Dam settlement notes

All dams in service deform and settle and deform to some extent. This can lead to
 Reduction and loss of freeboard
 Longitudinal and transverse cracks
 Either of these two consequences can lead to dam failure

Types of deformation
Construction of dams on compressible foundations and or geologic discontinuities can lead
to dam deformation and settlement which include:
 Vertical movement – this is settlement and heave if it is upward
 Upstream /down stream movement - Also called lateral movement
 Cross valley movement Parallel to the dams axis – also called longitudinal internal
deformation

These deformations can be split into elastic defamation and consolidation settlement.
Elastic defamation is the immediate settlement and takes place during and immediately
after construction. This deformation is small and ignored. It is the consolidation settlement
which takes much longer time and is dependent on the permeability of the materials which
is the result of undesirable effects. In other words the permeability is a measure of the
rate at which water is able to leave the soil matrix for the dissipation of the excess pore
pressure generated by the induced load.

DEFORMATIONS OF INTEREST

The deformations of interest include

 Uniform settlements do not usually cause internal straining or cracking. They however
reduce the dam freeboard
 Sharply non uniform or differential settlements are relative movements between
neighbouring points in the embankment to in the foundation. Excessive differential
settlement can lead into failure of the dam
 Lateral movements: Are a result of spreading of an embankment and/or settlement of the
foundation. This can cause longitudinal cracking which can lead into slope instability
through introduction of water through the cracks
In general Uniform settlements, differential settlements and Lateral movements occur
simultaneously. It is however the component of differential settlements which causes most damage.
Further it is the compression of the foundation which causes most settlements in embankment dams
Investigation and data collection
At the time of design it’s important that estimates of deformation are made. During usage of the
dam a monitoring regime is made to check field monitoring. If the recorded settlements are more
than those got during the design, it is important to review the cause of the settlement and take
remedial measures. A program for review would generally

 Field exploration for more geologic data and sample collection

 Laboratory testing of soils and rocks
 Installation of instrumentation for addition data and/or more frequent monitoring
 The investigation should be directed to softer portions of the dam embankment and or
foundation which would are responsible for excessive deformation.

Problem identification
When the deformation becomes excessive they may cause
 Visible cracks on the crest and/or the faces of the dam
 Hidden cracks in the body of the dam. These cracks may remain hidden in the body of the
dam.
 The table below shows some of observations possible causes seriousness and remedial
action needed

s/no Observation Possible cause Seriousness Remedial action

a Transverse vertical Excessive differential Very serious. Impose level
cracks at the crest settlement. Could be due Water can easily restrictions.
extending from to abrupt change in pass through Investigate design
upstream to abutment slopes the cracks and and rectify
downstream cause failure
b Longitudinal vertical Settling and tilting of the Potentially can Impose level
cracks at the crest or upstream shoulder cause hydraulic restrictions.
above the water level towards the reservoir fracturing Investigate and
on the upstream face and/or differential rectify. Check
settlement between the routine
core and shoulder maintenance of the
materials surface
c Transverse hidden Differential settlement. Very serious. Impose level
vertical cracks possibly And longitudinal arching Water can easily restrictions.
extending from in steep canyons pass through Investigate design
upstream to the cracks and and rectify
downstream. cause failure
Excessive leakage
through the dam.
d Transverse hidden Differential settlement. Very serious. Impose level
vertical cracks in thin Between core and Water can easily restrictions.
core extending from shoulder materials pass through Investigate design
upstream to the cracks and and rectify
downstream. cause failure
Excessive leakage
through the dam.
e Horizontal upstream Saturation collapse Very serious Impose level
to downstream. settlement. As a result of restrictions.
Hidden cracks in a filling. Dry placement of Investigate design
homogenous dam the material and poor and rectify
compaction control
`f Horizontal upstream Consolidation or wetting Very serious Impose level
to downstream. compression restrictions.
Hidden cracks Investigate design
adjacent to abutments and rectify
g Loss of drilling fluid in Suspected craak Serious Stop drilling with
boreholes fluid under pressure

Principal steps in settlement analysis

Settlement theories are used. In brief the prediction of settlement requires

 A model to describe the soil behaviour
 Suitable methods to evaluate the needed soil parameters
 Computational procedure
Conventional one dimensional method
Conventional one dimensional method as taught in FCE 411

Remedial measures

There are no quick fix solutions. Dams which suffer damage were initially
deficient in certain of design and/or construction. Major cracks will need
modification to introduce adequate transition and filter zones to prevent
erosion through cracks. Once a through crack is formed it is virtually
impossible to contain the resulting seepage without lowering the dam to a
level below the base of the crack