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2.1 Introduction
• A gravity dam derive its stability from the force of
gravity of the materials in its section.
• The dead weight of the body of the dam and the
Hydraulic structures I manner of its distribution in the section is
designed to withstand the forces of water
impounded in the lake behind it and other forces
Chapter 2 consequent there to.
• Axis of the dam: the line passing through the
Gravity Dam vertical face.
• Height of the dam: the vertical distance from the
deepest foundation to the carriage way.
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2.1 Ctd.: Criteria for Selection of Dam

2.1 Ctd.
Free board
Site
• A narrow gorge at dam site, opening upstream.
Axis of the dam
Height of dam • Sound rock able to resist static and dynamic forces
Heel including earthquakes.
Toe • Stable valley and abutment slopes.
Spillway gates • Foundations having same value of elastic constants.
• The foundations and reservoir walls watertight,
Length of the dam resistant to erosion and other detrimental effects of
wetting, drying, freezing and thawing.
• Good location for spillways
• Availability of good construction materials and
infrastructure, like electric supply, road etc.
Non overflow Overflow Non overflow
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2.3 Forces Acting on Dam 6m 2.3 Ctd.: Dead Load

• Dead load: Weight of the
Positive force and 10m concrete, piers gates, bridges
• Stabilizing Forces :
moment etc.
– Weight of the dam (Dead Load) + HF
– The thrust of the tail water. • Example 1: Compute the dead
load and its moment arm
+ VF

• Destabilizing Forces : 20m

x length from the toe for the
– Reservoir water pressure, M+
Toe section shown. Assume the
– Uplift, z dam thickness is 1m and
21m
– Wave pressure in the reservoir, Solution: ϒc=24KN/m3
– Ice pressure, Rectangular section
– Temperature stresses,
y Area =30X6= 180m2; Centroid from the toe = 15 + 6/2 = 18 m;
+y Weight = 180X1X24= +4320KN
– Earth and Silt pressure, Triangular section
– Seismic forces, Area = 0.5X(21-6)X20= 150m2; Centroid from the toe = 2X15/3= 10m;
+τyz +z Weight = 150X1X24 = +3600 KN
– Wind pressure. Positive shear
Dead Load = 4320 + 3600 = +7920 KN
+τzy 5
Moment arm length (x) = (180X18 + 150X10)/(180 + 150) = 14.36 m
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2.3 Ctd.: Water Loads on non overflow 2.3 Ctd.: Water Loads on overflow
section section
In case of overflow section
Tail water the top triangular portion
PFu weight
hu hu of the water pressure
PFd intensity is neglected.
1 PFu
ho
hu hd y
3 Toe

Water Pressure (Pi) at a depth hi from the water surface level Exercise: Proof that the pressure force and its
can be computed as: P   h [Eq. 2.1]
i w i
moment arm from the toe are computed,
Water Pressure force (PFi) at a depth hi from the water surface respectively as: PFu  0.5 w ho 2hu  ho  [Eq. 2.3]
level can be computed as: PF  0.5 h 2 [Eq. 2.2] ho 3hu  2ho 
i w i
y
32hu  ho 
[Eq. 2.4]
 w  Unit Weight of water 7 8

2.3 Ctd.: Uplift pressure without

2.3 Ctd.: Uplift pressure with drainage
drainage
• The uplift pressure • If drainage galleries are
force (UF) and its working, the uplift
hu moment arm length (x) pressure head at the
from the toe of the dam hu gallery is taken as:
hd can be computed,
B respectively as: hd UPy  1  w (hu  2hd ) [Eq. 2.7]
B1 B2 3
x
 whd  w hd
 w hu 1
UF  B w (hu  hd )[Eq. 2.5]  w hu
Uplift pressure 2 UPy
2hu  hd • The uplift pressure force can be computed as:
x B [Eq. 2.6]
3hu  hd  1 1
UF  B1 ( w hu  UPy )  B2 ( w hd  UPy ) [Eq. 2.8]

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2 2 10

Example 2:
• For the non overflow section
6m shown compute the water
loads and uplift pressure loads
10m
and their moment arm length
(MAL) from the toe.
27m (ϒw=9.81KN/m3)
20m
• What will be the uplift
5m pressure load and its moment
21m
arm length from the toe if a
drainage gallery is provided at
6m from the heel of the dam.
Solution
• Water loads:
– PFu = 0.5X9.81X27X27= (-)3575.745 KN; MAL = 27/3 = 9 m.
– PFd = 0.5X9.81X5X5= (+)122.625 KN; MAL = 5/3 = 1.67 m.
– Tailwater weight = 0.5X5X(5X15/20)X1X9.81 = (+)91.97 KN;
MAL = 2X(5X15/20)/3 = 2.5 m.
• Uplift pressure loads without drainage
– UF = 0.5X9.81X21X(27+5) = (-)3296.16 KN; MAL = 12.91 m.
• Uplift pressure loads with drainage
– UPy = 9.81X(27+2X5) = 120.99 KN/m2
– UF = 0.5X6X(9.81X27+120.99)+ 0.5X15X(9.81X5+120.99) =
(-) 2432.88 KN; MAL = ??? (Exercise)

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2.3 Ctd.: Silt Pressure 2.3 Ctd.: Seismic Forces

• Only the submerged Weight of
the silt is considered. The silt
pressure and silt pressure force
are computed, respectively, as:
 s   w hs [Eq. 2.9]
hs
1
 s   w hs 2[Eq. 2.10]
2 generate transient dynamic loads due to the inertia of
Where ϒs is dry unit weight of silt
Example 3: 10 m silt was deposited just in front of the dam
axis. The dry density of the silt is 1360 kg/m3. Compute the silt
pressure, silt pressure force and its moment arm from the toe
of the dam.
Ans. 35.316 KN/m2; 176.58 KN; 3.33m
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• Dynamic loads generated by seismic disturbances must
be considered in the design of all major dams situated
in recognized seismic ‘high-risk’ regions and for dams
sited in close proximity to potentially active geological
fault complexes.
• Seismic activity is associated with complex oscillating
patterns of accelerations and ground motions, which
the dam and the hydrodynamic force by the retained
body of water.
• Seismic acceleration might act horizontally and
vertically. The horizontal accelerations are usually have
greater intensity.
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2.3 Ctd.: Seismic force ctd. 2.3 Ctd.: Seismic Forces

• Inertia force due to mass of the dam:
• Horizontal force (Fh)= W*αh
• Vertical force (Fv)= W*αv
Where αh and αv -horizontal and
vertical seismic coefficient; W- weight of
the dam.
• Inertia forces are considered to operate through the
centroid of the dam section. Inertia forces operative in
an upstream direction are positive
• Seismic coefficient method: α=β*I*α0
Areas of high • Hydrodynamic force
stress – Theoretical calculations indicate that the distribution
of hydrodynamic pressure due to an earthquake on
the upstream face of dam is nearly parabolic.
Peh  c h wh [Eq. 2.11]
Where Peh = Horizontal pressure
αh = Horizontal seismic coefficient
h = Maximum depth of reservoir
c = A coefficient, given by:

 
Where β is soil foundation factor (β≈1); I is importance factor;
z h2  z h   z h 2  2 h 
cm
and α0 is basic seismic coefficient found from seismic maps. c [Eq. 2.12]
αh is taken as 1.5*α and αv is taken as 0.75*α. 2
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2.3 Ctd.: Seismic Forces ctd.
• where: z- depth of water in meters from the top of the
reservoir to the point of consideration; C m depends on
the upstream slope Cm= 0.73θ/90.
– Θ is angle in degrees that the upstream slope makes with the
horizontal. If the vertical portion is more than half the depth,
the entire face is taken vertical; When the vertical portion is
less than half the depth, the slope of the face is given by the
line joining the heel to the water surface level at the
upstream face.
• The total pressure force, Fe, on the portion of the dam up
to depth z from the top and the moment, Me, about the
heel of the plane up to which pressure is taken are
respectively given by:
Fe  0.726 Peh z [Eq. 2.13]
Me  0.3Peh z 2
[Eq. 2.14]
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2.3 Ctd.: Seismic force ctd.
• While designing, the earth quake loads are applied in
the direction which produce the least stable structure.
• In case of full reservoir level (FRL) the least stable
structure is created when the horizontal acceleration is
towards the reservoir (upstream). As the foundation
and dam accelerate towards the reservoir, the water
resists the movement owing to its inertia. Thus the
force is taken acting in the opposite direction of the
earthquake acceleration.
• Incase of reservoir empty condition the least stable
structure occurs when the horizontal acceleration is
towards downstream and the inertial force acts up-
stream.
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2.3 Ctd.: Seismic force ctd.
• Its action might either be horizontal or vertical.
The vertical acceleration affects the weight of the
dam and the impounded water. The net effects of
vertical acceleration include:
– The increase in gravity acceleration in down ward
direction therefore causes increase in weights of both
the dam and the water and they have to be multiplied
by (1+ αv)
– The decrease in gravity acceleration, which results due
to upward movement causes decrease of weight
which have then to be multiplied by (1- αv). [αv =
vertical earthquake acceleration coefficient].
2.3 Ctd.: seismic force Ctd
• Example 5: For the dam shown in Example 2 Compute the
hydrodynamic and inertia force and momentum excreted
by an earth quake whose horizontal and vertical seismic
coefficients are 0.2 and 0.1, respectively, at the heel. Show
the earth quake force direction which could result in least
stable structure.
• Solution:
– Dead load (W)= 7920 KN (Example 1)
– Inertia force: Fh= 0.2X7920 = 1584 KN; Fv= 0.1X7920 = 792 KN
– Cm = 0.73X90/90 = 0.73; C = 0.872 (Eq. 2.12, z=h=27m);
– Peh = 46.17 KN/m2(Eq. 2.11);
– Fe = 905 KN(Eq. 2.13);
– Me = 10097 KN(Eq. 2.14);

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2.3 Ctd.: seismic force Ctd 2.3 Ctd.: Wave pressure

• Effect of horizontal earthquake: This force acts horizontally • Caused by wind. The height of the wave hw is computed as:
upstream or downstream depending on the acceleration
1
direction of the earthquake, through the centre of gravity hw  0.032 V .F  0.763  0.271F 4
for F  32km
of the dam section. Thus the least stable structure is [Eq. 2.15]
obtained if it acts: hw  0.032 V .F for F  32km
– Upstream in case of reservoir full
– Downstream in case of reservoir empty •Where: hw height of wave in meters; V –wind velocity in
• Effect of vertical earthquake: This will affect the inertial km/hr; F- Fetch distance in km. Fetch is the straight length
forces of the concrete mass and impounded water. The of wave expanse normal to the dam axis.
forces will increase, if the earthquake acceleration is acting
vertically up and decrease if the acceleration is acting •Maximum pressure intensity, P w=2.4ϒhw.
downward. Thus the least stable structure occurs when it •Total pressure force, Fw=0.5*(2.4ϒhw)*5hw/3 =2ϒ(hw)2 [Eq. 2.16]
acts in downward direction in both reservoir full and empty •The moment can be found w.r.t. the centroid which is at
conditions.
3hw/8 above reservoir level.
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2.3 Ctd.: Wave pressure 2.3 Ctd.: Wave pressure

Obstructed
crest • Example 6: Over a reservoir of 30m deep and having
Unobstructed fetch distance of 12km the maximum expected wind
Approximate crest speed is 2m/s. Compute the wave pressure force and
pressure line its moment arm length from the heel of the dam.
4hw/3 • Solution:
Fw • The height of the wave hw = 1.3m (Eq. 2.15)
3hw/8
hw/8
hw • The total pressure force = 2ϒ(hw)2 = 33.1578 KN (Eq.
Still water level 2.16)
hw/3 • Since the pressure force due to waves acts at height of
(3hw/8) = 0.4875 m from reservoir surface, lever arm
Pw of the pressure force about the heel = 30 + 0.4875 =
Dam 30.4875 m.

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2.3 Ctd.: Other minor forces 2.3 Summary of loads on gravity dam
• Wind pressure: In designing a dam section, • Exercise: Define the
symbols in the figure.
wind pressure is generally not considered. It • Ex. Pemv -vertical earth
may be taken as 100 to 150 kg/m2 for the area quake load
exposed to the wind pressure. • Pwh - horizontal water
pressure load
• Force due to temperature variation: These
forces are of secondary importance in gravity
dams since these only case secondary
stresses.
• Ice thrust:

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2.4 Load combination Load source Qualification

Load combination
NLC ULC ELC
• Design should be based on the most adverse Water
At design flood level X
combination of 'probable' load conditions, but At reservoir full level X X
should include only those loads having At maximum tailwater level X X
reasonable probability of simultaneous Tail Water
Minimum X
occurrence.
Self weight - X X X
• Three nominated load combinations are sufficient
for almost all circumstances. In ascending order Drains functioning X X
Uplift
of severity they may be designated as normal Drains inoperative X X X
(sometimes usual), unusual and extreme load silt - X X X
combinations, here denoted as NLC, ULC and ELC
Ice - X X X
respectively,
Seismic - X

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2.4 Load combination 2.5 Safety criteria

• The Indian Standard Criteria (IS: 6512-1972) :
• Load combination A (const. condition)-dam completed but no water
in reservoir and no tail water.
• Load combination B (normal operating condition)- Full reservoir
elevation, normal dry weather tail water, normal uplift, ice and silt
(if applicable).
• Load combination C (Flood discharge condition) – Reservoir at
maximum flood elevation, all gates open, tail water at flood
elevation, normal uplift and silt (if applicable).
• Load combination D – Combination A with earthquake.
• Load combination E – Combination B with earthquake.
• Load combination F – Combination C, but with extreme uplift.
• Load combination G – Combination E, but with extreme uplift.
• The conditions essential to structural equilibrium and
so to stability is that the summation of all active and
reactive horizontal and vertical forces, and the
summation of the moments of those forces with
respect to any point shall be zero. These are the
essential criteria governing the structural competence
of a gravity dam. Assessed in relation to all probable
conditions of loading, including the reservoir empty
condition, the profile must demonstrate an acceptable
margin of safety with regard to:
– Overturning,
– Sliding and
– Overstress

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