21st Century Dam Design

Advances and Adaptations

31st Annual USSD Conference

San Diego, California, April 11-15, 2011

Hosted by
Black & Veatch Corporation
GEI Consultants, Inc.
Kleinfelder, Inc.
MWH Americas, Inc.
Parsons Water and Infrastructure Inc.
URS Corporation

On the Cover
Artist's rendition of San Vicente Dam after completion of the dam raise project to increase local storage and provide
a more flexible conveyance system for use during emergencies such as earthquakes that could curtail the regions
imported water supplies. The existing 220-foot-high dam, owned by the City of San Diego, will be raised by 117
feet to increase reservoir storage capacity by 152,000 acre-feet. The project will be the tallest dam raise in the
United States and tallest roller compacted concrete dam raise in the world.

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DIRECTIONAL DRILLING FOR HIGH CAPACITY ANCHORS AT

BLUESTONE DAM
Mark J. Rothbauer, P.E.1
Jeff R. Hopple, E.I.T.2
ABSTRACT
Bluestone Dam is located in Hinton, West Virginia and is owned and operated by the
United States Army Corps of Engineers. Ongoing phased construction to correct
deficiencies identified in the Dam Safety Assurance Program includes the installation of
rock anchors containing up to 61 strands in 15-inch diameter holes. Due to embedded
structures in the dam and close anchor spacing, conventional drilling tolerances would
increase the risk of intercepting structures or intersecting adjacent drill holes or tensioned
anchors. Directional drilling pilot holes is used to meet the specified tolerances,
preventing interception and intersection issues. A real time, optical directional drilling
system is used to drill the holes. This system was selected to maximize the drilling
capability and limit site conditions from affecting the directional drilling. This system
has a number of unique components compared to conventional anchor hole drilling.
After the pilot hole is completed, the hole is reamed to the final diameter. Each hole is
surveyed to ensure it meets the tolerance requirements. The system is able to drill
straight holes meeting a tolerance of 1:150 on holes as deep as 270-feet. Significant
lessons learned from the project are discussed including a summary of the capabilities
and limitations of the directional drilling system used on the project.
INTRODUCTION
Bluestone Dam is located in Hinton, West Virginia, along the New River. It is owned
and operated by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Construction of the dam
was completed in 1949. It is 165-feet tall, 2,048-feet wide, and encompasses a water
shed that is 4,600-square miles.
The Bluestone Dam Safety Assurance (DSA) Program construction was started in 2001.
The program is a multiple-phase construction project to upgrade the capacity and stability
of the structure to meet the probable maximum flood event. Failure of the dam during a
flood event would be devastating to the New and Kanawha River Valleys, located
downstream of the structure. The DSA project includes raising the dam by 8-feet,
installing anchors to tie the dam to bedrock improving stability, adding emergency gates
to increase discharge capacity, scour protection, and miscellaneous site work. The first
phase of the project was completed in October 2004. The second phase, which includes
installing rock anchors, is expected to be finished in 2011. Three additional phases
remain to be constructed.
1

Project Executive, Brayman Construction Corporation, 1000 John Roebling Way, Saxonburg, PA 16056
m_rothbauer@brayman.com
2
Project Engineer, Brayman Construction Corporation, 1000 John Roebling Way, Saxonburg, PA 16056
j_hopple@brayman.com

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The anchor construction phase includes 215 anchors, of which 57 were installed on top of
the dam at 8 or 9.5-degrees from vertical to resist overturning. The remaining 158
anchors were installed on the face of the dam at 45-degrees to resist sliding. The anchors
range in size from 3 to 61 strands and have a design load up to 2,145-kips. Drill holes
range in size from 6.5 to 15-inches.
REASONS FOR TIGHT TOLERANCES
Due to the risk of intercepting adjacent drill holes or tensioned anchors, drill tolerances of
1:150 are specified in holes as deep as 270-feet. The anchor spacing is typically 8-feet
center to center on the face of the dam. The holes located at the top of the dam are
located between the two face anchors as measured along the axis of the dam. At the
intersection of the face and
crest anchors, the center to
center spacing is 4-feet. The
intersection point is over
200-feet deep for some
anchors. The clear spacing
is less than 3-feet since the
drill hole has a 15-inch
diameter.
In addition to the risk of
intercepting adjacent
anchors, there are multiple
obstructions within the dam.
Inclusive in the mass
concrete of the dam are two
galleries that run along the
axis of the dam, hundreds of
foundation relief drains,
mechanical controls for gate
operation, and 18-footFigure 1. Drill Hole Interference
diameter penstocks. Figure 1
shows a typical cross section of the dam with some dimensions added to identify the
distance from the top of the hole to the potential interference item. Holes drilled from the
face pass within 4-feet of the inspection gallery. Drill holes do intersect existing
foundation drains, but the drill accuracy limits the number of drains lost and enables the
owner to predict which drains will be affected.
The tight tolerance in conjunction with the survey data of the drill-hole location will
allow additional anchors to be added in future phases of work. Phase 4 includes
installing additional anchors in the spillway section of the dam. Future engineering may
also identify the need to add additional anchors.

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21st Century Dam Design Advances and Adaptations

FIELD STUDY
It was unknown if conventional drilling methods could produce the precision necessary
for the anchor construction. A field study was conducted to prove whether conventional
drilling methods could produce drill holes with tolerances of 1:150. In 2002, four 61strand anchors were installed at Bluestone Dam. Conventional drilling methods were
used to install two anchors inclined at 45-degrees on the face of the dam and two anchors
inclined at 8-degrees on the crest of the dam.
Using conventional drilling methods, the tolerance is affected by gravity, drill rod
rotation, drill rod flex, drill setup, and variation in the layers of rock. Drill hole survey
results showed that the 45-degree holes would not meet the necessary tolerance. These
anchors were most susceptible to gravity which pulled the drill string to a more vertical
position. At the bottom of the 170-foot-deep hole, an angle change of nearly 2-degrees
was observed which resulted in tolerances of 1:40. This tolerance represents an
approximate 4-foot deviation from the target line. For a deeper hole this would be
significantly larger as the deviation is likely to increase exponentially with depth rather
than linearly.
DIRECTIONAL DRILL SYSTEM AND COMPONENTS
The directional system was built with job specific
conditions in mind. The system needed to provide
real time feedback in order to efficiently drill the
quantity of holes required. Pulling drill rods and
surveying at specified intervals would significantly
slow the drilling process. Since reinforcing steel is
present throughout the dam concrete, magnetic
surveying devices would not be reliable. Because
the drill holes will encounter water at depths as
shallow as 25-feet, the system had to be watertight
for optical readings. Vibration from the
construction activities could affect the data. To
provide the accuracy required, the system needed to
be independent of the drill and any surfaces affected
by operating equipment.

Figure 2. Monitor and Camera

The following are the components of the system:

-Optical Survey Instrument w/camera (Figure 2)
-Tablet PC/Video Monitor (Figure 2)
-LED Light Target (Figure 3)
-Slant Face Bit (Figure 4)
-Dual Wall Drill Rods
-Independent Drill Stand (Figure 5)

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Figure 3. LED Target

287

The systems main component is an optical survey

instrument fitted with a camera. The camera
monitors the LED target, which is located at the top
of the down-the-hole hammer. The camera is
connected to a video monitor and gives real time
video footage of the target. Dual-wall drill rods
allow air to flow through the outer rod to operate the
hammer, leaving the inner rod free of water and
debris. This makes viewing the target at depths up
to 270-feet possible. The slant-face bit is used in
lieu of a standard button bit and steers the drill
string. The independent drill stand holds the survey
instrument and camera above the drill where it is isolated
from vibrations by the mass of the dam.

Figure 4. Slant Face Bit

DIRECTIONAL DRILL SETUP AND PROCEDURE

A small hydraulic crawler drill is
used to directionally drill a smalldiameter pilot hole. For this
application, the pilot hole had a
5.75-inch diameter. The hole is
then reamed to the desired final
diameter.
The first step in setting up the
directional drill is placing the
independent reference frame to
support the optical instrument.
With the frame in place, the
optical instrument is located in-line
with the theoretical drill line. The
drill is then set at the appropriate
angle and azimuth along the drill
line between the optical instrument
and a survey nail located at the
entry point on the concrete.
As the hole advances, the operator
can watch in real time the
theoretical drill line versus the
actual drill line (Figure 6). The
theoretical drill line is shown as a
cross hair on the screen. Deviation
from the cross hair can be corrected
by stopping the rotation of the drill
288

Figure 5. Directional Drill Setup

Figure 6. Actual vs. Theoretical Alignment

21st Century Dam Design Advances and Adaptations

string and chiseling, or steering, the slant face bit back into the theoretical drill line. The
target has an extra LED light that aligns with the slant face of the bit allowing the
operator to know its orientation at all times. For quality control purposes, optical threedimensional observations are made at intervals as the hole progresses. The specifications
require down-hole instrumentation surveys to verify the location of the hole. The optical
shots are more accurate than the instrument surveys; however, since they are taken before
the final drill operation has been completed, they do not meet the contract specifications,
but are used as reference in the final verification survey.
DIRECTIONAL VERSUS CONVENTIONAL DRILLING
The equipment used for directional drilling in rock and conventional down-the-hole
hammer drilling is generally the same except for the key components that were outlined
previously. These items are not readily available and many of the components have
undergone modifications to adapt to the rock and concrete drilling at Bluestone Dam.
The main difference between the two types of drilling is the extra time required for
directional drilling. Despite knowing in real time the location of the directional drill
string, care needs to be taken while drilling to stay close to the theoretical alignment.
Dedicated drill operators are beneficial for this operation. Different steering techniques
are needed depending on the rock formation, the hole angle, and other factors. The
steering process is slow. The lengths of the drill hole where corrections are made can
cause problems for successive drill operations and anchor installation. Surveying the
location of the drill bit is limited by the line-of-site from the optical instrument. If the
hole begins to drift too far, the light target above the hammer can be eclipsed by the bend
in the drill rods. This is known as losing light. Once the lights are lost, the hole is being
drilled blind. Over-steering can cause the loss of sight of the light target also.
Another step that adds time to the overall drilling process is the setup and alignment of
the drill. Special care needs to be taken to assure the drill starts in the correct location
and orientation. The survey instrument setup is also crucial to the alignment of the drill
hole. The instrument must be backsighted throughout the drilling process to ensure it has
not moved.
The final time restraint is the borehole diameter. Tooling and hole size must be
optimized for the project specifications. There are trade-offs in the selection of the pilot
borehole size, tooling, and steering ability. The larger the final diameter of the hole, the
more passes required to ream the hole to the final diameter. This will add additional
drilling and setup time. The reaming diameter for the additional passes is limited. An
estimate to the reaming limit is approximately double the pilot hole size. Depending on
the required diameter and the initial pilot hole size, multiple reaming passes can be
required to complete a hole.
The ability to view the light target and steer the drill bit can become a limiting factor.
Even in a straight hole, viewing the light target becomes more difficult with depth. The
targets used on this project may be difficult to observe at depths beyond 270-feet.

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Reflections of light in the drill rods can also cause survey error if it is not detected
properly. In cases where the line-of-sight is lost, steering can be performed on a limited
basis and the hole can be advanced without real-time survey observations. This is only
recommended for holes that are near completion and beyond any interference risks. For
holes that can not be completed because they are out of tolerance or the tolerance can not
be verified in real time, grouting must occur. Once the hole is grouted, the hole can be
directionally drilled again after the grout has achieved equal strength to the surrounding
material. Even with a proper grout cure, there is still a tendency for the drill bit to follow
the original drill hole. Embedded steel in the concrete and voids or very soft layers of
rock are the primary causes to lose the tolerance of a drill hole.
VERIFICATION OF ALIGNMENT
The Reflex Maxibor II is used for verification of the borehole location in addition to the
optical survey data obtained while drilling the pilot hole. Two downhole surveys are
completed for each hole. The first survey is run after directional drilling is complete.
The second survey is run upon completion of the final reaming of the hole. For each
survey, data is obtained at 10-foot intervals and the average from the survey, going into
and out of the hole, is used. The surveys are performed with the instrument centralized
inside the drill rods. All of the survey data is compiled to make a final survey report.
RESULTS
For the purpose of this paper, the 100 longest drill holes out of the 185 completed drill
holes were analyzed: 32 of the anchors are 8-degree, top-of-dam anchors (located at the
top of the dam) and the remaining 68 are 45-degree, face-of-dam anchors (located at
the downstream face of the dam). The following is an explanation of the terms used for
surveying the hole. The target line and deviation from the target are evaluated in threedimensional space; however, for reporting and analysis it is helpful to use twodimensional planes.
Upstream Deviation Upstream is a reference to the direction perpendicular to the axis
of the dam going upstream along the river. Deviations are
measured in the vertical plane perpendicular to the dam axis
relative to the theoretical drill line. Deviations in this plane would
represent changes in the drill hole inclination. Gravity and drill
medium changes have the greatest influence on changes in this
direction.
Dam Axis Deviation All drill holes are installed at the azimuth perpendicular to the
dam in the upstream direction. Deviations measured by this
reference are measured in the horizontal plane relative to the
theoretical drill line. Deviations in this plane would represent
changes in the drill hole azimuth. Drill rod rotation and drill
medium changes have the greatest influence on changes in this
direction.

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21st Century Dam Design Advances and Adaptations

The following two plots are typical of what would be found in the final alignment survey
report. The first plot depicts the upstream deviation (Figure 7). Three sets of survey data
are shown for evaluation.
The three-dimensional
tolerance cone is shown in
two-dimensions for a
perspective reference.
The data confirms that the
reaming passes followed
the pilot hole and the
accuracy of the downhole
instrument compared well
to the optical survey shots.
The second plot depicts
the dam axis deviations
(Figure 8). The same sets
of data are shown as in the
upstream deviation graph.
Similarly, the deviations
measured by the different
sets of survey data overlay
closely.

Figure 7

The scale of the graphs is

notable. The vertical axis
of each graph is elevation
with a 200-foot range.
The horizontal axis
represents the deviation in
inches with a range of 4inches. If the graphs were
shown on a 1:1 scale the
deviation would not be
visible for evaluation.
For evaluation, the final
survey for the hole shown
in these examples has a
deviation of less than 1Figure 8
inch until a depth of 206feet and a maximum deviation of roughly 2-inches to the west at the bottom of the survey
along the dam axis. Perpendicular to the dam, the maximum deviation is 4-inches near
the top of the hole and 4.5-inches at the bottom of the hole. The deviation for the total
hole shown based on the last survey reading is 4.5-inches. The tolerance at the bottom of
the survey is 1:608 compared to the required 1:150.

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It is common and acceptable for the top of the hole to be out of tolerance as shown in the
perpendicular axis at the top of the hole. The initial dip can be seen in every survey and
is attributed to rods lying on the bottom of the borehole instead of in the center.
TOP-OF-DAM ANCHORS VERSUS FACE-OF-DAM ANCHORS
The following data (Figures 9 and 10) illustrate the differences, in the drill accuracy
results, between the top-of-dam anchors and the face-of-dam anchors. These anchors
have been separated in the analysis to show the influence gravity has on the results as the
angle from vertical increases in the drill hole. The pie charts are used to count the
number of anchors which land within the tolerances listed on the chart. As illustrated in
the chart, the face-of-dam anchors were prone to lower tolerances than the top-of-dam
anchors.

Figure 9

Figure 10

FACE-OF-DAM ANCHORS TOLERANCE BY DEPTH

As depth increases, the ability to stay on the theoretical drill line becomes more difficult.
In the test program, the upstream tolerance on the face-of-dam anchors was a larger
problem than the dam axis deviation. The upstream tolerance was less than 1:41 in one
hole. To show the improvement of directional drilling, only the upstream deviations are
evaluated in further detail. This is illustrated through a comparison of the tolerance of the
face-of dam anchors at 100-feet depth in the drill hole and at the bottom of the hole.
The pie charts are used to count the number of anchors that land within the tolerances
listed on the chart (Figures 11 and 12). This set of data describes the difference in
tolerance at different depths in the hole. Only three face-of dam anchors (4%) had a
tolerance of less than 1:150 in the upstream direction at full depth. These three anchors
were within tolerance at 100-feet. The anchors went out of tolerance beyond the depth of
any obstructions and were accepted in this manner. At 100-feet, all of the anchors were
within tolerance with the majority more than triple the required tolerance. Distinguishing

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21st Century Dam Design Advances and Adaptations

a varying tolerance acceptance criteria based on known obstructions could allow stricter
tolerances in critical zones while allowing larger tolerances in less critical zones. This
offset can lead to a time savings in the drilling process and reduce the expectancy of
performing re-work due to out-of-tolerance drilling.

Figure 11

Figure 12
LESSONS LEARNED

The directional drill system has undergone modifications throughout the length of the
Bluestone Dam Safety Assurance project. The diameter of the directional drill tooling
has been modified to balance stiffness to keep the hole aligned, with flexibility to steer
and correct the hole when it deviates from the target alignment. The directional drill pilot
hole size was increased early in the project to allow design changes to the reaming bits.
Multiple down-the-hole hammer reaming bits, of various sizes, were fractured while
others were capable of drilling a unique hole outside of the pilot hole prior the pilot hole
size changes being made. Material changes were made to the directional drill tooling to
withstand the wear of hammer drilling in hard rock. This ranged from metallurgy
changes in the tooling manufacturing to O-ring upgrades to keep rod seals lasting longer.
All of the added parts to the drilling system become additional sources of error or
problems in the drilling process. Through experience, the drillers are able to develop
sensitivity to detect problems early and fix them quickly.
The sensitivity of the survey instrument and the effects of the sun had to be monitored
closely since the instrument was mounted on a steel frame. Throughout the day, the
lattice of the stand would expand and contract moving the optical instrument with the
camera. This has the effect of moving the directional drill target that appears on the
drillers screen. Since this was a slow change, it would appear to the driller that the hole
was moving off target. To prevent this problem, the surveyor would block sunlight from
the stand when possible, along with back sighting and adjusting the instrument more
frequently when the weather conditions warranted it.

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Most of the holes on the project have three sets of survey data: the optical data, the
directional downhole instrument survey, and the final downhole instrument survey. The
ability to capture the optical data was not understood at the time the specifications were
written or when the initial construction plans were established. As the data became
available, it became evident that the optical data was the most reliable and accurate
survey information. The downhole instrument survey, after completing the directional
drill hole, was eliminated from the process at many hole locations. With proper design of
the reaming bits and observing drill penetration rates, the reaming process can be
guaranteed to follow the pilot hole. Consequently, the downhole instrument survey could
be eliminated or reduced to a small percentage of verification tests.
The directional drilling system developed at Bluestone Dam is ideal for drilling straight
holes where accuracy is vital to the object being anchored. It has been adapted for very
extreme rock drilling. It would be easy to adapt to less severe rock drilling but there may
be better alternatives for sands, gravels, or clays. Drilling through obstructions is
difficult but can be accomplished with this system. The bit locating system is not
affected by embedded steel in the concrete. The location of the bit is known to a high
degree of accuracy in real-time. The system limitations are discussed in detail with the
comparison to conventional down-the-hole drilling, but primarily it is extra time that
equals extra cost to the project.
REFERENCES
"U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington District - Bluestone Dam." U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, Huntington District - Welcome to the Huntington District. Web. 02 Nov.
2010. www.lrh.usace.army.mil/about/history/bluestone.
Fuller, Mossbarger, Scott, and May Engineers Inc.. Directional Drilling Report Dam
Safety Assurance Program Bluestone Dam Hinton, WV. Rep. Print.

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