Site Selection for

Dams and Reservoirs

Dr. P. Sarathbabu M.Sc. B.Ed. Ph.D

Department of Geology
Acharya Nagarjuna University
Dam
• Barrier that stores water at two levels.
• The primary purpose of dam is to store
water whenever available in plenty for
use during scarcity.
• Built across rivers
• Excess water is released to river and
useful water is transferred thro canals
 Dams are constructed for water storage for
community and industrial use, irrigation, flood
control, hydro electric power, river canalization.

Dams depends on environmental conditions

particularly the geology of the site.

Safety is the first consideration and than cost as that

the failure of a dam results in sevior loss of life and
property.
 Components of Dam
• Body of Dam
• Foundation
• Top road
• Gates and lifting devices
• Spill way or Sluice
• Canal
• Reservoir
• Main river course
• Stilling Basin
• Drainage gallery
Components & Forces in Dams

Upstream Gate
Down Stream

Spill Way

Reservoir Drainage Gallery

Dam Body
Water

Sluice gate
Stilling Basin

Foundation Foundation Soil

 Reservoir
Water

Upstream

Down Stream
 Plan of Dam
Upstream

Abutment Downstream

Left Bank Canal

Main River Course

Reservoir

Right bank Canal

Abutment
Reservoir
Water
Preliminary Investigations for Dam site

This investigations are made to ascertain its

important merits or demerits. This kind of
investigation is necessary, so that detailed
investigations which are much more expensive,
extensive and laborious should be made only if the
site is approved. The important information
collected at this stage is as follows.

1. Lithology
2. Structure
3. Physiography (Topography)
4. Ground Water Conditions
Site selection criteria for the dams and reservoirs
Basing on the analysis of dam problems, failures and
hazards it may be concluded that the dam sites to satisfy the
following requirements.
1. The rock should be sound and resistant to the expected
static and dynamic forces including earthquakes.

2. The valley slope should be stable when the reservoir is

full. This requirement also applies to the rock
abutments.

3. The foundation of the dam should be safe from sliding,

especially in the case of gravity dam.

4. The rock used for the foundation should be of one

geologic classification to avoid variations in the values
of modulus of elasticity.
5. The foundation and the reservoir wall should be
water tight.
6. The rock at the site should be resistant to solution,
erosion, decomposition and other detriment effects
of wetting and drying freezing and thawing.

7. The reservoir drainage area including rocks and

overburden should be resistant to erosion and
therefore not likely to contribute such heavy silt
loads to the reservoir.

8. The geology and topographic conditions should

permit favourably for the location of spillways and
diversion tunnel, power house and outlet conduits.

9. The location of construction materials particularly

concrete aggregate should be with in an
economically justified distances.
 FUNCTIONS OF DAMS
Function Example

Hydroelectric power is a major source of electricity in the world. many

countries have rivers with adequate water flow, that can be dammed for
Power
power generation purposes. For eg, the Itaipu on the Paraná River in
generation
South America generates 14 GW and supplied 93% of the energy consumed by
Paraguay and 20% of that consumed by Brazil as of 2005.

Dams are often used to control and stabilize water flow, for agricultural
Stabilize water purposes and irrigation. They can help to stabilize or restore the water levels of
flow / irrigation inland lakes and seas. They store water for drinking and other direct human
needs,

Flood prevention Dams are created for flood control.

Land Dams (often called dykes or levees) are used to prevent ingress of water to an area
reclamation that would otherwise be submerged, allowing its reclamation for human use.

Water diversion Dams are used for the purpose of diversion.

Classification of Dams

• Based on Size
• Based on function
• Based on material used
Classification based on Size

• Small Dam (<10 m high)

• Medium size Dam (10 – 25 m high)
• Large Dam (>25 m high)
• Major Dam (>150 m high)
Classification based on Purpose

• Hydro-electric dam
• Irrigation dam
• Water supply dam for city for the purposes of drinking
water, recreation, navigation thro canals, industrial use.
• Flood Control
• Habitat dam for fishes & wild life
• Effluent containing dams from industry, mine, factory etc.
• Multi-purpose dam
Classification based on Material of construction

• Masonry Dam
• Concrete Dam
• Timber Dam
• Steel Dam
• Earth Dam
• Rockfill Dam
• Composite Dam
Classification based on action
• Gravity Dam
• Arch Dam
• Saddle Dam
• Check Dam
• Diversion Dam
• Overflow Dam
• Cofferdam
 Gravity Dam Timber Dam

San Luis Dam near Los Bonos,

Steel Dam
California – an Embankment
Dam
 Cofferdam

Power generation Plant

Spillway
Hoover Arch Dam
Timber Dam

Steel Dam
 Rockfill Dam

Arch Dam

Solid Gravity Dam

Combined Earth & Rockfill Dam

Earth Dam
 DAM SITES OF SOME INDIAN DAMS
• Bhakranangal Dam: It is situtated in the gorge of
Sutlej River where rocks consist of alternating bands of light
red clays and fairly hard, thick bedded sandstones with a
steep down stream dip, varying between 700-800 with the
horizontal.
• Hirakud Dam: The dam is situated across the
Mahanadi river. The foundation of rocks consists of Granite
with schistose bands, Granitic gneisses, shales and
quartzites.
• Beas Dam: The foundation rocks at the Beas dam site
consists alternate layers of sandstones and shales of siwalik
• Nagarjunasagar Dam: The rock types exposed
in and around the dam site are the granite gneisses of
the peninsular gneissic complex and the quartzites and
shales belonging srisailam stage of cuddapah system.
• Srisailam Dam: The main rock types are quartzite
boulders, sand intermixed with clay.
Real Life
• Give an example or real life anecdote
• Sympathize with the audience’s situation if appropriate