ACER TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM NO. 2
ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER - ENGINEERING AND RESEARCH
DENVER, COLORADO
FREEBOARD CRITERIA AND
GUIDELINES FOR COMPUTING
FREEBOARD ALLOWANCES
FOR STORAGE DAMS
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
1981ACER TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM NO. 2
Assistant Commissioner - Engineering and Research
Denver, Colorado
FREEBOARD CRITERIA AND
GUIDELINES FOR COMPUTING FREEBOARD
ALLOWANCES FOR STORAGE DAMS
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
December 1981PREFACE
This document presents Bureau of Reclamation policy pertaining to freeboard
allowances for storage dams. Freeboard is needed to provide assurance
against overtopping of dams and represents a contingency allowance for a
number of variables that cannot be fully assessed during the design process.
Part I contains freeboard criteria which have been developed for Bureau of
Reclamation storage dams. Part II contains guidelines which provide sug-
gested methods for computing freeboard requirements in compliance with
Reclamation's criteria. Site-specific factors stated in the criteria
which should be considered in the determination of total freeboard require-
ments for each project are discussed and example computations of wind setup
and wave runup are presented. The appendix contains pertinent definitions
that are used in freeboard determinations.
4b Canad
Rodney J. Vissia
Assistant Commissioner
Engineering and Research