ARCH DAMS

ALBARIO, Jaliennes Clare G.

BALADING, Daryll Rose
ESQUILLO, Kenneth C.
FABILE, Desiree
MORALES, Kevin O.
PAREDES, Rhealyn
PEDROLA, Jeff
 ARCH DAMS
Are concrete or masonry structures that curve upstream into a
reservoir, stretching from one wall of a river canyon to the
other. This design, based on the same principles as the
architectural arch and vault, transfers some water pressure
onto the walls of the canyon.
Arch dams require a relatively narrow river canyon
with solid rock walls capable of withstanding a
significant amount of horizontal thrust. These dams do
not need to be as massive as gravity dams because
the canyon walls carry part of the pressure exerted by
the reservoir.
 HISTORY
THE ROMANS
Vallon de Baume
- Built in France to supply water to the nearby town. The dam was 39.4
feet (12 m) high and 59 feet (18 m) long.
Esparragalejo Dam
-near Merida, built around the first century A.D. and used for irrigation.
MONGOLS (13TH – 14TH CENTURY)
Kebar Dam (1300)
- Built in Kebar, was 85 feet (26 m) high and 180 feet (55
m) long.
Arch dam near Kurit.
- Height of 197 feet (60 m) and stood as the world’s
highest arch dam until the early 1900s.
Kebar Dam
Vallon de Baume
EUROPE
Elche dam
- Built in Elche, Spain. Measures 243 feet (74 m) at the
crest.
17th CENTURY
Don Pedro Villarreal de Berriz wrote the very first
book about dam design.
 WHERE & WHY WE DESIGN IT:
• Appropriate when “Width / Height of valley” (B/H) < 6

• Rocks at the base and hillsides should be strong enough with

high bearing capacity.
 To save in the volume of concrete.

 Stresses are allowed to be as high as allowable stress

of concrete.

 Connection to the slope of hillsides should be 45° at

least.
 ARCH DAM TYPES
A constant radius arch dam is a dam that has a vertical
upstream face with a constant radius of curvature.
•Good for U-shaped valleys
•Easy construction
•Vertical upstream face
•Appropriate for middle-high dams
A variable radius dam is a dam that has both upstream
and downstream curves (also called extrados and intrados
curves) of systematically decreasing radii with depth below
the crest.
•Good for V-shaped valleys
•Limited to the ratio of B/H=5
•Best center angle: 133°34´
 ARCH DAM TYPES
A dome dam is an arched dam with a double-curved
vertical and horizontal plane.
A multiple arch dam is a dam with more than one
contiguous arch or plane.
A double arch dam is a dam with two contiguous arches.
 CLASSIFICATION
In general, arch dams are classified based on the ratio
of the base thickness to the structural height (b/h) as:
•Thin, for b/h less than 0.2,
•Medium-thick, for b/h between 0.2 and 0.3, and
•Thick, for b/h ratio over 0.3.
Arch dams classified with respect to their structural height
are:
• Low dams up to 100 feet (30 m),
• Medium high dams between 100–300 ft (30–91 m)
• High dams over 300 ft (91 m).
ARCH DAMS (DESIGN PRINCIPLES)
Differential force for infinitely small elemental piece with
center angle of dφ :
dFy=p·r·d∅

Vertical component:
dFv'=p·r·d∅·sin∅
Total horizontal force:
𝜽𝒂
𝑯𝒉 = 𝟐𝜸 · 𝐡 · 𝐫 · 𝐬𝐢𝐧
𝟐
h = height of arch lib from the reservoir surface
r = radius of arch
θa = central angle
Equilibrium of forces in the flow direction (y):
𝐻ℎ = 2𝑅𝑦
Ry =reaction force at the sides in y direction [= R sin (θa/2)]
Reaction of the sides (R):
R=γ·h·r

Required thickness of the rib (t) when t < r :

σ ≈R/t
𝛾·h·r
𝑡=
𝜎𝑎𝑙𝑙
σall = allowable working stress for concrete in compression
The volume of concrete for unit height for a
single arch:
V=Lt

L = arch length (L = r θa) (note that θa is in radians)

𝛾·h
𝑉=
𝜎𝑎𝑙𝑙
The required thickness of the rib (t):
𝑝 · 𝑟𝑑
𝑡=
𝜎𝑎𝑙𝑙
*Reduction factor for base pressure at arch dams is zero (m=0)*

The optimum θa for minimum volume of arch rib:

dV / dθ = 0 → θa = 133°34’

In practice; 100° < θa < 140° for the constant-angle dams

Displacement in an arch ring:
𝑟𝑚
𝛿 = 𝜎𝑎𝑙𝑙
𝐸
E = Concrete elasticity modulus
rm = Radius from ring axis

For the relation between center angle (2φ), beam length (L) &
arch radius (r):
𝐿
𝑟=
2𝑠𝑖𝑛∅