Design of Small Earth Dams

Y.C.Agarwal*

SYNOPSIS: On the earth, most of the dams constructed so far are earthen dams. Failure of a number of earthen dams is due to faulty design. The design of different components of earthen dam has been narrated in this paper. This will help in better understanding of design of dams and dam failures. Definition: A dam exceeding 15m in height above deepest river bed level is defined as large dam. Also a dam in between 10 m to 1 m height is termed as large dam if volume of earth dam exceeds 0.! million cubic metre and storage exceed one million cubic metre or the maximum flood discharge exceeds "000 m#$ sec. A dam not satisfying the above criterion of large dam is termed as %mall dam. An earthen dam may be homogeneous or &oned type. 'omogeneous earth dam( A purely homogeneous type of dam is composed of a single )ind of material. The purely homogeneous type of section, has now been replaced by a modified homogeneous section, in which small amount of carefully placed pervious material control the action of seepage so as to permit much steeper slopes as compared to pure homogenous dam. *Fig. 1+. ,oned earth dam( ,oned earth dams are composed of a central impervious core flan)ed by &ones of materials considerably more pervious called shells. *Fig. "+ of the earth dam are described below(

The main components COMPONENTS OF EARTH DAM 1. ". #. .. . 0. !.

-ut off -ore -asing /nternal drainage system and foundations %lope protection %urface drainage /mpervious blan)et

FUNCTIONS AND DESIGN REQUIREMENTS 1. Cut off: The cut off is re1uired, o To reduce loss of stored water through foundations and abutments o To prevent sub2surface erosion by piping. The type of cut off should be decided on the basis of detailed geological investigations. /t is desirable to provide positive cut off. 3here this is not possible, partial cut off with or without upstream impervious blan)et may be provided. /n any case, ade1uate drainage arrangements may be provided on the down stream. The following guidelines may be adopted for design of cut off.

a. The cut off shall be located such that its centre line should be within the base of impervious core and should be upstream of centre line of dam. b. The positive cut off should be )eyed at least to a depth of 0.. metre into continuous impervious sub stratum or inerodable roc) formation. c. A minimum bottom width of ..0 metre is recommended. d. %ide slopes of at least 1(1 or flatter may be provided in case of over burden while 1$"(1 and 1$.(1 may be provided in soft roc) and hard roc) respectively. e. The bac) fill material for cut off trench shall have same properties as those specified for impervious core. f. The cut off in the flan)s on either side should normally extend upto the top of impervious core. g. /f cut off trench is terminated in roc) formation which is weathered or have crac)s, 4oints and crevices5 and if percolation test exhibit a lugeon value of more than 10*refer /% 00002167.+, then roc) foundation below the bed of cut off trench should be grouted. ". Core: The core provides impermeable barrier within the body of the dam. /mpervious soils are generally suitable for the core */% 1.67216!0+. 'owever soils having high compressibility 8 li1uid limit, and having organic contents may be avoided, as they are prone to swelling 8 formation of crac)s. Following guidelines are recommended for design of core. a. The core may be located either centrally or inclined upstream. b. The minimum top width should be )ept # metres. c. The top level of the core should be fixed at 0. m above 93:. d. The side slopes may be )ept 0. (1 and 1(1. e. Thic)ness of core at any section shall not be lesser than #0; *preferably not less than 0 percent+ of maximum head of water acting at that section. #. Casing: The function of casing is to impart stability and protect the core. The relatively pervious materials, which are not sub4ected to crac)ing on direct exposure to atmosphere, are suitable for casing. Top width of dam should be provided as .. m *minimum+. The berms may be provided for the dam, which are more than 10 m in height. 9inimum berm width may be )ept as # m. .. Internal drainage system: To ensure safety of dam, it is very important to handle the seepage water in the dam so as to maintain the original particles of soils in their place. The measures commonly adopted for safe disposal of seepage water through emban)ment dams are5 a. /nclined or vertical filter *chimney filter+ b. 'ori&ontal filter c. <oc) toe d. Toe drain As far as possible locally available sand, gravel etc should be used. /nclined or vertical filter is provided 4ust on down stream slope of core. /ts thic)ness is )ept 1.0 metre *minimum+. 'ori&ontal filter collects the seepage from chimney filter 8 foundation, and carries to the roc) toe 8 toe drain. /ts thic)ness is )ept minimum as 1.0 metre. The standard filter criterion between filter and ad4oining

soil *casing or foundation+ should be satisfied ./n case of dam portions, where the head of water is # m or less it is not re1uired to provide chimney filter or hori&ontal filter. Ade1uate toe protection shall however be provided. The height of roc) toe is generally provided as 0." ', where ' is the height of emban)ment. 'owever minimum height of roc) toe be )ept as 1.0 metre. <oc) toe is not necessary where height of emban)ment is # m or less. The toe drain is provided at the downstream toe of the earth dam to collect seepage from hori&ontal filter, roc) toe 8 through foundation and to discharge it away from the dam by suitable surface or sub surface drains. The section of toe drain should be ade1uate enough to carry seepage. The bed of toe drain should be given a suitable slope to lead the seepage to natural drains. =epth of toe drain is usually provided as 1. m with bottom width of 1 m minimum and side slopes of 1(1 .For details /% 6."621670 be referred. The filter material should satisfy the following criteria with the base material( e. =1 *f+ $ =1 *b+ > . and ? "0 f. =1 *f+ $ =7 *b+ ? A filter that satisfies the above criteria may yet fail if it has an excess or lac) of certain si&es or is not uniformly graded. The following criteria must be fulfilled. = 0 *f+ $ = 0 *b+ ? " The gradation curve of the filter material should be nearly parallel to the gradation curve of the base material. The suffix @f@ stands for the filter material and @b@ for the base material. 1 , 0, 7 percent particles, by weight, respectively are finer than =1 , = 0 and =7 particle si&e. ". Slope protection: Apstream slope( The upstream slope protection is ensured by providing riprap. For design of riprap, /% 7"#!2167 may be referred. A minimum of #00 mm thic) riprap over 1 0 mm thic) filter layer may be provided upto the top of dam. =ownstream slope( The down stream slope protection is ensured by turfing or riprap. /t is usual practice to protect the down stream slope from rain cuts by providing suitable turfing on the entire downstream slope from top to toe. For details of downstream slope protection, /% 7"#!2167 may be referred. #. Surface drainage: For surface drainage of downstream slope, a system of open paved drains *chutes+ along the sloping surface terminating in the longitudinal collecting drains at the 4unction of berm and slope shall be provided at 0 m c$c to drain the rain water. The section of drain may be trape&oidal having depth of #0 cm. From longitudinal collecting drain, the rain water is carried through 1 2 cm diameter pipes placed at 0 m c$c into paved chutes on the d$s slope. For details please refer /% 7"#!2167 . 3here no berm has been provided, the open paved drains *chutes+ should terminate in the downstream roc) toe or toe drain. .. Impervious blanket: The hori&ontal impervious blan)et is provided to increase the path of seepage when full cut2off is not practicable in pervious foundation. The impervious blan)et shall be connected to the core of the dam. To avoid formation of crac), the material should not be highly plastic. <eference may be made to /%( 1.67216!0 for o o

suitability of soils for blan)et. *Table "+ A #00mm thic) layer of random material over the blan)et is recommended to prevent crac)ing due to exposure to atmosphere. The impervious blan)et may be designed in accordance with /%( 7.1.216!!. As a general guideline, impervious blan)et with a minimum thic)ness of 1.0 metre and a minimum length of times the maximum water head measured from upstream toe of core may be provided. BASIC DESIGN REQUIREMENTS: 1. Safety against overtopping: a. %ufficient spillway capacity should be provided to prevent overtopping. b. The free board should be sufficient to prevent overtopping by waves and should be provided as per /% 100# 2166#. The minimum free board of 1. m should be provided. c. The free board should be sufficient to ta)e into account the settlement of emban)ment and foundation. ". Stability analysis: The design of small emban)ment dam sections may be divided into the following three categories based upon the height of the emban)ment in its deepest portion. a. where the height of emban)ment is m or less b. where the height of emban)ment is 10 m or less, but more than m c. where the height of emban)ment is 1 m or less, but more than 10 m For small dams under category *a+ and *b+ above, the stability analysis may not be necessary. Beneral guidelines and the recommended slopes are given in Table 1 for guidance of the designer. The minimum top width may be )ept as .. 0 m. 'owever the designer with his experience and 4udgement may decide the ade1uate side slopes where special technical or economic considerations may have to be ta)en into account. %tability analysis may be carried out in accordance with /% !76.2 16! based upon the detailed foundation 8 borrow area investigation and laboratory testing if the soil strata below the dam seat consist of wea) foundation and $ or the height of emban)ment is more than 10 m. 3ea) foundation conditions include fissured clay, expansive soils, shales, over consolidated highly plastic clays, soft -lays, dispersive soils etc. within the substratum in the dam seat. 9ain problem of silt and clay foundations is stability. /n addition to the obvious danger of bearing failure of foundations of silt and clay, the design must ta)e into account effect of saturation of the foundations of the dam and appurtenant wor)s by the reservoir. 9ethod of treatment *a+ To remove soils of low shearing strength *b+ To provide drainage of foundation to permit increase of strength during construction *c+ To reduce magnitude of average shearing stress along potential surface of sliding by flattening slopes of emban)ment Coc)ets of material substantially more compressible or lower in strength than the average, are usually removed. The most practicable solution for foundation of saturated fine2 grained soils is to flatten the slopes of emban)ment. %oils of low density are sub4ected to large settlements when saturated by the reservoir, although these soils have high dry

strength in natural state. /f proper measures are not ta)en to control excessive settlement, failure of dam may occur by differential settlement and foundation settlement .The re1uired treatment of low2density foundation would be dictated by the compression characteristics of the soil. Foundation consolidation will be achieved during construction. #. Seepage control and safety against internal erosion: The seepage through the dam emban)ment 8 foundation should be such as to control piping, erosion, sloughing and excessive loss of water. %eepage control measures are re1uired to control seepage through dam and foundation. =esign for control of seepage through dam shall be made in accordance with provisions contained in /% 6."621666 D-ode of practice for drainage system for earth and roc)fill dams. =esign for control of seepage through foundation may be made in accordance with /% 7.1.216!! DBuidelines for design of under seepage control measures for earth and roc) fill damsD. !"#"g: /f only one type of suitable material is readily available nearby, a homogeneous section is generally preferred. /f the material available is impervious or semi pervious, a small 1uantity of pervious material is re1uired as casing for protection against crac)ing. On the other hand if it is pervious, a thin impervious membrane is re1uired to form a water barrier. S$a%#l#$& a$ '(")$#!"* Eunctions of emban)ment dam with foundation, abutments, masonry structures li)e overflow, non2overflow dams and outlets need special attention with reference to one or all of the following criteria. *a+ Bood bond between emban)ment dam and foundations *b+ Ade1uate creep length at the contact plane *c+ Crotection of emban)ment dam slope against scouring action *d+ Fasy movement of traffic For details /% 1"1062167! should be referred. REFERENCES: 1. /% 1"106(167! -riteria for design of small emban)ment dams ". /% 7"#!(167 -ode of practice for protection of slope for reservoir emban)ment #. /% 6."6(1666 -ode of practice for drainage system for earth and roc)fill dams .. /% 7.1.(16!! Buidelines for design of under seepage control measures for earth and roc) fill dams . /% 0000(166. Cressure grouting of roc) foundations in river valley pro4ects 2 <ecommendations *%econd revision+ 0. /% 100# (166# Buidelines for freeboard re1uirement in emban)ment dams !. /% 1.67(16!0 -lassification and identification of soils for general engineering purpose 7. /% !76.(16! -ode of practice for stability analysis of earth dams TAB+E 1. GENERA+ GUIDE+INES FOR EMBAN,MENT SECTIONS %. Go. =escription 'eight up to m 'eight above m and upto 10 m 'eight above 10 m and upto 1 m

1. ". a+

Type of section %ide slopes -oarse grained soil *i+B3,BC,%3,%C

'omogeneous$9odified homogeneous section A$% Got %uitable =$%

,oned $ 9odified omogeneous $'omogeneous section A$% =$%

,oned $ modified homogeneous$ homogeneous section A$% =$%

Got %uitable

Got suitable for core, %uitable for casing &one %ection to be decided based upon stability analysis

*ii+B-,B9,%-,%9 b+ Fine grained soil *i+-:,9:,-/,9/ *ii+ -', 9' #. 'earting &one a+ Top width b+ Top :evel .. <oc) toe height

"(1

"(1

"(1

"(1

"(1 "(1 Got re1uired 22 22

"(1 "(1

". (1 #.! (1 #m

"." (1 2do2 ". (1 2do2 Gecessary #m 0. m above 93: Gecessary.'$ , where ' is height of emban)ment The berm may be provided as per design. The minimum berm width shall be # m.

9ay be Crovided 0. m above 93:

Got necessary upto #m Gecessary.'$ , height. Above #m height, where ' is height 1m ht. of roc) toe may be of emban)ment provided

Herms

Got necessary

Got necessary

*Fxtract from Table 1 of /%( 1"106 2 167!+ TAB+E -. SUITABI+ITY OF SOI+ FOR CONSTRUCTION OF DAMS ,oned =ams <elative%uitability 'omogeneous=y)es Iery %uitable %uitable Fairly suitable Coor Got suitable B-:,-/ %C, %9, -' 2 2 /mpervious core B-:,-/ B9, B-, %9, %-, -' 9:, 9/, 9' O:, O/, O', Ct Cervious casing %3, B3 B9 %C, BC 2 2

/mpervious Hlan)at B-:, -/ -', %9, %-, B2 2

*Fxtract from Appendix A of /% 1"1062167!+ N!$. ( <efer /%( 1.67216!0 @-lassification and /dentification of soils for general engineering purpose *first revision+@.