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Procedia Engineering 00 (2017) 000–000
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X International Conference on Structural Dynamics, EURODYN 2017

Ambient Vibration Tests at Some Buttress Dams in Romania

A. Abdulamita S. Demetriua A. Aldeaa C. Neagua* D. Gaftoia
a
Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest, Bd. Lacul Tei no. 124, 020396 Bucharest, Romania

Abstract

The paper presents a selection of results from ambient vibration tests performed during the period 2015 – 2016 at three buttress
dams in Romania. The following buttress dams were investigated: (i) Stramtori - Firiza dam on Firiza River (52 m height, 198m
crest length), (ii) Gura Raului dam on Cibin River (74 m height, 328m crest length), (iii) Poiana Uzului dam on Uz River (84 m
height, 507m crest length). Vibration data were acquired in two dam operation conditions: with and without running of hydro-
mechanical equipment. The vibration measurement equipment and setups, the processing of the recorded data and the obtained
results (through spectral analysis) are presented. The main modal parameters of the investigated buttress dams were estimated.
The modal properties are considered for the monitoring of dams’ dynamic behavior for small amplitude vibrations (elastic
behavior) and for the calibration of the numerical associated models. The measurements campaigns are part of the long-term
monitoring of dams. If such investigation program is repeated every 3…5 years, the dams ambient vibration response can be used
for the assessment of the structural and/or material degradation, due to ageing or to other alteration processes. As Romania is an
earthquake prone country, such results can also be used as a witness of the dam’s status before a major seismic event.
© 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of EURODYN 2017.

Keywords: Buttress dams, ambient vibration measurements

1. Introduction

Romania has a number of some 240 large dams, according to ICOLD criteria, the majority built between
1950...1990. As a consequence, ageing phaenomena may represent a real concern for engineers involved in dam
safety and risk management activities.
It is well known that for concrete dams, ageing phenomena cannot be directly identified by usual instrumentation
used for dam safety monitoring. The decrease of dam concrete strength, development of cracks and fissures within

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +40-21-2421208.; fax: + 40-21-2420781.

E-mail address: cristi.neagu@utcb.ro

1877-7058 © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of EURODYN 2017.
2 Author name / Procedia Engineering 00 (2017) 000–000

the dam body, the degradation of sealing systems or foundation weathering affecting cutoff systems, drainage or
material strength may be described in terms of the change of the overall stiffness of the dam structure. This change
has to be effectively measured thus allowing further investigations to assess changes in dam safety conditions.
The dam structural stiffness is directly reflected by its dynamic properties since the natural vibration properties
depend on structural mass (assumed constant) and stiffness. The in-situ measurements of the natural vibration
characteristics of a given dam system represent a quite convenient approach for dam ageing preliminary
investigations [1].
The periodic measurement of dynamic characteristics of the structure and the comparison of recorded data with
previously measured values in order to detect possible changes in dam safety conditions was previously presented by
some researchers, mainly in the last 10...15 years. This method is widely used for bridge and civil structures, but in
the last period it was also used for concrete dams – arch dams [1], [3], [4] and buttress dams, especially in Romania
[2].
The paper presents a pilot study performed upon three buttress dams, given this type of dams is posing serious
safety concerns as it is considered by the international dam engineers community.

2. Investigated dams

The following buttress dams were investigated: (i) Stramtori - Firiza dam on Firiza River located in Northern
Romania; (ii) Gura Raului dam on Cibin River located in Central Romania and (iii) Poiana Uzului dam on Uz River
located in Eastern Romania, Figure 1. These dams were built in different regions of the country, in different site
conditions (i.e. geological, geotechnical, hydrological etc.), between 1960...1980. With an average age well above
30 years, the possibility of structural flows is a real concern due to unexpected phaenomena, mainly connected to
ageing related degradation processes, affecting both concrete, foundation and seepage control systems.

3
2

Fig. 1. Buttress dams selected for the study: (1) Stramtori-Firiza; (2) Gura Raului; (3) Poiana Uzului

2.1. Stramtori-Firiza dam

Stramtori-Firiza dam, Figure 2, is a 52 m height buttress dam, with a crest length of 198 m, creating a storage
reservoir with a capacity of 17.60 hm3. The dam was commissioned in 1964 for the following purposes: water
supply for Baia Mare city, hydropower, flood risk control.
 Author name / Procedia Engineering 00 (2017) 000–000 3

Site morphology and geology in the site determined the final solution for Stramtori-Firiza dam. The bedrock
mainly consists in andesite complex in a mass of volcanic tuffs and sedimentary rocks. The left abutment is steep
and bedrock is near the surface. The right abutment, with a moderate slope, is covered with a thick alluvial layer.
In such peculiar conditions, the main dam is a buttress dam, while the right abutment closure was made via a
concrete face rockfill dam.

Fig. 2. Downstream view photo of Stramtori-Firiza dam

2.2. Gura Raului dam

Gura Râului dam, commissioned in 1979, is a buttress dam with a maximum height of 73.5 m and a crest length
of 328 m (Figure 3). The dam storage reservoir, with a volume of some 15 hm3, is mainly used for water supply of
Sibiu city in central Romania. An additional purpose is hydroelectricity, a small hydropower plant being located at
the dam toe. The foundation rock consists in massive and stiff gneisses on the abutments and with some cracks and
degradations in the valley.

Fig. 3. Photo of Gura Raului dam

4 Author name / Procedia Engineering 00 (2017) 000–000

2.3. Poiana Uzului dam

Poiana Uzului dam is a buttress dam of 80 m height and 504 m crest length, creating a storage with a total
volume of 90 hm3 (Figure 4). The dam was commissioned in 1972 for the following purposes: water supply for
Bacau city and for some other smaller cities and villages in the area; hydroelectricity, flood control.
The geological conditions are represented by the Tarcau sanstones, in alternation with clayey schists.

Fig. 4. Photo of Poiana Uzului dam

3. Ambient vibration tests

The use of ambient vibration measurement for identification of structural modal parameters is a common method
in the last decades [5], [6], [7] and [8]. The method is applied on a wide typology of constructions: buildings [9],
[10], [11], towers [12], bridges [13], nuclear power plants [14], etc. In case of dams [15], [16], [17] ambient
vibration measurements are generally used for the extraction of dynamic properties (natural frequencies, mode
shapes and damping ratios), for the identification of the influence of varying water level on the frequencies of dams
and for calibration and / or the numerical associated models. The results characterize the dams’ dynamic behavior
for low-amplitude vibrations (elastic / linear behavior).
The ambient vibration measurement equipment used for the buttress dams tests consisted of a 24 bits acquisition
system and 1s velocity sensors (frequency bandwidth 1-20Hz) produced by Buttan Service-Tokyo & Tokyo Soil
Research Co., Ltd. Before each measurement campaign, a huddle test was performed. When possible, for all sensors
disposal layouts and for all the three dams vibration data were acquired in two dam operation conditions: with and
without running of hydro-mechanical equipment. In each case two samples of 3 minutes length with a sampling
frequency of 100 Hz were recorded. The measurement direction was transversal to dam axis (towards downstream).
Fourier spectral analysis was used to estimate (from ambient vibration records) modal frequencies of investigated
dams. This approach in frequency domain can be used for identifying modal characteristics [10], [18], [19], [20].

3.1. Stramtori-Firiza dam

At Stramtori-Firiza dam, measurements were performed in three layouts, Figure 5, using simultaneously 5
sensors. Three measurement campaigns were carried out: (i) summer 2015 – air temperature 25°C; (ii) autumn 2015
– air temperature 10°C and (iii) autumn 2016 – air temperature 20°C. In all three campaigns, the reservoir elevation
was in the range 367.50...368.50 maSL (i.e. some 2...2.50 m below the spillway crest elevation).
 Author name / Procedia Engineering 00 (2017) 000–000 5

Fig. 5. Stramtori-Firiza buttress dam – vibration tests layout

Examples of average amplitude Fourier spectra are given in Figure 6 for a central buttress with and without
running of hydro-mechanical equipment.

0.15 10.00
Summer 2015, T=25C Summer 2015, T=25C
9.00
Autumn 2015, T=10C Autumn 2015, T=10C
0.12 Autumn 2016, T=20C 8.00

7.00
Fourier amplitude (cm)

Fourier amplitude (cm)

0.09 6.00

5.00

0.06 4.00

3.00

0.03 2.00

1.00

0.00 0.00
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15
Frequency (Hz) Frequency (Hz)

Fig. 6. Average Fourier amplitude spectra for central buttress of Firiza dam without (left) and with (right) running of hydro-mechanical
equipment

The first modal frequency of the central buttress of Firiza dam was estimated as f 1=10.2 Hz – from summer
measurements and f1=9.93 Hz – from winter measurements (i.e., modal period T 1=0.10 s). The large amplitude and
sharp spectral peaks at 7.14 Hz and 14.28 Hz are associated to the influence of running of hydro-mechanical
equipment (428 rpm).

3.2. Gura Raului dam

At Gura Raului dam measurements were performed in two layouts, Figure 7, using 3 sensors simultaneously.
Two measurement campaigns were carried out: (i) autumn 2015 – air temperature 12°C, reservoir elevation 655.83
maSL (NRL=658.59 maSL) and (ii) winter 2016 – air temperature 7°C, reservoir elevation 649.40 maSL.
Examples of average amplitude Fourier spectra are given in Figure 9 for a central buttress with and without
running of hydro-mechanical equipment.
The first modal frequency of the central buttress of Gura Raului dam was estimated as f 1=5.70 Hz – from autumn
measurements and f1=5.78 Hz – from winter measurements (i.e., modal period T 1=0.17 s). The large amplitude and
sharp spectral peak at 8.33 Hz is associated to the running of hydro-mechanical equipment (500 rpm).
6 Author name / Procedia Engineering 00 (2017) 000–000

Fig. 8. Gura Raului buttress dam – vibration tests layout

0.40 8.00

Autumn 2015, T=25C Autumn 2015, T=25C

0.35 7.00
Winter 2016, T=8C
Winter 2016, T=8C

0.30 6.00
Fourier amplitude (cm)

Fourier amplitude (cm)

0.25 5.00

0.20 4.00

0.15 3.00

0.10 2.00

0.05 1.00

0.00 0.00
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15
Frequency (Hz) Frequency (Hz)

Fig. 9. Average Fourier amplitude spectra for central buttress of Gura Raului dam without (left) and with (right) running of hydro-mechanical
equipment

3.3. Poiana Uzului dam

At Poiana Uzului dam measurements were performed in two layouts, Figure 10, using 2 sensors simultaneously.
Two measurement campaigns were carried out: (i) autumn 2015 – air temperature 19°C, reservoir elevation 506.60
maSL (NRL=513.50 maSL) and (ii) winter 2016 – air temperature -7.5°C, reservoir elevation 499.24 maSL.
 Author name / Procedia Engineering 00 (2017) 000–000 7

Fig. 10. Poiana Uzului buttress dam – vibration tests layout

Examples of average amplitude Fourier spectra are given in Figure 11 for a central buttress with and without
running of hydro-mechanical equipment.

2.00 2.00

Autumn 2015, T=15C Winter 2016, T=7C

1.80 1.80

1.60 1.60

1.40 1.40
Fourier amplitude (cm)

Fourier amplitude (cm)

1.20 1.20

1.00 1.00

0.80 0.80

0.60 0.60

0.40 0.40

0.20 0.20

0.00 0.00
1 4 7 10 13 16 19 1 4 7 10 13 16 19
Frequency (Hz) Frequency (Hz)

Fig. 11. Average Fourier amplitude spectra for central buttress of Poiana Uzului dam without (left) and with (right) running of hydro-mechanical
equipment

The first modal frequency of the central buttress of Poiana Uzului dam was estimated as f1=11.36 Hz – from
autumn measurements and f1=11.12 Hz – from winter measurements (i.e., modal period T1=0.09 s). The large
amplitude and sharp spectral peak at 16.67Hz is associated to the running of hydro-mechanical equipment (1000
rpm).

4. Conclusions

The measurements campaigns are part of the long-term monitoring of dams. If such investigation program is
repeated every 3…5 years, the ambient vibration response can be used for the assessment of the structural health
condition of dams. Changes in measured main modal parameters compared to the values from previous campaigns
may witness for structural and/or material degradation, due to ageing or to other alteration processes that need
further analyses and assessments.
The modal properties are considered for the monitoring of dams’ dynamic behavior for small amplitude
vibrations (elastic behavior) and may also be used for the calibration of deterministic finite elements models
associated to dams.
As Romania is an earthquake prone country, such results can also be used as indicators of the dams’ safety status,
showing their capability to withstand during a major seismic event.

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge The Romanian Waters Authority “Apele Romane”, owners of the dams used in
the proposed study, who kindly assured the access of the research team to the monitored dams and provided all the
required information and documentation.

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