CH-1 Power Point-1

CHAPTER ONE
ELEMENTS OF DAM ENGINEERING

Introduction
Dams are structures controlling the flow of a river by completely
blocking the valley of a given river or drainage system.Through
the blockage, storage is formed, which can be utilized for various
water resources development or water control purposes. Thus,
retained body of water is Reservoir.
the retaining structure whether earth/rock/concrete is the dam.
The advantages of dams and reservoirs are:
Temporal and quantitative balancing between available water and demand.
Water storage for days, weeks, months, years, and over years for power
generation and sediment control
Water supply (municipal, industrial or community water
supply, irrigation purposes)
 Flood control
 Regulation/balancing of river flow (such as
navigation, low flow augmentation)
 Recreation
 Multipurpose
 The main disadvantages of the presence of a dam
with its storage reservoir are
 Distraction of fauna and flora in the dam valley
 Interference in the landscape through dams and
reservoirs
Change of ground water level
Strong influence on sediment balance
• Change in water temperature
• Influence on fish
Dam structures and Reservoir
• Structure related to dams include: the dam structure,
reservoir, diversion structure, appurtenant structures
such as spillways, bottom outlets, intakes and gates as
well as service roads and bridges.
The schematic diagrams of the components are shown below
1. Reservoir 2. Dam,
3. Service Intake 5. Spillway structure
4. Bottom outlet 7. Service road
6. Diversion structure
Storage Components
 The sub division of reservoir volume when seen in its
vertical section are:
 Live storage
 Service drawdown
 Lowest draw down
 Dead storage
 Service outlet
 Bottom outlet
 Capacity outlet
g
Reservoirs
Reservoir is the retained body of water

 Functions of reservoirs in Hydraulic Engineering
 Balancing water demand and supply
 Storage of water for further usage
 Provision of storage: flood storage, sedimentation storage, for
industrial sewerage, nature protection
 Classification of storage based on use:
 Use and drinking water storage
 Storage for irrigation
 Storage for hydropower
 Storage for cooling water
 Flood storage
 Classification based on storage or balancing period:
• Day, week, month, year storage
 Classification based on art of storage:
• Surface storage
• Subsurface storage (Caverns, Ground water)
 Reservoir parameters
• The most important reservoir parameters are reservoir
volume (storage) – S (m3), the reservoir area – A (m2)
which can be related to the elevation or water level in the
reservoirs
• These parameters can be computed with the help of
topographic maps or surveying. The reservoir surface
area can be computed using plani-metery related to a
given contour height.
Based on the derived elevation-area curve and depth,
elevation-volume can be computed using various
methods:
1. Average area or trapezoidal method
2.Simpson’s 1/3 rule method
Where Am= mean area between Ai & Ai+1

3.Simpson’s 3/8 rule method
Where: ∆h: depth magnitude between interpolation points
A1, A2, A3 and A4: are planar areas at interpolation points
Classification of Dams
• Classification based on purpose
a) Storage Dams
Flood control, Water supply: domestic, municipal,
industrial, irrigation, Hydroelectric power, Recreation
storage and Pollution control
b) Stage control Dams
Diversion, Navigation and Check
c) Barrier Dams
i) Levees and dykes ii) Coffer dams
d) Multipurpose Dams
Classification based on Hydraulic design
a) Overflow dams
b) Non overflow dams
c) Composite dams
Classification According to Material of construction
a) Embankment Dams
They are constructed of earth fill/rock fill. Upstream and
Downstream faces are similar and moderate angles, and
a high construction volume relative to height.
b) Concrete Dams
They are constructed of mass concrete. Face slopes are
dissimilar, general steep downstream and near vertical
upstream slopes, and dams have relatively slender
profile dependent on the type.
g
Types of Embankment Dams and their General
characteristics
It is constructed from natural materials excavated or
obtained near the dam site. They are relatively soft and
elastic structures as compared with concrete dams. Loads
are transmitted in to the dam body. The foundation
requirement is lower compared to gravity dams.
 Its advantages
 Suitability to wide valley & steep gorges alike
 Adaptability to wide range of foundation conditions
 Minimizing cost of transportation of processed materials
 Insensitive (can accommodate) to settlement
 Insensitive (can withstand)to earth quake
Disadvantages:
 Sensitive to wave action
 Higher free board is needed (3-4m)
 Overtopping is not allowed (intake structures and
spillways should be constructed separate from the
dam structure & adequate spillway size should be
ensured )
 Erosion danger on the downstream sides
 Construction material and construction progress are
affected by weather
 Huge mass volume (large transportation, settlement)
x
Earth fills embankment dams
• dam that constituting more than 50% compacted earth
fill. An earth fill dam is constructed primarily of
engineering soils compacted uniformly and intensively
in relatively thin layers and at controlled moisture
contents.
• They are designed to resist loads by gravity and by
mechanisms of embankment stability.
• They are strictly non overflow types.
Rock fills embankment dams
 A dam constituting more than 50% compacted rock fill.
Its section includes a discrete impervious element of
compacted earth fill or a slender concrete
 Characteristics of Concrete Dams
It is hard, none yielding and rigid structures. Loads are
transmitted through the dam body and to the foundation.
It requires strong and more or less uniform rock
foundation
Its advantages:
 Good for narrow valleys. also suitable for wide valleys.
 Smaller construction fill volume (compared to
embankments)
Smaller free board (1-1.5m)
Can be constructed as overflow dam, i.e. can accommodate
spillway, hence cost for separate spillway reduced.
Outlet pipe work, valves and other ancillary works can be
provided within the body of the dam
• Disadvantages:
• Sensitive to settlement
• Sensitive to earth quake
• Depending on the dam type, it’s construction is
demanding (technical personnel and machine
requirement)
• Difficult heightening (simplification by pre-stressing)
• Completed unit costs are much higher than for
embankment fills
Types of concrete dams
• Gravity Dams
 Concrete gravity dam is designed so that its stability is
maintained on its own mass. Its profile is essentially
triangular, to ensure stability and to avoid over stressing
of the dam or its foundation.
 It may be straight or curved in plan
Buttress Dams
• Consist of a continuous upstream face supported at
regular intervals by downstream buttress.
• It is developed to conserve water in regions where
materials were scarce or expensive but labor was cheap.
• It needs up to 60% less concrete than gravity dams of the
same height, but needs more form work and
reinforcement
Arch Dams
• Loads resisted mainly by arch action and transmitted
through abutments. It requires constant solid and
strong abutments. The type is suitable in narrow gorges
when the length of the crest is not more than 5 times
the height of the dam
The general profile of concrete dam
Selection of type of dam
 The four considerations must be considered during we
select type of dam for specific site are:
1. Hydraulic gradient: the nominal value of hydraulic
gradient, i.e. for seepage under, around or through a
dam varies by at least one order of magnitude according
to type of dam
2. Foundation stress: stresses transmitted to the
foundation vary greatly with dam type.
3. Foundation deformability: certain types of dams are
better able to accommodate appreciable foundation
deformation and/or settlement without serious damage
4. Foundation excavation: economic considerations dictate that the excavation
volume and foundation preparation should be minimized.
The factors that influence type of dam are:

• Topography
• Foundation (stability, impermeability)
• Geology (layers, fishers)
• Required height
• Purpose of the dam

• Climate (ice)
k
• Flood spillway
• Availability, quality (nature, state) of construction
materials
• Construction (Supply, transport, equipment,
qualification of personnel)
• Landscape
• Cost (economics)
 Selection of Sites
A dam and reservoir site must satisfy certain functional and

technical requirements.
 Functional: the functional suitability of a site is governed by the
balance between its natural physical characteristics and the
purpose of the dam/ reservoir
 Technical: Technical suitability is associated to the presence or
absence of suitable site for a dam, material of construction,
Hydrological, geological/geotechnical characteristics of
catchment

The major considerations for the selection of site for storage and dam construction are:
 Major design inputs: geotechnical, structural, hydraulic,

hydrological and also environmental impacts/effects
 Optimum design solutions: solution of appropriate type
of dam (no clear-cut-rule) derives from interaction of the
above inputs with economic factors including
constructional constraints.
 economic validity
Investigation of dam site
 It has three broadly classified stages/phases
 Reconnaissance
• first survey to collect information about the site,

topographical, geological, hydrological and seismicity's
data, are collected from agencies that help for future
detail study. Helps to estimate site/location of the dam,
nature of the geology; foundation (no subsurface
exploration), stream flow, expected dam height,
reservoir capacity, available head
Preliminary investigation
 Data generated here are more detail than reconnaissance. Survey

is made on all sites found suitable under former survey. Used for
economic analysis and preliminary design of sites selected in this
survey.
 Used to prepare top maps of sites, section profiles of the stream,
subsurface exploration to determine the faults, rock type cracks
…runoff data, spillway size, reservoir capacity silt carried by the
river
 Investigation to locate construction material site,
 Public utility , telephone, water supply, road that may affect the
final selection
Final investigation
 It is done only for the finally selected site through the

above investigation, final estimate and design are done.
 Detailed survey to get complete information, so that
construction designs are prepared, geologic data based on
boring, and in-situ test are obtained
 If foundation treatment is necessary detail on level of
grouting…, demarcation of land and people affected after
construction, all data for final estimation, design and
location are collected, dam location, tunnel, coffer dam…
are marked

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CHAPTER ONE

ELEMENTS OF DAM ENGINEERING

Reservoir is the retained body of water

2.Simpson’s 1/3 rule method

Where Am= mean area between Ai & Ai+1

The factors that influence type of dam are:

• Foundation (stability, impermeability)

• Geology (layers, fishers)

• Purpose of the dam

A dam and reservoir site must satisfy certain functional and

 Major design inputs: geotechnical, structural, hydraulic,

• first survey to collect information about the site,

 Data generated here are more detail than reconnaissance. Survey

 It is done only for the finally selected site through the

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