NATIONAL SEMINAR – DEVELOPMENT AND DAM MANAGEMENT 2019 – Makassar,

October 3-5

Geomembranes to increase safety and reliability

of dams, and to allow early impoundment of
reservoirs
J. Cowland, G. Vaschetti and A. Scuero
 Introduction

 Water-tight geomembranes prevent seepage in new dams,

and stop seepage in existing dams when it is already
occurring
 In new construction: RCC dams and embankment dams
 In rehabilitation: all types of dams and hydraulic structures,
for full-face water-tightness, or to waterproof crucial areas, or
leaking joints, or cracks
 Rehabilitation: in the dry or underwater

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GEOMEMBRANES ARE FLEXIBLE MATERIALS WITH
EXTREMELY LOW PERMEABILITY

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NOT ALL GEOMEMBRANES HAVE THE SAME
CHARACTERISTICS

More rigid: HDPE

More flexible: PVC

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Choosing the wrong geomembrane can
have (very expensive) consequences

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ICOLD Bulletin 135, 446 pages, gives the guidelines for selection of
geomembrane, for design, for installation, and guidance for
specifications and technical contents of contracts

The group who prepared the bulletin was formed by

owners, government agencies, universities,
designers of 9 countries (Austria, Czech Republic,
France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland,
UK) that have extensive experience of
geomembranes in dams
Additional external support was provided from USA
and Colombia

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 ICOLD Bulletin 135 reports on
270 dams all over the world
200 m head
49 years experience
~50 % rehabilitation, ~50% new
60 % exposed. 40 % covered
70 % in fill dams

The most used materials are PVC geocomposites

and geomembranes

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The projects shown in the presentation
used a geocomposite SIBELON® CNT

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CARPI TECH:

 Design tailor made solutions,

 Supply the proper materials,
 Provide installation and Quality Control

Single source guarantee without dilution of responsibilities

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 Why a geomembrane on new RCC dams?

 RCC dams may leak: permeability of lift joints, monolith joints, joints
between RCC and conventional concrete appurtenances,
unforeseen cracks in the upstream face
 A geomembrane facing waterproofs lift joints, monolith joints, joints
with conventional concrete appurtenances
 A geomembrane facing allows reducing the cementitious content
in the RCC mix
 A geomembrane facing waterproofs inadequately installed
waterstops, and cracks due to thermal stresses and others
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 Examples of Carpi systems in RCC dams in Indonesia

 Balambano, 99.5 m high, 1999  Karebbe, 77 m high, 2011

Owner: Vale Owner: Vale

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 Susu RCC dam, Malaysia

 Susu RCC dam, 90m high - Ulu  Water barrier: SIBELON® CNT
Jelai Hydro Electric Project, 4400, 3.0mm geomembrane +
power and water supply for 500 g/m2 anti-puncture
Tenaga Nasional Berhad geotextile
 Initial design: RCC mix with  Face anchorage system: Carpi
100kg/m3 cement + 80kg/m3 fly tensioning system
ash, relatively “dry” consistency
 Final design with Carpi exposed
geomembrane: RCC mix with
95kg/m3 of type B2 cement, no fly
ash
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 Susu RCC dam, Malaysia
 Face drainage system: no
water infiltration into the
dam body even in case of
geomembrane damage

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 Susu RCC dam, Malaysia
 Face anchorage system: vertical
stainless-steel tensioning profiles at
5.70m spacing
 Perimeter sealing: mechanical,
water-tight against water in
pressure at submersible
peripheries, against rain and waves
at crest

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 Other examples in the region
 Balambano, 99.5m, Indonesia 1999  Meander, 50m, Australia 2007

 Paradise, 35m, Australia 2005 (covered geome

 Karebbe, 77m, Indonesia 2011

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 Advantages of geomembrane facings in RCC dams
• Protection against water infiltration at all joints
• Less stringent concrete requirements and QA/QC procedures
• Water-tightness ensured in case of thermal cracking, cracking due to
seismic events
• Geomembrane facing can be monitored, seepage is typically very
low. At Susu, total amount of water drained from the geomembrane
is in the order of 0.28l/s

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 Why a geomembrane facing on a new rockfill dam?

 Accommodates large settlements and differential displacements

maintaining water-tightness
 Allows steeper slopes, simplified zoning of the embankment
 Simplifies and shortens construction
 Water-tightness independent of weather conditions
 Dams with upstream geomembrane as only waterproofing
element: GFRD, Geomembrane Facing Rockfill Dams
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 Nam Ou VI GFRD, Lao PDR
 88m high, crest length ~360m  Flexible geomembrane water
 U/S face 1.6H:1V barrier placed and anchored on
 Rockfill: Blasted slate, soft to extruded porous concrete curbs
fairly-soft rock  Curbs provide full-face drainage
 Storage: 409 Million m3 layer
 Geomembrane water-tight
sealed at peripheries
THE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE
ROCKFILL AND THE EXPECTED
POTENTIAL DEFORMATION OF
THE DAM BODY SUGGESTED
USE OF A FLEXIBLE LINING
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 Nam Ou VI GFRD, Lao PDR

Extruded porous concrete curbs provide suitable subgrade

and embed geomembrane strips for face anchorage

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PVC anchor strips placed over
extruded curbs

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PVC anchor strips placed over
extruded curbs

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 Nam Ou VI GFRD, Lao PDR
Curbs and embedded anchor strips

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 Nam Ou VI GFRD, Lao PDR
Placement of geomembrane

Water barrier: SIBELON® CNT

5250, flexible 3.5mm thick
thermoplastic geomembrane
heat-bonded to a 700 g/m2
anti-puncture geotextile

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 Nam Ou VI GFRD, Lao PDR
Geomembrane anchoring
Heat-seaming the geomembrane to the anchor strips for face anchorage

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 Nam Ou VI GFRD, Lao PDR
Double watertight bottom seal

2ND SEAL

1ST SEAL GEOMEMBRANE

CONNECTION

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 Nam Ou VI GFRD, Lao PDR
Bottom and abutment plinth sealing
Continuity of watertight seal ensured at
critical junctions
ABUTMENT PLINTH

BOTTOM PLINTH

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 Nam Ou VI GFRD, Lao PDR
Staged construction
 1st stage: 3.5 months for dam body & curbs embedding
anchorage strips

 24 days for 13,700m2 geomembrane facing

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 Nam Ou VI GFRD, Lao PDR
Staged construction
 2nd stage: 4 months for dam body & curbs embedding
anchorage strips

 28 days for 23,000m2 geomembrane facing

Total 36,700m2
facing in 52 days

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 Geomembrane Facing Earthfill Dams (GFEDs)
Bulga, Australia
Geomembrane strips for face anchorage are embedded in
trenches excavated in the embankment

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GFRDs and GFEDs: advantages of geomembrane facings
• Water-tightness that will resist settlements, differential movement,
seismic events
• Total control on the integrity of the waterproofing system, on the
whole upstream face of the dam, for the entire service life
• Quicker and easier installation. At Nam Ou VI, impoundment
started less than eleven months after construction of the dam
body had started
• Easy inspection and repair, even underwater
• Overall lower cost

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 Geomembrane cores
 Central position: Gibe III cofferdam, 50 m, Ethiopia
PVC geomembrane
First anti-puncture geotextile below
geomembrane
Underlying fill

Second anti-puncture geotextile

above geomembrane
Overlying fill

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 Geomembrane cores
 Upstream diaphragm: Rogun cofferdam, 65 m, Tajikistan

PVC geomembrane is protected

by 2,000 g/m2 cushion geotextile

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 Waterproofing of joints
CARPI external waterstop
 Waterproofing geomembrane
 Support/drainage/anti-puncture
layer
 Perimeter sealing

 New construction and rehabilitation

 Can be installed in the dry or underwater

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CARPI external waterstop
Perimeter seal

Geomembrane

Sacrifice layer
Supporting layer
Anti-puncturing layer

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CARPI external waterstop

Mauá RCC dam, Brazil, 2011

Porce II RCC Dam, Colombia 2000

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 Other examples in the region
 Philex mine Padcal TSF3 spillway,  Nam Leuk spillway, Lao PDR, dry
Philippines, new construction, first rehabilitation
stage

 Philex mine Padcal TSF3 spillway,

Philippines, new construction,  Nakai RCC dam, Lao PDR, underwater
second stage rehabilitation

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CARPI waterproofs all types of hydraulic structures
In the dry and underwater

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

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