Advanced Hydraulic

Structure presentation on

SPILLWAY CONSTRUCTION
By Eyasu Tafese
GSR111/12
 Presentation outline
• Introduction
• Spillway construction program
• Construction flood
• Reservoir levels during construction stages
• Spillway construction stages
• Discharge characteristics of partly constructed spillways
• Flow downstream of partly constructed spillways
 Introduction
• The spillway is a hydraulic structure intended to discharge the excess
water from the reservoir, during times of flood, in such a manner as to
insure the safety of the dam and appurtenant works at all times. The
construction of major and medium multipurpose projects extends over
several years.
• Construction schedules of large projects are governed by many factors
such as volume of excavation, foundation treatment, earthwork or
concreting that can be handled in a season, stage–wise building of
irrigation/power potential, allocation of funds, etc
 Cont.……..
• The construction phasing of spillways involves additional
factors such as safe passage of floods during construction and
the process of acquiring land under submergence and for the
rehabilitation of the project affected population.
 SPILLWAY CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM
Although the construction program of spillways is an integral part of the project
construction, it involves considerations, some of which are exclusive to the spillway
and some are linked with other components of the project.

1. Determining the construction flood.

2. Determining the reservoir levels during various stages of construction.

3. Phasing of spillway construction in accordance with the reservoir levels

4. Ensuring safety of the other elements of the project during passage of floods over
the partly constructed spillway.
 CONSTRUCTION FLOOD
• The flood discharge to be handled during the period of construction is
defined as the construction flood and is different than the diversion flood.
• While many countries have regulations laying down the flood return
period for which the diversion works must be designed, there are no
guidelines on the determination of construction flood.

• The criteria for selection vary between countries and among the projects of
different magnitudes
 Cont….

• Selection of a construction flood is a complex process and is

generally governed by an assessment of the risks involved due
to the actual flood exceeding the design value.
• the general practice is to adopt the magnitude of flood that has
not been exceeded any time during the known history of the dam
site.
 Cont…..

• The construction flood may not necessarily remain constant

throughout the period of construction and up to the completion
of the dam.
• At several projects, it was revised upwards, following floods of
magnitude larger than the design construction flood during the
progress of construction.
 Cont…..

• A construction flood of gradually increasing magnitude may also be

envisaged during the project planning itself. De Avila et al. (1979)
have stated that during the five years of construction of the
Itumbiara dam in Brazil, the magnitude of construction flood varied
from 8500 cumec at the beginning to 16000 cumec (i.e. PMF)
corresponding to the return periods varying from 25 to 2500 years.
RESERVOIR LEVELS DURING CONSTRUCTION STAGES
• Reservoir levels to be reached during various stages of construction are
determined with reference to the benefits to be accrued as a result of the
development of the irrigation/power potential and also various restraints
that may be imposed by other factors
• These may be levels of non-overtopping portions of the dam, progress of
construction of the spillway, safety of other structures already
constructed by that time, land acquisition in the submergence area,
 SPILLWAY CONSTRUCTION STAGES

• The term ‘‘Spillway construction stage’’ means the level or

levels a spillway or different monoliths of a spillway are
brought at the end of a construction season. The spillway is
raised in steps. The spillway may be raised uniformly over its
entire width or different monoliths may be raised in steps of
varying heights. This involves conflicting requirements.
On the other hand, differential elevations of monoliths, similar to that shown in Figure
help confine the small flows to lower level monoliths only, keeping the rest of the width
high and dry
 Cont.…..

• Model studies and prototype experience have established beyond doubt

that the latter arrangement of monoliths has a potential for causing
serious damage downstream through abrasion, erosion, and undermining
• If development of the project in stages is not envisaged, concrete is
placed on the spillway monoliths in horizontal layers, with the upstream
and downstream profiles provided with final surface finishes,
 DISCHARGE CHARACTERISTICS OF PARTLY
CONSTRUCTED SPILLWAYS

• The estimation of the discharge capacity of a partly constructed

spillway is one of the most intricate problems in the design of
spillways. A partly constructed spillway monolith could be
idealized as a sharp crested, short crested, broad crested, or
long crested weir as per the classification
 Cont…..

• However, the involvement of other parameters such as varying heights of

monoliths over the riverbed, varying widths and lengths, different
elevations leading to varying depths of overflow, and variable
submergence caused by the downstream water level, makes the
phenomenon quite complex. Roughness of the unfinished concrete
surface of the truncated monolith also affects the discharge capacity.
 Cont…..
•• Experience
  from a number of model studies indicates that treating each
individual monolith as a broad crested weir, calculating their discharge
capacities separately and adding together, gives good results for the
purpose of engineering decisions.
• Khatsuria (1997) has reported a case study of the calculation of the
discharge for a typical construction stage with monoliths at varying
elevations, by applying the following equations
Q=∑ (2/3)3/2iWiHi3/2
 
 Cont.……

Coefficient of discharge of spillway monoliths

where

C = Coefficient of discharge to be determined considering parameters H/P and H/L H=

Depth of overflow over a monolith (Fig)

L = Length of monolith in flow direction n = Number of monoliths

P Height of monolith Q = Discharge

W =Width of the monolith

The results were compared with those obtained from the model study and the agreement

obtained was quite satisfactory.

While applying Modified WES the discharge equation is:

Q= ∑C (W -2KH )H 3/2
 Cont.…..
• Where K is the end contraction coefficient, in the case of monoliths
adjacent to non-flowing blocks/abutments, etc. and the coefficient C has to
be obtained from the Figure
• The value of K is traditionally taken to be 0.10 for each contraction. Also,
if the submergence over the crest due to downstream water level H1
exceeds about 0.67 or so, the submerged crest coefficient Cs (on above
figure), has to be considered
 FLOW DOWNSTREAM OF PARTLY CONSTRUCTED SPILLWAYS

• Flow conditions downstream of partly constructed spillways are often

unsatisfactory and conducive to damage. When different monoliths are
kept at varying elevations instead of at a uniform level for the entire
spillway, unequal discharge distribution results downstream of the
spillway in the energy dissipater and in the river channel.
 cont.…
• Floors of hydraulic jump stilling basins are particularly vulnerable to

damage due to the horizontal eddies forming in the downstream. Such

eddies pick up loose material from the downstream, bring it inside the

basin, and cause abrasion damage to the concrete floor, commonly

known as roll-mill action

• The damage sometimes is so extensive as to expose even the
reinforcement steel of the apron floor.
Cont….
Thank you!!!