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Gravity Dam1
Gravity Dam1
Spillway
(inside dam)
NWL (Normal water level)
Free board
Sluice way
Gallery
Heel Toe
STRUCTURE OF DAM
Heel: contact with the ground on the upstream side.
Toe: contact on the downstream side.
Abutment: Sides of the valley on which the structure of the
dam rest.
Galleries: small rooms like structure left within the dam for
checking operations.
Spillways: It is the arrangement near the top to release the
excess water of the reservoir to downstream side.
Sluice way: An opening in the dam near the ground level,
which is used to clear the silt accumulation in the reservoir
side.
CLASSIFICATION OF
DAMS
Dams are classified according to several considerations as
indicated below.
Detention dams: A detention dam retards the flow in the river on its
downstream during floods by storing some flood water.
EMBANKMENT
DAM
GRAVITY DAM
BUTTRESS DAM
ARCH DAM
EMBANKMENT
DAM
It is a non-rigid dam which resists
the forces acting on it by its shear
strength and upto some extent by its
own weight
Earth dams are constructed where
the foundation or the underlying
material are weak to support the
masonry dam.
They are trapezoidal in shape and
mainly built with clay, sand and
gravel, hence they are also known as
Earth fill dam or Rock fill dam.
GRAVITY DAM
It is a masonry or concrete dam
which resists the forces acting on
it by its own weight.
These dams are heavy and
massive wall-like structures of
concrete in which the whole
weight acts vertically downwards.
Its c/s is approximately triangular
in shape.
As the entire load is transmitted
on the small area of foundation,
such dams are constructed where
rocks are competent and stable.
BUTTRESS DAM
It is a masonry or concrete dam
which resists the forces acting on
it by series of structural supports
called buttresses.
Buttresses transmit force from
wall of dam to wider area of
ground. These buttresses are in
the form of triangular or multiple
arch masonry or reinforced
concrete walls.
This type of structure can be
considered even if the foundation
rocks are little weaker.
ARCH DAM
It is a curved masonry or concrete
dam, convex upstream, which
resists the forces acting on it by
arch action.
Arch dams are built across narrow
and deep river, this shape helps to
transmit the major part of the
water load to the abutments. So
this shape requires strong
abutments.
Arch dams are cheaper dams,
because they give good strength
with less material required.
GRAVITY DAMS
Gravity dams are rigid concrete dams which ensure
stability against all loads by virtue of their weight alone.
They transfer all the loads to the foundation and hence
are built when the foundation is strong rock. A typical
section of a gravity dam is shown.
Following are forces acting on Gravity Dam
1) Water Pressure
2) Weight of the Dam
3) Uplift Pressure
4) Silt Pressure
5) Wave Pressure
6) Ice Pressure
7) Earthquake Pressure
1) Water Pressure
It is the major external force acting on a dam.
The water pressure on the upstream face depends on
the water surface level in the reservoir and acts
horizontally. In case the dam has a batter in the
upstream side, the load of water over the batter is
also present and acts vertically.
1) Water Pressure
The horizontal water pressure acts at a height of H/3
from base of the dam, and is given by
The vertical water pressure acts on the length ‘b’ portion of
the base. This vertical pressure is given by
1) Water Pressure
Similarly, the water pressure on the downstream face is
due to the tail water and acts horizontally while the weight
of water on the downstream face acts vertically.
2) Weight of the Dam
Weight of the dam is the major resisting force.
Total weight of the dam acts at the center of gravity
of its section. Unit length of the dam is considered in
the calculation of weight.
W = W1 + W2 + W3
3) Uplift Pressure
Uplift pressure is the
pressure exerted by water
as it seeps through the
body of the dam or its
foundation.
Seeping water exerts
pressure on the base of
the dam and it depends
upon water head.
7) Earthquake Pressure
Earthquakes impart a horizontal as well as a vertical
acceleration to the dam and the stored water. This
results in additional forces, both in the horizontal and
vertical directions. Horizontal and vertical “seismic
coefficients” are used to appropriately modify these
forces to account for the effect of earthquakes.
FAILURE MODES OF
GRAVITY DAMS
1) Overturning
If the moments of the destabilizing forces (such as water
pressure on the upstream face and uplift) about the toe
of the dam exceed those of the stabilizing forces (mainly
the weight of the dam), the dam can overturn.
If the resultant force cuts the base within the body of
dam there will be no overturning.
For safety against overturning.
F.O.S = ≥ 1.5
2) Sliding
A gravity dam may fail in sliding at any
horizontal plane if the sum of the actuating
horizontal forces above that plane is less than
the resistive forces.
For safety against sliding
F.O.S = µ × > 1
Where µ = coefficient of static earth pressure
= 0.65 to 0.75
3) Normal Stress
In order to calculate the normal stress distribution at the
base, or at any section, let be the total horizontal force,
be the total vertical force and R be the resultant force
cutting the base at an eccentricity e from the center of
the base of width (b), which is equal to b/2 − x where x
is the distance of the resultant force R from the toe
given by
3) Normal Stress
The normal stress at any point on the base will be the sum
of the direct stress and the bending stress. hence the total
normal stress is given by
The positive sign will be used for calculating normal stress
at the toe, since the bending stress will be compressive
there, and negative sign will be used for calculating normal
stress at the heel.
Thus, the normal stress at the toe is
and the normal stress at the heel is
Normal Stress Distribution Under
The Base Of Dam
Principal stresses
The principal stresses are given as
At the toe of the dam is
σ = sec² β
At the heel of the dam is
σ = sec² α – tan² α
Where
= normal stress
= wh = intensity of water pressure
Shear stresses
The shear stresses are given as
At the toe of the dam
τ = tan β
At the heel of the dam
τ = - (- ) tan α
Where
= normal stress
= wh = intensity of water pressure
FLOW CHART
FOR THE ANALYSIS OF GRAVITY DAMS
FLOW CHART
1) Consider unit length of the dam.
2) Vertical forces:
a) self weight of the dam
WD = [(½ × 1 × 10) + (½×
6.25 × 10) + (1×
10)] ×1× 2240
= 103600 kg
b) weight of water in column
AA’B
WW = (½×1×10) × 1 ×1000
= 5000 kg
c) Uplift pressure
WU=(½×8.25×10)×1×1000
= 41250 kg
= 103600+5000–41250
= 67350 kg
3) Horizontal water pressure
∑H = wh²/2 = 1000 × 100 / 2
= 50,000 kg
Moment due to various forces at the toe
a) Due to self weight of the
dam
= {( ½ ×1×10×2240)
(1+6.25+1/3)} +
{( 1×10×2240)
(6.25+0.5)} +
{( ½×6.25×10×2240)
(2/3×6.25)}
= 527800 kg-m (+ ive)
Moment due to various forces at the toe
b) Due to column of
water in AA’B
= (½×10×1×1000)
(8.25 – 1/3)
= 39583 kg-m (+ive)
c) Due to uplift force
=(½×8.25×10×1000)
(2/3×8.25)
= 226875 kg-m (-ive)
Moment due to various forces at the toe
d) Due to horizontal
water pressure
=1000 × 100/2 × 10/3
= 67350/8.25 {1 + (6×0.74)/8.25}
= 12560 kg/m²
= 67350/8.25 {1 - (6×0.74)/8.25}
= 3770 kg/m²
12) principle stress at the toe
σ = sec² β
sec β =1/(10/11.792)
=1.179
σ = sec² β
= 12560×(1.39)
= 17460 kg/m²
13) principle stress at the heel
σ = sec² α – tan² α
Sec α = 1/(10/10.05)=1.005
tan α = 1 / 10 = 0.1
σ = sec² α – tan² α
= 3770×1.01
- (1000×1×10)×0.01
= 3707.7 kg/m²
14) shear stress at the toe
τ = tan β
tan β = 6.25 / 10 = 0.625
τ = tan β
= 12560 × 0.625
= 7850 kg/m²
15) shear stress at the heel
τ = - (- ) tan α
tan α = 1 / 10 = 0.1
τ = - (- ) tan α
= -(3770-1000×10)×0.1
= 623 kg/m²