TECH ZONE ENGINEERING AND

BUSINESS COLLEGE
CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOY AND
MANAGEMENT
WATER WORK CONSTRUCTION

NAME ID No
MATYOS BEHARU CTMGR/017/2010

SUBMISSION DATE: FRI, MAY 29, 2020

Introduction
A dam is a hydraulic structure of fairly impervious material built across a river to create a
reservoir on its upstream side for impounding water for various purposes. These purposes may
be Irrigation, Hydro-power, Water-supply, Flood Control, Navigation, Fishing and Recreation.
Dams may be built to meet the one of the above purposes or they may be constructed fulfilling
more than one. As such, it can be classified as: Single-purpose and Multipurpose Dam.

• Dams are massive barriers built across rivers and streams to confine and utilize the flow
of water for human purposes.

• This confinement of water creates lakes or reservoirs.

Dams have two main functions.

• The first is to store water to compensate for fluctuations in river flow or in demand for
water and energy.

• The second to raise the level of the water upstream to enable water to be diverted into a
canal or to increase ’hydraulic head’ –– the difference in height between the surface of a
reservoir and the river downstream.

• The creation of storage and head allow

• Dams to generate electricity (hydropower provides nearly a fifth of the world’s

electricity)

• To supply water for agriculture, industries and households

• To control flooding

• To assist river navigation by providing regular flows and drowning rapids.

• Other reasons for building large dams include reservoir fisheries and leisure activities
such as boating.

Components of dam
ABUTMENT: The part of the valley side against which the dam is constructed. May also refer
to an artificial abutment sometimes constructed as a concrete wall. Right and left abutments are
those on respective sides as an observer when viewed looking downstream.

BASE WIDTH: The width of the dam measured along the dam/foundation interface.
BREACH: An opening or a breakthrough of a dam sometimes caused by rapid erosion of a
section of earth embankment by water.
CONDUIT: A closed channel to convey the discharge through or under a dam. Usually pipes
constructed of concrete or steel.

CORE (IMPERVIOUS CORE) (IMPERVIOUS ZONE): A zone of material of low

permeability in an embankment dam, hence the terms central core, inclined core, puddle clay
core, and rolled clay core. CREST LENGTH: The developed length of the top of the dam. This
includes the length of the spillway, powerhouse, navigation lock, fish pass, etc., where these
structures form part of the length of the dam. If detached from the dam, these structures should
not be included.

CREST OF DAM: The term crest of dam is often used when top of spillway and top of dam
should be used for referring to the overflow section and dam proper, respectively.

CUTOFF: An impervious construction by means of which seepage is reduced or prevented

from passing through foundation material.

CUTOFF WALL: A wall of impervious material, e.g., concrete, wood pilings, steel sheet
piling, built into the foundation to reduce seepage under the dam.

DRAINAGE LAYER OR BLANKET: A layer of pervious material placed directly over the
foundation material or downstream slope to facilitate seepage drainage of the embankment. May
also use an upstream blanket placed on the impoundment floor and upstream embankment to
prevent seepage entering the dam.

DRAWDOWN: The resultant lowering of water surface level due to release of water from the
reservoir. EMBANKMENT: Fill material, usually earth or rock, placed with sloping sides.

EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN: A predetermined plan of action to be taken to reduce the

potential for property damage and loss of lives in an area affected by a dam break.

FACE: With reference to a structure, the external surface that limits the structure, e.g., the face
of the wall or dam.

FLASHBOARDS: Lengths of timber, concrete, or steel placed on the crest of a spillway to raise
the operating water level but that may be quickly removed in the event of a flood either by
tripping a supporting device or by designing the flashboard supports to fail under specified
conditions. FOUNDATION OF DAM: The natural material on which the dam structure is
placed.

FREEBOARD: The vertical distance from the water surface to the lowest elevation at which
water would flow over the dam at a section not designed to be overflowed.

GATE: In general, a device in which a leaf or member is moved across the waterway from an
external position to control or stop the flow.

CREST GATE (SPILLWAY GATE): A gate on the crest of a spillway that controls overflow
or reservoir water level.

FLAP GATE: A gate hinged along one edge, usually either the top or bottom edge. Examples of
bottom-hinged flap gates are tilting gates and fish belly gates so called from their shape in cross
section. OUTLET GATE: A gate controlling the outflow of water from a reservoir.

RADIAL GATE (TAINTER GATE): A gate with a curved upstream plate and radial arms
hinged to piers or other supporting structures.

SLIDE GATE (SLUICE GATE): A gate that can be opened or closed by sliding in supporting
guides. HEEL OF DAM: The junction of the upstream face of a gravity or arch dam with the
foundation surface. In the case of an embankment dam the junction is referred to as the upstream
toe of the dam.

INTAKE: Any structure in a reservoir, dam, or river through which water can be drawn into an
outlet pipe, flume, etc.

LOW LEVEL OUTLET (BOTTOM OUTLET): An opening at a low level from the reservoir
generally used for emptying the impoundment.

OUTLET: An opening through which water can be freely discharged for a particular purpose
from a reservoir.

PERVIOUS ZONE: A part of the cross section of an embankment dam comprising material of
high permeability.
RIPRAP: A layer of large uncoursed stones, broken rock, or precast blocks placed in random
fashion on the upstream slope of an embankment dam, on a reservoir shore, or on the sides of a
channel as a protection against wave and ice action.

SEEPAGE COLLAR: A projecting collar usually of concrete or steel built around the outside
of a pipe, tunnel, under an embankment dam, to lengthen the seepage path along the outer
surface of the conduit.

SPILLWAY: A structure over or through which flood flows are discharged. If the flow is
controlled by gates, it is considered a controlled spillway; if the elevation of the spillway crest is
the only control, it is considered an uncontrolled spillway.

AUXILIARY SPILLWAY (EMERGENCY SPILLWAY): A secondary spillway designed to

operate only during exceptionally large floods.

OGEE SPILLWAY (OGEE SECTION): An overflow spillway, which in cross section the
crest, downstream slope, and bucket have an “S” or ogee form of curve. The shape is intended to
match the underside of the nappe at its upper extremities.

SPILLWAY CHANNEL (SPILLWAY TUNNEL): A channel or tunnel conveying water from

the spillway to the river downstream.

STOPLOGS: Large logs, timbers or steel beams placed on top of each other with their ends held
in guides on each side of a channel or conduit so as to provide a cheaper or more easily handled
means of temporary closure than a bulkhead gate.

STRUCTURAL HEIGHT: The vertical distance from the lowest point of natural ground on the
downstream side of the dam to the highest part of the dam which would impound water.

TOE OF DAM: The junction of the downstream face of a dam with the natural ground surface.
This is also referred to as the downstream toe. For an embankment dam the junction of the
upstream face with ground surface is called the upstream toe.

TOP OF DAM: The elevation of the upper most surface of a dam, usually a road or walkway,
excluding any parapet wall, railings, etc.
TOP THICKNESS (TOP WIDTH): The thickness or width of a dam at the top of the dam. In
general, the term thickness is used for gravity and arch dams, width is used for other dams.

TRAINING WALL: A wall built to confine or guide the flow of water.

TRASH RACK: A screen comprising metal or reinforced concrete bars located in the waterway
at an intake so as to prevent the ingress of floating or submerged debris.

CLASSIFICATION OF DAMS

Dams can be classified in number of ways. But most usual ways of classification i.e. types of
dams are mentioned below:

Based on the functions of dams, it can be classified as follows:

1. Storage dams: They are constructed to store water during the rainy season when there is a
large flow in the river. Many small dams impound the spring runoff for later use in dry summers.
Storage dams may also provide a water supply, or improved habitat for fish and wildlife. They
may store water for hydroelectric power generation, irrigation or for a flood control project.
Storage dams are the most common type of dams and in general the dam means a storage dam
unless qualified otherwise.

2. Diversion dams: A diversion dam is constructed for the purpose of diverting water of the
river into an off-taking canal (or a conduit). They provide sufficient pressure for pushing water
into ditches, canals,other conveyance systems.

3. Detention dams: Detention dams are constructed for flood control. A detention dam retards
the flow in the river on its downstream during floods by storing some flood water. Thus the
effect of sudden floods is reduced to some extent.

4. Debris dams: A debris dam is constructed to retain debris such as sand, gravel, and drift wood
flowing in the river with water. The water after passing over a debris dam is relatively clear.
5. Coffer dams: It is an enclosure constructed around the construction site to exclude water so
that the construction can be done in dry. A coffer dam is thus a temporary dam constructed for
facilitating construction.

Based on structure and design, dams can be classified as follows:

1. Gravity Dams: A gravity dam is a massive sized dam fabricated from concrete or stone
masonry. They are designed to hold back large volumes of water. By using concrete, the weight
of the dam is actually able to resist the horizontal thrust of water pushing against it.

2.Earth Dams: An earth dam is made of earth (or soil) built up by compacting successive
layersof earth, using the most impervious materials to form a core and placing more permeable
substances

on the upstream and downstream sides. A facing of crushed stone prevents erosion by wind or
rain, and an ample spillway, usually of concrete, protects against catastrophic washout should the
water overtop the dam. Earth dam resists the forces exerted upon it mainly due to shear strength
of the soil.

3. Arch Dams: An arch dam is curved in plan, with its convexity towards the upstream side.
They transfers the water pressure and other forces mainly to the abutments by arch action.

An arch dam is quite suitable for narrow canyons with strong flanks which are capable of
resisting the thrust produced by the arch action.The section of an arch dam is approximately
triangular like a gravity dam but the section is comparatively thinner. The arch dam may have a
single curvature or double curvature in the vertical plane. Generally, the arch dams of double
curvature are more economical and are used in practice.
4. Buttress Dams: Buttress dams are of three types : (i) Deck type, (ii) Multiple-arch type, and
(iii) Massive-head type. A deck type buttress dam consists of a sloping deck supported by
buttresses. Buttresses are triangular concrete walls which transmit the water pressure from the
deck slab to the foundation. Buttresses are compression members. Buttresses are typically spaced
across the dam site every 6 to 30 metre, depending upon the size and design of the dam. Buttress
dams are sometimes called hollow dams because the buttresses do not form a solid wall
stretching across a river valley.The deck is usually a reinforced concrete slab supported between
the buttresses

In a multiple-arch type buttress dam the deck slab is replaced by horizontal arches supported by
buttresses. The arches are usually of small span and made of concrete. In a massive-head type
buttress dam, there is no deck slab. Instead of the deck, the upstream edges of the buttresses are
flared to form massive heads which span the distance between the buttresses.

5. Rockfill Dams: A rockfill dam is built of rock fragments and boulders of large size. An
impervious membrane is placed on the rockfill on the upstream side to reduce the seepage
through the dam. The membrane is usually made of cement concrete or asphaltic concrete.
In early rockfill dams, steel and timber membrane were also used, but now they are obsolete. A
dry rubble cushion is placed between the rockfill and the membrane for the distribution of water
load and for providing a support to the membrane.

6. SADDLE DAM & WEIR

. Saddle dam is a subsidiary dam of any type constructed across a saddle or low point on the
perimeter of a reservoir

.
. A weir (overflow dam) is a type of small overflow dam that is often used within a river channel
to create an impoundment lake for water abstraction purposes and which can also be used for
flow measurement or retardation.

7. Steel Dams: Dams: A steel dam consists of a steel framework, with a steel skin plate on its
upstream face. Steel dams are generally of two types: (i) Direct-strutted, and (ii) Cantilever type
. In direct strutted steel dams, the water pressure is transmitted directly to the foundation
through inclined struts.

8. Timber Dams: Main load-carrying structural elements of timber dam are made of wood,
primarily coniferous varieties such as pine and fir.
9. Barrage A special kind of dam which consists of a line of large gates that can be opened or
closed to control the amount of water passing the dam.

10. Arch- gravity dam A gravity dam can be combined with an arch dam into an arch-gravity
dam for areas with massive amounts of water flow but less material available for a purely gravity
dam.

11. tailings dam is typically an earth-fill embankment dam used to store by-products, which are
produced during mining operations after separating the valuable fraction from the uneconomic
fraction of an ore.