock unit thickness, curved shear
planes or splays dipping at angles of up to 50' occasionally
develop off the main bedding-plane shear and terminate in
a short distance within the adjacent beds or continue across
the bed to merge asymptotically with the bedding-plane
contacts.
(9) Sometimes the splayed shear planes form a braided
network of shears within a claystone bed.
(10) Their geometry can be measured using the roughness
concept. Roughness generally varies inversely with base
length of asperity measured.
(1 1) Their frequency is greatest in the upper 10-15 m of
bedrock. This may be attributed to weathering.
Bedding-plane shears are common features in interbedded
 DAVACHI ET AL.
claystone and siltstone sedimentary rock sequences in the
plains region of western Canada and elsewhere. Morgenstern
(1988) describes these features, their origin, and their impact
on foundation shear strength. According to Morgenstern,
dam foundations possessing featuers similar to bedding-
plane shears observed at the Oldman River Dam Project
include (i) Gardiner Dam, Saskatchewan (constructed);
(ii) Nipawin Dam, Saskatchewan (constructed); (iii) W.A.C.
Bennett Dam, British Columbia (constructed); (iv) Peace
Canyon Dam, British Columbia (constructed); (v) Site C
Dam Project, British Columbia (preliminary design stage);
and (vi) Dunvegan Dam, Alberta (feasibility design stage).
Davison (personal communication) and UMA-SNC (1979)
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have also observed bedding-plane shears at Forty Mile
Coulee Dams, Alberta (constructed), and Dickson Dam,
Alberta (constructed).
Matheson and Thomson (1973) describe bedding-plane
shears found in two bridge pier foundations in Edmonton,
Alberta. Ferguson and Hamel (1981) describe similar and
other deformation features in dam and rock foundations
in flat-lying sedimentary rock in eastern United States.
Morgenstern (1988) and others attribute bedding-plane
shears to the following general mechanisms: (i) tectonic
activity, (ii) glaciotectonic activity, and (iii) valley rebound.
Each of these mechanisms was responsible for the develop-
ment of bedding-plane shears at various times in the geo-
logical history of the Oldman River Dam foundation.
Proximity of the Rocky Mountains to the dam site and
For personal use only.
the fact that the Alberta Syncline is gently folded suggest
that the effects of tectonic forces exerted during the
Laramide orogeny probably extended as far east as the
Oldman River Dam Project area. These forces were com-
pressive, horizontal and northeast-southwest oriented. At
the dam site the degree of folding was slight but may have
been enough to cause some shear movement between
relatively strong and weak strata. The fact that bedding-
plane shears occur in nontectonic areas, such as eastern
Alberta and Saskatchewan, indicates that tectonic activity,
however, is not required for their formation.
As in many parts of Canada, the project area was
glaciated several times and, hence, was subjected to the
effects of repeated ice movement. The shearing forces
imparted to the upper bedrock may have exceeded the
strength of weaker mudrocks and caused shear movement
between beds. The depth of rock affected by shear
action can be considerable.
stress due to river
ting is likely to have caused additional shearing, particularly
along bedding-~laneshears that may already ha'' been
weakened by previous tectonic or glaciotectonic activity. AS
downcutting occurs, the existing horizontal stresses in the
valley walls are relieved and adjacent beds move differently
toward the valley centre. Below the valley floor, the reduc-
tion in vertical stress results in uplifting and arching of beds.
As a consequence, shearing ~ c c u r salong bed surfaces, as
well as occasion all^ obliquely across beds. Valley rebound
phenomena can extend to the
valley bottom and into the valley slopes.
No evidence of landsliding along the bedding-plane shears
was found in the dam site area.
Continuity of bedding-plane shears
Stability analyses required that continuous bedding-plane
shears beneath a particular structure be identified; these
701
i
shears were considered to be those whose minimum continuity
was equal to the upstream-downstream length of the respec-
tive structure. Correlation of riverbank surface mapping and
borehole core data and consideration of the slight bedding
dip enabled the identification of all bedding-plane shears.
Assessment of continuity of the bedding-plane shears was
then based on relative observed occurrence, as observed in
excavations, trenches, shafts, and borehole core. If relative
observed occurrence of a given bedding-plane shear exceeded
40% over all potential exposures, then the bedding-plane
shear was inferred to be continuous. The 22 continuous
bedding-plane shears that were identified are distributed as
follows:
No. of
Area continuous shears
Riverbanks 11
Valley bottom 11
Zones of slickensides
In some claystones an unusual number of wavy, multi-
directional, slickensided planes were identified. These planes
are often discontinuous across the borehole core, as
indicated by the fact that cores usually remained intact upon
removal from the core barrel. Zones of slickensided planes
tend to be characteristic of particular beds and can be cor-
related from one borehole to another.
Several mechanisms are possible for the formation of the
zones of slickensiding, including valley rebound and tectonic
and (or) glaciotectonic activity. Alternatively, the slicken-
sided planes may have resulted from shearing of the
sediments during sedimentation or subsequently, while in
the plastic state (compaction shear).
Because of their multidirectional, inclined orientation and
discontinuous nature, the slickensided planes were not con-
sidered as critical to the stability of structures as the bedding-
plane shears. They did, however, degrade the shear strength
of the claystones.
Shear strength along bedding-plane shears
General principles
During the early design stages, it was recognized that the
shear strength along bedding-plane shears would control
foundation stability and, hence, stability of overlying struc-
tures. The bedding-plane shears were often filled with
relatively weak, sheared Although relative displace-
ment had occurred along the shears, the amount of move-
ment was unknown. ~t was also recognized that for a given
bedding-plane shear, the amount of relative shearing move-
ment that had occurred is not necessarily constant over its
entire surface and depends on its depth and the degree to
which it may have been affected by the shearing mechanisms
described earlier. Therefore the in situ shear strength at any
point along a given '.hear plane is between its residual and
peak shear strength value, and probably close to the former.
For stability analyses, it was necessary to determine an
angle of shearing resistance value for each of the bedding-
plane shears which was considered continuous and critical
to the design of project structures. These particular bedding-
plane shears were designated "design bedding-plane shears,"
and their angles of shearing resistance called "design angles
of shearing resistance."
 CAN. GEOTECH. J. VOL. 28, 1991
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0 1 0 m ~ ) 4 a 5 0 w
RESWN NWX Cf DIE*RINC RESSTWCE (EG)
(C)
FIG. 4. Shear strength plots. (a) Residual shear strength, bedding-plane shear V12. ( 6 )In situ shear strength, bedding-plane shear
V12. (c) In situ vs. residual angle of shearing resistance, bedding-plane shear V12.
The following factors were considered to determine the
design angle of shearing resistance that should be assigned
to each design bedding-plane shear: ( i ) laboratory test
results, including residual in situ angles of shearing resis-
tance and (ii) field-determined, site-wide characteristics of
the bedding-plane shear, including roughness and thickness.
Accordingly, the design angle of shearing resistance was
determined by summing the following components:
( i ) residual angle of shearing resistance; (ii) in situ state
component of angle of shearing resistance; (iii) angle of
shearing resistance attributable to shear-plane roughness;
and ( i v ) angle of shearing resistance attributable to shear-
plane thickness.
Component i was the primary factor determining the
design angle of shearing resistance. Direct shear testing of
,
LEGEND:
:.
intact Claystone Sample Sheared
Along Bedding
50 mm x 50 mm Direct Shear Test
0 Bedd~ngPlane Shear Sample Obtained From Dr~llhole
50 mm x 50 mm Direct Shear Test
+ Bedding Plane Shear Sample Obtained From
Shaft or Trench
100 mm x 100 m m Direct Shear Test
a number of samples from different locations on a single
shear plane indicated a range of residual values. From this
range of values, a representative residual angle of shearing
resistance was conservatively selected.
Component ii accounts for the fact that the in situ angle
of shearing resistance indicated by direct shear testing often
exceeded the residual value. Accordingly, a small additional
component of the angle of shearing resistance in excess of
the residual value was available.
Component iii recognizes the fact that shear-plane
roughness contributes to the angle of shearing resistance.
Field studies indicated that bedding-plane shears, when
examined over wide areas, were usually not perfectly planar.
Therefore, a small component of the angle of shearing resis-
tance due to roughness could be utilized.
 DAVACHI ET AL. 703
,
' ' '
TABLE1. Representative residual angle of shearing resistance

$A 44 +A Measured less Total no.

Bedding-plane Elevation representative range mean Difference than selected of 4:
shear No. (m) (") ("1 ("1 (")" (070)~ tests
Riverbanks
Rl8 1115 11.5 9.9-22.5 14.1 1.6 33 18
R17 1107.7 16.0 15.6-17.4 16.2 0.4 50 4
R16 1105 12.5 10.8-24.9 14.9 1.7 33 18
R14 1100 15 14.3-18.4 15.6 0.7 43 7
R13 1095.5 15 13.5-18.3 16.3 1.5 25 4
R9 1088.5 11 8.3-21.3 12.4 2.7 35 19
R8 1087.5 12 10.3-23.4 16.8 1.7 12 28
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R7 1086.5 12 11.9-12.8 12.2 0.1 50 4

R6 1084.5 12.5 12.3-15.8 13.9 0.2 33 3
R1 1068.2 10.5 8.7-14.7 11.6 1.8 14 22
Valley bottom
V18 1049.4 15.0 12.0-23.7 16.6 3 .O 30 7
V17 1047.7 21.0 20.5-29.7 26.1 0.5 17 6
V16 1046.8 15.5 14.5-26.0 18.3 1.O 32 15
V15 1043.9 22.5 22.4-29.8 25.7 0.1 20 5
V12 1030.7 12 10.9-29.4 20.0 1.1 13 23
V11 1027.6 14.5 14.4-19.3 16.4 0.1 23 4
V10 1025.6 13.5 13.0-25.2 17.5 0.5 21 14
ODifference between selected representative residual angle and minimum measured residual angle.
b~ercentageof measured residual angles less than selected representative residual angle.

Component iv recognizes that all other conditions being quently developed during testing and resulted in ramping.
For personal use only.

equal, thin shear planes with rock-to-rock contact have
higher angles of shearing resistance than thick shear planes
with fillings. Therefore a small component of the angle of
shearing resistance could be added in the case of thin shear
planes.
Zero effective cohesion was used for all the bedding-plane
shears.
Residual angle of shearing resistance
Testing methodology
Apart from routine classification and property tests, the
primary thrust of laboratory testing was to determine the
shear-strength parameters of the bedding-plane shears in the
100 mm and 50 mm direct shear box apparatus. A total of
243 direct shear box tests were done on specimens of
bedding-plane shears and intact rock cut from cores taken
from boreholes, tunnels, exploratory shafts, and rock
exposures (Thurber 1986). All specimens were tested to their
residual value.
The direct shear box tests generally followed the pro-
cedures specified in ASTM D3080 (ASTM 1986). The rate
of shearing during peak-strength testing was 0.0048 mm/
min, which is slower than the 0.02 mm/min calculated by
ASTM D3080. After completing the peak cycle, at least five
fast residual cycles were run at a rate of 0.18 mm/min. Then
the test was stopped for tlooor 12 h, whichever was longer.
To complete the test, two slow residual cycles were run at
rates in the order of 0.016 mm/min. If the 0.016 mm/min
rate was faster than the calculated ASTM rate, then a com-
parison was made between the cycles at the 0.016 mm/min
rate and the last two cycles at 0.18 mm/min for evidence
of shear strength increase due to incomplete pore-pressure
I dissipation. If such evidence was found, then two further
cycles were done at the ASTM rate.
I
I Because of the nature of claystone and bedding-plane
shear material tested, irregular, nonplanar shear surfaces fre-
The effects of ramping on the test data were treated as an
asperity correction, as described by Patton (1966) and Hoek
and Bray (1977).
Selection of representative values
Residual angles of shearing resistance measured in the lab-
oratory for a given bedding-plane shear may be expected
to show a distribution of values. The scatter of results is
a reflection of the variation of characteristics along a
bedding-plane shear, including the clay content and the index
properties of the fillings.
In the assessment of shear strength along the bedding-
plane shears, the peak shear strength measured in the labo-
ratory is referred to as the in situ shear strength for that par-
ticular sample. This in situ shear strength recognizes that
the maximum shear strength measured in a bedding-plane
shear is likely to be considerably less than the peak value
that existed prior to shearing during the geological past.
For each continuous bedding-plane shear, the following
relationships were plotted using the laboratory data:
(i) residual shear stress versus effective normal stress,
(ii) in situ shear stress versus effective normal stress, and
(iii) residual angle of shearing resistance versus in situ angle
of shearing resistance. Typical plots are shown in Fig. 4.
Preliminary results of direct shear tests on samples from
the 22 continuous bedding-plane shears indicated that five
of the shears would have no significant effect on the design
of the dam, spillway, and other structures. The remaining
17 shears were subjected to more intensive sampling and
testing.
Based on a thorough and critical assessment of direct
shear test data, a representative residual angle of shearing
resistance for each of the 17 bedding-plane shears was
selected from the range of measured residual values. This
value is taken to represent the residual angle of shearing
resistance for a given bedding-plane shear. It was considered
 CAN. GEOTECH. .I.VOL. 28, 1991
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0 10 20 30 40' 50 60 70
U Q H O UWT

LEGEND:
For personal use only.

Intact Claystone Sample Sheared

Along Bedding
50 mm x 50 mm Direct Shear Test

0 Bedding Plane Shear Sample Obtained From Drillhole

50 mm x 50 mm Direct Shear Test

+ Bedding Plane Shear Sampk Obtained From

Shaft or Trench
100 mm x 100 mm Direct Shear Test

rusnaw WMX

(c)
FIG. 5. Index properties versus 4;. (a) Clay content versus residual angle of shearing resistance. (b) Liquid limit versus residual angle
of shearing resistance. (c) Plasticity index versus residual angle of shearing resistance.
unduly conservative to design on the basis of the minimum angle and the minimum measured residual angle, the per-
residual value measured. On the other hand, because of cent of measured residual angle values that are less than the
uncertainty, the value selected was not excessively above the respresentative residual angle, and the total number of
minimum measured residual angle of shearing resistance. residual angles measured.
Table 1 gives the representative residual angles of shear- The selected representative residual angles were such that
ing resistance for the 17 selected bedding-plane shears. Also the number of measured values of residual angle less than
included are the range and mean values for the residual the representative residual angle were usually between 15 and
angles, the difference between the representative residual 35%.

General findings
Correlations between residual angle of shearing resistance,
blenderised (Heley et al. 1971) clay content, liquid limit, and
plasticity index are shown in Fig. 5. It can be seen that only
a lower bound curve can be drawn. Generally, with increas-
ing clay content, liquid limit, and plasticity index, the
residual angle of shearing resistance decreases, which agrees
with Skempton (1964, 1985).
It was also found that the silty clay and clay materials
in bedding-plane shears have the same residual angle of
shearing resistance as adjacent claystones of similar mineral
composition. As a consequence of the natural shear defor-
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mation that has occurred, the bedding-plane shears exhibit
considerably lower peak angle of shearing resistance and
higher natural moisture contents than in the adjacent
unsheared claystone. This observation was used to advan-
tage where bedding-plane shears in drill core were too
disturbed to be tested in the shear box. A test on the intact
rock above or below the bedding-plane shear provided an
indicator of the residual shear strength of the bedding-plane
shear material.
Additional components
In situ state component
The peak shear strength measured in the direct shear test
is an indicator of actual in situ strength, provided that no
displacement of rock on either side of the bedding-plane
For personal use only.
shear in the test specimen has occurred.
For some bedding-plane shears, the in situ angle of shear-
ing resistance is at its residual value. If one or more in situ
angles of shearing resistance measured were at the residual
value, an in situ state component of zero was used.
For bedding-plane shears where all in situ angles of shear-
ing resistance measured were higher than the residual values,
an in situ state component equal to 0.5" was added to the
representative residual angle of shearing resistance. This
recognizes that, in a rock mass which has been subjected
to shear deformation, not all bedding-plane shears have been
sheared to the same degree, nor to the residual value.
Geological components
1. Roughness
Roughness measurements of bedding-plane shears were
used to assess the roughness component of the design angle
of shearing resistance. Roughness was assessed by mapping
several shears in a number of continuous rock exposures
along a construction access road, in the test tunnel and diver-
sion tunnels, and at both diversion tunnel portals.
These measurements indicated that roughness of bedding-
plane shears, as measured over base lengths varying between
10 and 160 m, ranged between 0 and 1.6" and averaged
approximately 0.5". These measurements were considered
representative of the geometry of all bedding-plane shears
at the dam site over moderate to large distances.
Some very detailed measurements were also taken of wall-
rock roughness, i.e. roughness of the surfaces separating the
filling and neighboring intact wall rock. These measurements
were made along bedding-plane shears greater than 10 mm
thick and along very short base lengths, i.e., less than
500 mm. In the great majority of cases, the wall-rock
roughness was found to range between 1 and 16". It was
noted, however, that the actual plane of shearing rarely fol-
lowed the wall rock and that usually it was more planar and
centrally located in the filling.
ET AL. 705
,\
In selecting the app;opriati angle bf roughness to be used
in determining design angle of shearing reshtance, considera-
tion was given to the scale of the potential failure surface
being analyzed. The roughness estimates based on long base
lengths, not short base lengths, were considered most appro-
priate for large rock mass movement. Hence, a roughness
component of the angle of shearing resistance was conser-
vatively estimated to be 0.5". This was considered applicable
to all design shear planes.
2. Thickness
The thickness of bedding-plane shears was considered a
factor in determining design angle of shearing resistance.
All other conditions being equal, shears characterized by
mated rock-to-rock contact with no fillings or thin fillings
were judged to be of higher angle of shearing resistance than
those shears with less rock-to-rock contact and relatively
thick fillings.
Thickness of bedding-plane shears varied considerably;
the majority (76%) ranged from 3 to 34 mm thick, 9%
ranged between 1 and 2 mm, and 15% were in excess of
60 mm thick. Thicker shears often comprised several shear
planes in close proximity.
For the purpose of evaluating the thickness component
of design angle of shearing resistance, the bedding-plane
shears were classified as thin if their thickness was of the
order of 1-2 mm. A 0.5" angle of shearing resistance com-
ponent was applied to these bedding-plane shears. Other
bedding-plane shears were classified as thick, and no thick-
ness component of the angle of shearing resistance was
applied in these cases. The approach of using a 2 mm thick-
ness criterion to determine a 0.5" thickness component of
the angle of shearing resistance was based on consideration
of the mechanics of shearing along the bedding-plane shears
over considerable distances. In view of the data on which
the assessment was based, the 0.5" value was considered rea-
sonable and conservative.
Design angle of shearing resistance
The design angle of shearing resistance is calculated as
the sum of the representative residual angle of shearing resis-
tance plus the in situ state component, plus roughness com-
ponent, plus thickness component.
From the 17 continuous bedding-plane shears investigated
in detail, only 14 were considered to be critical for the design
of the dam, spillway, and other structures. This was decided
on the basis of a comparative assessment of elevation and
angle of shearing resistance of neighbouring bedding-plane
shears. The design angle of shearing resistance values deter-
mined for the 14 design bedding-plane shears are given in
Table 2.
Shear strength across beds
The results of laboratory shear-box and triaxial tests on
intact, unsheared mudrocks and the sandstones were used
to select the other parameters for design. To ensure a con-
servative design, these values tend to be slightly on the low
side of the average of the range of measured shear-strength
parameters. They are presented here to give an indication
of the available shear strength in the rock not directly
affected by shearing.
For the massive sandstone units an effective angle of
shearing resistance of 60" with zero effective cohesion was
considered representative. The use of zero effective cohesion
 CAN. GEOTECH. J. VOL. 28, 1991
,
\
TABLE
2. Design angle of shearing resistance

Effective angle of shearing resistance, +I(")

Bedding-plane Elevation Representative Roughness Thickness In situ state Design

shear No. (m) residual component component component value

Riverbanks
R18 1115 11.5 0.5 0 0.5 12.5
R17 1107.7 16.0 0.5 0 0 16.5
R16 1105 12.5 0.5 0 0 13.0
R14 1100 15 0.5 0 0.5 16.0
R13 1095.5 15 0.5 0 0 15.5
R9 1088.5 11 0.5 0 0 11.5
Can. Geotech. J. Downloaded from www.nrcresearchpress.com by University of Waterloo on 01/07/15

R8 1087.5 12 0.5 0 0 12.5

R7 1086.5 12 0.5 0.5 0 13.0
R6 1084.5 12.5 0.5 0 0.5 13.5
R1 1068.2 10.5 0.5 0 0.5 11.5
Valley bottom
V18 1049.4 15.0 0.5 0.5 0 16.0
V16 1046.8 15.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 17.0
V12 1030.7 12.0 0.5 0 0 12.5
V10 1025.6 13.5 0.5 0 0.5 14.5

was consistent with the extensive vertical jointing that is
found in all sandstone units.
An effective angle of shearing resistance of 35" was used
for the cross-bedding shear strength of all mudrock units.
For personal use only.
ness, are very important in thg assessment of foundation
shear strength.
Proper shear-strength assessment requires (i) thorough
collection of surface and subsurface exploration data and

The effective cohesion in cross-bedding was varied to reflect
the degree of weathering and stress relief and to account for
the relative amount of siltstone and claystone in each unit.
For the weathered, brecciated, slickensided, and highly frac-
tured mudrock layers, the effective cohesion in cross-
bedding was taken to be zero. For unweathered intact mud-
rock, effective cohesion in cross-bedding shear equal to
200 kPa was used. For the slightly weathered mudrocks,
intermediate values were assigned.
Influence of bedding-plane shears on design
The low shear strength available along continuous
bedding-plane shears had a major effect on design and
layout of the project structures. The earth and rockfill dam
required relatively flat upstream and downstream slopes
(Fig. 3). All potential sliding surfaces passed through
bedding-plane shear V12. Bedding-plane shear V16, which
has a higher shear strength but is closer to the base of the
dam, does not control stability, as it has been eroded away
in parts of the dam foundation and is therefore discon-
tinuous. The wide base of the dam, in turn, determined the
length of the diversion tunnels and the spillway and its
approach channel. The presence of bedding-plane shears had
a less pronounced effect on stability of the concrete spillway
headworks which is governed by bedding-plane shear R9.
This is due to the requirement that it was designed to
discharge the probable maximum flood. This resulted in the
structure being located in a 35 m deep excavated channel
where any potential sliding surface through a bedding-plane
shear would mobilize high cross-bedding shear strength
where it passes up to the surface at each side of the structure.
Conclusions
Bedding-plane shears frequently occur at dam sites in the
western Canadian plains. Their characteristics, namely, posi-
tion, orientation, continuity, fillings, roughness, and thick-
interpretation of same, and (ii) extensive sampling, direct
shear testing, and data analysis.
The assumption of continuity of bedding-plane shears
does not require conclusive evidence of their presence in all
boreholes and surface exposures. Evidence may be missing
because of such factors as frequency of boreholes, core
recovery, thickness of bedding shears, logging error,
regularity of bedding dip, and maximum trace lengths
observed in exposures. Judgement is required to decide on
the relative percentage of evidence of continuity necessary,
which must take into account the structure dimensions. Only
bedding-plane shears identified as continuous over structure-
wide base lengths need to be considered in stability analyses.
A representative residual angle of shearing resistance must
be selected for each bedding-plane shear from a range of
measured residual values.
The design angle of shearing resistance for a given
bedding-plane shear can be calculated by summing the
representative residual angle of shearing resistance, the
primary component, and three lesser components of the
angle of shearing resistance, i.e., its in situ state, roughness,
and thickness.
Although considerable effort was given to studying the
character and properties of bedding-plane shears, no means
were found to quantify the in situ state and thickness com-
ponents of the angle of shearing resistance. It became
necessary to resort to the intuitive selection of conservatively
low values. The actual shear strength available along bedding-
plane shears in excess of the residual value is an area that
needs further study and research along the lines of Patton
(1966) to rationalize the selection of shear-strength param-
eters for design.
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to Alberta Public Works, Supply
and Services, for permission to publish this paper. Prelimi-
 DAVACHI ET
nary geological and geotechnical investigations in the diver-
sion tunnels area were done by Golder Associates under the
supervision of G.E. Rawlings and in all other areas within
the project site by Thurber Consultants Ltd. under the super-
of K'W' Savigny' Most of the laboratory testing
referred to in the paper was done by Thurber Consultants
Ltd. under the D.W- and J.M.
ASTM 1986. Standard method for direct shear test of soils under
consolidated drained conditions. ASTM D3080. American
Society for Testing and Materials.
BAGGOTT, B.L., BAKER,D.G., and WADE,N.H. 1985. Develop-
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FERGUSON, H.F., and HAMEL,J.V. 1981. Valley stress relief in
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AL. 707
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clay shales. Report 4U 7 5 6 - 1 2 3 . ' ~ . A
~ .m y ~ngineerWaterways
Experiment Station* Vicksburg~MS: '.
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SKEMPTON,A.W. 1964. Long-term stability of clay slopes.
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