Example

#1) Determine of the cross sectional profile of concrete gravity dam for the following data and
plot the profile by the single step method of design and also check the stability of the dam.

 Maximum water depth to be retained=45m

 No tail water downstream
 Top(crest) width, L=3.6m
 Unit weight of concrete, =25KN/m3
 Unit weight of water, γ w=10KN/m3
 Uplift intensity factor,=1.0
 Allowable coefficient of friction with in concrete and between concrete and foundation,
f=0.65
 Ultimate shear resistance of dam and foundation, S=4MPa
 Minimum permissible shear friction safety factor, SSF=5
 Wind velocity over water,V =100 Km /h
 Fetch length, F=30 km
 Maximum allowable inclined stress in dam or foundation, =3MPa

Design

Step one: Base width at the base of the elementary profile can be approximated as;

45
h
B= = 25 = 36.7m
√(Yc¿¿ γw)−ŋ¿ √ −1
10

Where γw = unit weight of water, γc=unit weight of concrete, ŋ = up-lift intensity factor

Now it is possible to calculate the base width of the triangular profile considering u/s vertical
Bed width of triangular profile=Total bed width-Top width
b=36.7-3.6 =33.1 m
Let’s calculate the downstream inclination (Φd) by the following formula

tan(Φ d )= √ 1
¿¿
¿

t an(Φ d )=
√ 1
¿¿
¿
Given the downstream inclination, we can now calculate the height of downstream triangular
section

Gravity Dam Design-single step method Page 1

 b 33.1
h= = =41.4 m
m 0.8

The overall height of the dam (H) = Depth of water in the reservoir (Hw) + Free Board (FB)

But freeboard is calculated from significant wave height as;

4
FB= h w
3

hw = Significant wave height

hw = 0.032√ U F +0.76-0.24∜ F = 0.032√ 30∗100 +0.76-0.26√4 30 = 2.24m

Wave rise above still water level (Freeboard), FB=4 /3 hw=4 /3∗2.24 m=2.98 m then

Take the free board as 3.0 m

Therefore height of the dam , H=Hw + FB=45+3=48 m

Fig 1: Original dam structure

Step 2: Check whether the dam needs an upstream batter/flare or not, by taking moment at the
heel for reservoir empty condition. W1 and W2 are weights of the dam in area 1 and 2 (see
figure)
 For Reservoir Empty Condition

Item Description and Force KN Moment arm Moment

Gravity Dam Design-single step method Page 2

 dimension Vertical Horizontal
(Weight of dam) force force
W1 3.6*48*25 4320 0.5*3.6=1.8 7776
W2 0.5*41.4*33.1*25 17150 3.6+1/3*33.1 251190
Sum 21470 258966
Step 3: Cheek whether the resultant is out of the middle third. If it is away from the middle third
(i.e e>T/6), tension will develop at an upstream side so that an u/s inclined surface should be
provided in order to distribute and thereby reduce the stress by increasing the base area.

X=
∑ M = 258966 =12.06 m
∑ v 21470
B
Eccentricity , e= −x=
2 2 ( )
36.7
−12.06=6.29 m

B
Since e> =6.29 m,The resultant weight was outside of the middle third at empty reservoir
6
condition indicating tensile stress production at the upstream face. Therefore upstream batter (u/s
inclined face is required).

Step 4: At this stage there are different approaches to be followed.

A) As shown in the figure below, find the centroid of the crest mass shaded (see fig 2)

Figure 2: Free body diagram of the dam and location of M (1/3 of B) where B=36.7

Gravity Dam Design-single step method Page 3

To find the centroid of the crest mass (as shaded above) is:

A1=3.6*3=10.8 A2=1/2*3.6*3.6=6.48

X1=3.6/2=1.8 X2=2/3*3.6=2.4

A 1∗X 1+ A 2∗X 2
Centroid of the crest (Ẍ) =
A 1+ A 2

=2.02m

B) Now locate point “M” on the dam (as shown in the figure below) which is located at 1/3
from the heel.
C) Locate the intersection of the lines between center of the crest and line “M” drawn from
the reservoir surface.

Gravity Dam Design-single step method Page 4

Fig. 3: Location of M and batter starting point (B)

Note: The intersection between the lines of centroid of the crest and the line to point “M” –length
BE in the figure above is the point where batter starts inclination (exactly at B).

From the above figure, taking two similar triangles i.e. ∆ ACD ∆ ABE

AC CD AD
= =
AB BE AE

AC=Depth of the reservoir water

CD=1/3*Bed width

BE=Centroid of the crest

45 12.23
=
AB 2.03

AB=7.5 m and consequently height of the batter is

H=45-7.5=37.5m.

The width of the batter is still unknown

Gravity Dam Design-single step method Page 5

 D) In order to calculate Bf (bed width of the batter), take moment about a new one third
point on the dam with the new modified maximum bed width (B+Bf)=36.7+Bf

To get the value of “Bf”, take moment at M’ where M’ is the new location of one third of the
new bed width (i.e. M’ is located at 1/3(Bf+36.7)(See the figure below)

Fig. 4: Location of the new M’ with additional batter width Bf

tem Description and Force in KN Lever arm Moment about point m

dimension Vertical Horizont from point Antic lock wise Clockwi
force al force ‘m’ (+ve) se (-ve)
I/ self weight
W1 0.5*Bf*37.5*25 468.75Bf 12.23-0.33Bf 5734.4Bf-
156.1Bf2
W2 3.6*48*25 4320 10.43-2/3Bf 45057.6-
2894.4Bf
W3 0.5*33.1*41.4*25 17150 2.42+0.67Bf 11433.B
f+41503

Gravity Dam Design-single step method Page 6

Taking summation of the above moments at M’ equal to zero

ΣMm’ = 0↔5734.4Bf-156.1Bf2+45057.6-2894.4Bf-11433.3Bf-41503 = 0

= -8593.3Bf-156.1Bf2+3554.6=0

156.1Bf2+8593.3Bf-3554.6=0

Using quadratic equation and solving for Bf we get

Bf=0.5m

E) With the width of batter (Bf) given above, check stability of the dam for reservoir empty
and full condition as usual. (See the figure below)

Figure (page 7)

Table1: force analysis for empty reservoir including upstream batter

Ite Description and Force KN Lever arm Moment about from heel
m dimension Vertical Horizont From toe Anticlockwi Clockwise
force al force se (-ve)
(+ve)
Self weight
W1 0.5*0.5*37.5*25 234.4 33.1+3.6+1/3*0.5 8650.9
=36.9

Gravity Dam Design-single step method Page 7

 W2 3.6*48*25 4320 33.1+3.6/2=34.94 150940.8
W3 0.5*41.4*33.1*25 17149.95 2/3*33.14=22.1 378899.56
Sum 21704.35 538491.26

X=
∑ M∗¿ = 538491.26 =24.81 ¿
∑ V 21704.35
B 37.3
e= −x= −24.81=−6.01 m< T /6=37.3/6=6.22 m−−−−ok
2 2

The negative sign for eccentricity (e) indicates the resultant forces are acting just upstream of the
center half of base of the dam.

For reservoir empty condition, the dam is stable against overturning and sliding therefore no
need of calculating for FSS and Fo.

Stress Analysis (reservoir empty condition)

∑v
σzu=
B (1+ 6Be )= 21704.35
37.3 ( 1+
37.3 )
6∗6.2 ¿ 1162 KN
=
m2
<σall (
m2 )
3000 KN
−−−−ok

∑v
σzd =
B ( 1− 6Be )= 21704.35
37.3 ( 1−
37.3 )
6∗6.2 ¿ 1.56 KN
=
m2

Gravity Dam Design-single step method Page 8

  Full reservoir condition

Fig. 6: Free body diagram of loads for reservoir full condition

The detail force analysis in the below table

Table 4: Force analysis for full reservoir condition

Ite Description and Force KN Lever arm Moment about from heel
m dimension Vertical Horizontal From toe Anticlockwi Clockwise
force force se (-ve)
(+ve)
I/self weight
W1 0.5*0.5*37.5*25 234.375 33.1+3.6+1/3*0.5= 8625
36.8
W2 3.6*48*25 4320 33.1+3.6/2=34.9 150768
W3 0.5*41.4*33.1*2 17129.25 2/3*33.1=22.067 377985.45
5
Sum 21683.62 537378.45
5

Gravity Dam Design-single step method Page 9

 II/water
pressure
Ph 0.5*10*(45)2 10125 1/3*45=15 151875
Pv1 0.5*7.5*10 37.5 33.1+3.6+0.5/2=36 1385.625
.95
Pv2 0.5*10*0.5*37.5 93.75 33.1+3.6+2/3*0.5= 3471.56
37.03
Total without 21814.87 542235.635 151875.62
uplift 5 3
III/uplift
pressure
Pv 0.5*10*45*37.2 -(8370) 2/3*37.2=24.8 207576
Total with uplift 13444.87 10125 542235.635 359451
5

Summation of vertical forces including uplift pressure,

∑ v =13444.875KN, ∑ M =542235.625−359451=182784.625 KNm

Excluding uplift pressure,

∑ v=¿ 21814.875 KN , ∑ M =542235.625−151875.623=390360 KNm ¿

X=
∑ M = 390360 =17.89 m
∑ v 21814.875
B 37.2
e= −x= −17.89=0.7 m<T /6=6.2 m−−−−−−−ok
2 2

Check the stability

I) stability against overturning

Fo=
∑ M + ve = 542235.635 =1.51>1.5−−−−−−−ok
∑ M −ve 359451
II) Stability against sliding

 Sliding factor , Fss=

∑ H = 10125 =0.743< 0.75−−−−−ok
∑ V 13444.875
III) stability against stressing

X=
∑ M = 390360 =17.89 m, e= B −x= 37.2 −17.89=0.7 m
∑ v 21814.875 2 2

Vertical normal stress, σz

Gravity Dam Design-single step method Page 10
 ∑v
At upstream, σ zu=
37.2 ( 1−6∗.
585
37.2 )=
21814.875
37.2 ( 1−6∗.
37.2 )
0.7
=520<σall(3 MPa)

At downstream , σzd=
∑ V (1+ 6∗e )= 21814.875 (1+ 6∗.7 )=652.63 KN /m 2
37.2 37.2 37.2 37.2

Shear stress τ

Upstream face

τzu=( Pw −σzu)tan ⁡〖 ∅ u 〗 , tan ⁡∅ u=0.5/ 37.5=0.013

¿(10∗45−520)∗0.013

¿−0.91 KN /m 2

Downstream face,

τzd =σzu∗tan ⁡∅ d=652.63∗33.1/41.4=521.788 kN /m2

Horizontal normal stress, σy

Upstream face

σyu=Pw +(σzu− pw)(tan ∅ u)2

¿(10∗45)+(520−10∗45)∗(0.013) 2
σyu=450 KN /m2

Downstream face,

σyd=σzd∗(tan ⁡(∅ d))2

2 2
¿ 652.67∗( 0.80 ) =417.71 KN /m

Gravity Dam Design-single step method Page 11