8/14/2017

DAM SITES
Written Report

Presented by: Leonardo, King Leonard C.

Inguillo, Xyrile I.
Zoleta, Bryan Kenneth

CYS: BSCE 3-1

Presented to: Engr. Catherine C. Bombita

 DAM SITES
A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of water or underground
streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for
activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aquaculture,
and navigability. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while
other structures such as floodgates or levees (also known as dikes) are used to manage or
prevent water flow into specific land regions.

HISTORY OF DAM SITES

The first constructed dams were gravity dams, which are straight dam made of
masonry (stone brick) or concrete that resists the water load by means of weight. ."
Around 2950-2750 B.C, the ancient Egyptians built the first known dam to exist.

The second type of dam known to have been built was an earth dam called
Nimrod's Dam in Mesopotamia around 2000 BC. Earth dams are massive dams similar to
gravity dams except they are made of soil.

Around 100 AD the Romans were the first civilization to use concrete and mortar
in their gravity dams.

Due to the large size and amount of building material need to construct these
dams, the arch dam was invented.

In the seventeenth century Spanish dam building was superior to all other
civilizations. A Spaniard named Don Pedro Bernardo Villarreal de Berriz wrote the first
book on designing dams in 1736.

The buttress dam uses a series of cantilevers, slabs, arches or domes to support the
face of the dam from the force of the water.

The Spanish brought the art of dam building from Spain to the Americas. The idea
of buttress dams was current in Spain, so many small buttress dams were used for
irrigation purposes.
 SELECTION OF DAM SITES
The selection of Dam site for constructing a dam should be governed by the
following factors.

1. Suitable foundation must be available.

2. For economy, the length of the dam should be as small as possible, and for a given
height, it should store the maximum volume of water.
3. The general bed level at dam site should preferably be higher than that of the river
basin. This will reduce the height of the dam.
4. A suitable site for the spillway should be available in the near vicinity.
5. Materials required for the construction of dam should be easily available, either
locally or in the near vicinity.
6. The value of land and property submerged by the proposed dam should be as low as
possible.
7. The dam site should be easily accessible, so that it can be economically connected to
important towns and cities.
8. Site for establishing labor colonies and a healthy environment should be available
near the site.

FACTORS AFFECTING SELECTION OF DAM

Topography
Topography dictates the first choice of the type of dam. Depending on the
foundation rock conditions with reference to structure etc. other suitable type of dams can
considered.

Geological and Foundation Conditions

Geological and Foundation conditions should be thoroughly surveyed because the

foundations have to carry the weight of the dam. Various kind of foundations generally
encountered are:

1. Solid rock foundations such as granite have strong bearing power and almost every
kind of dam can be built on such foundations.
2. Gravel foundations are suitable for earthen and rock fill dams.
3. Silt and fine sand foundations suggest construction of earth dams or very low gravity
dams.
4. Clay foundations are likely to cause enormous settlement of the dam. Constructions
of gravity dams or rock fill dams are not suitable on such foundations. Earthen dams
after special treatments can be built.

Availability of Materials

Availability of materials is another important factor in selecting the type of dam.

In order to achieve economy in dam construction, the materials required must be
available locally or at short distances from the construction site.

Spillway Size and Location

Spillway disposes the surplus river discharge. The capacity of the spillway will
depend on the magnitude of the floods to be by-passed. The spillway is therefore much
more important on rivers and streams with large flood potential.

Earthquake Zone

If dam is situated in an earthquake zone, its design must include earthquake forces.
The type of structure best suited to resist earthquake shocks without danger are earthen
dams and concrete gravity dams.

Height of Dam

Earthen dams are usually not provided for heights more than 30 m or so. For
greater heights, gravity dams are generally preferred.

HOW TO BUILD A DAM

Step 1
To build a Dam the engineers must first de-water the part of the river valley in
which they wish to place the dam. This is usually achieved by diverting the river through
a tunnel. The tunnel is built through one side of the valley around the planned
construction area. A series of holes is drilled in the rock. Diversion tunnels are often lined
with concrete.
Step 2
Work on diverting the river starts in summer when river levels are low. Earth-
moving equipment is used to build a small dam (called a cofferdam) upstream of the
main construction area. This acts as a barrier to the river and causes it to flow through the
diversion tunnel. Another cofferdam is built downstream of the main damsite to prevent
water flowing back into the construction area. Diversion tunnels are not always necessary
when concrete dams are being built. The river can sometimes be channelled through a
large pipe and the dam constructed around it.

Step 3
The construction methods used in building a dam depend on the type of dam being
built. The first stage normally involves the removal of loose rock and rubble from the
valley walls and river bed. Concrete-faced rockfill dams require a footing (or plinth) to be
constructed around their upstream edge. The plinth is made from concrete and serves as a
foundation or connection between the dam and the valley walls and floor. It has an
important role in preventing water leakage around the edges of the dam. The area under
the plinth is waterproofed by drilling holes and pumping cement grout into cracks in the
rock. The thin concrete face on the upstream side of the dam is connected to the plinth via
stainless steel and rubber seals called water stops.
Step 4
During dam construction the associated power station and intake works are also
being built. When the dam is completed the diversion tunnel is closed and the lake begins
to fill. The closure of the diversion tunnel has two phases. During low flow a large re-
usable steel gate is lowered across the entrance. The diversion tunnel is then permanently
blocked off by the construction of a concrete plug.
DIFFERENT PARTS OF DAMS:

Crest: The top of the Dam. These may in some cases be used for providing a
roadway or walkway over the dam.
Parapet walls: Low Protective walls on either side of the roadway or walkway on
the crest.
Heel: Portion of Dam in contact with ground or river-bed at upstream side.
Toe: Portion of dam in contact with ground or river-bed at downstream side.
Spillway: It is the arrangement made (kind of passage) near the top of dam for the
passage of surplus/ excessive water from the reservoir.
Abutments: The valley slopes on either side of the dam wall to which the left &
right end of dam are fixed to.
Gallery: Level or gently sloping tunnel like passage (small room like space) at
transverse or longitudinal within the dam with drain on floor for seepage water.
These are generally provided for having space for drilling grout holes and drainage
holes.
Sluice way: Opening in the dam near the base, provided to clear the silt
accumulation in the reservoir.
Free board: The space between the highest level of water in the reservoir and the
top of the dam.
 Dead Storage level: Level of permanent storage below which the water will not
be withdrawn.
Diversion Tunnel: Tunnel constructed to divert or change the direction of water
to bypass the dam construction site. The dam is built while the river flows through
the diversion tunnel.

CLASSIFICATION OF DAMS:

BASED ON PURPOSE:

Storage Dams

It is constructed to create a reservoir to store water during periods when there is

huge flow in the river (in excess of demand) for utilization later during periods of low
flow (demand exceeds flow in the river). Water stored in the reservoir is used for
irrigation, power generation, water supply etc. By suitable operation, it can also serve as a
detention dam.

Diversion Dams

A diversion dam is constructed for the purpose of diverting water of the river into
an off-taking canal (or a conduit). They provide sufficient pressure for pushing water into
ditches, canals, or other conveyance systems. Such shorter dams are used for irrigation,
and for diversion from a stream to a distant storage reservoir.

Detention Dams

Detention dams are constructed for flood control. A detention dam retards the flow
in the river on its downstream during floods by storing some flood water. Thus the effect
of sudden floods is reduced to some extent. The water retained in the reservoir is later
released gradually at a controlled rate according to the carrying capacity of the channel
downstream of the detention dam.

Debris Dams

A debris dam is constructed to catch and retain debris such as sand, gravel, and
drift wood flowing in the river with water. The water after passing over a debris dam is
relatively clear.

Coffer Dams

It is an enclosure constructed around the construction site to exclude water so that

the construction can be done in dry. A cofferdam is thus a temporary dam constructed for
 facilitating construction. A coffer dam is usually constructed on the upstream of the main
dam to divert water into a diversion tunnel (or channel) during the construction of the
dam.

BASED ON HYDRAULIC DESIGN:

1. Overflow Dam or Overfill Dam
It is constructed with a crest to permit overflow of surplus water that cannot be
retained in the reservoir. Generally, dams are not designed as overflow dams for its entire
length. Diversion weirs of small height may be designed to permit overflow over its
entire length.

2. Non-overflow Dam
It is constructed such that water is not allowed to overflow over its crest.

In most cases, dams are so designed that part of its length is designed as an
overflow dam (this part is called the spillway) while the rest of its length is designed as a
non-overflow dam. In some cases, these two sections are not combined.

BASED ON MATERIAL CONSTRUCTION:

1. Rigid Dam
It is constructed with rigid material such as stone, masonry, concrete, steel, or timber.

Steel dams (steel plates supported on inclined struts) is a type of dam (a structure
to impound or retard the flow of water) that is made of steel, rather than the more
common masonry, earthworks, concrete or timber construction materials.[1]

Timber dams (wooden planks supported on a wooden framework) are constructed

only for small heights (rarely).

2. Non-rigid Dam (Embankment Dams)

It is constructed with non-rigid material such as earth, tailings, rockfill etc.

Earthen dam gravel, sand, silt, clay etc

Tailings dam It is typically an earth-fill embankment dam used to store byproducts of
mining operations after separating the ore from the gangue. Conventional water
retention dams can serve this purpose, but due to cost, a tailings dam is more
viable. Tailings can be liquid, solid, or a slurry of fine particles.
Rockfill dam A rockfill dam is a type of embankment dam which comprises primarily
compacted rock materials. Shaped much like a bank or hill, rockfill dams are effective
because the force of the river or reservoir hits the core of the embankment, is exerted in a
downward direction, and transferred to the solid foundation of the dam
BASED ON STRUCTURAL BEHAVIOR:
1. Gravity Dams
It is a masonry or concrete dam which resists the forces acting on it by its own
weight. Its c/s is approximately triangular in shape.

2. Arch Dams
It is a curved masonry or concrete dam, convex upstream, which resists the forces
acting on it by arch action.

3. Buttress Dam
It consists of water retaining sloping membrane or deck on the u/s which is
supported by a series of buttresses. These buttresses are in the form of equally spaced
triangular masonry or reinforced concrete walls or counterforts. The sloping membrane is
usually a reinforced concrete slab.

4. Embankment Dams
It is a non-rigid dam which resists the forces acting on it by its shear strength and
to some extent also by its own weight (gravity). Its structural behavior is in many ways
different from that of a gravity dam.

FUNCTIONS AND USES OF DAMS

A dam is constructed mainly for power generation, irrigation/water supply or flood
prevention. However, in most of cases dams have multiple functions. The main uses of a
dam are presented below.
Power generation
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 generation
purposes. The reservoir water is stored at a higher level than the turbines, which are
housed in a power station. Sometimes, the power station is directly in front of a dam, and
pipes through the dam feed water directly to the turbines. In other cases, the power
station is some distance downhill from the reservoir, and the water is fed to it through
long pipes or tunnels called penstocks.
Stabilize water flow / irrigation
Dams are often used to control and stabilize water flow, often
for agricultural purposes and irrigation. Plants will grow naturally on fertile soil that is
watered by rain.
 Irrigation water can be stored in reservoirs during the rainy season, then in the
drier seasons it can be released from the reservoir and distributed over the land through a
system of canals.
Flood prevention
A reservoir can be used to control the amount of water flowing in a river after
heavy rain. The water level in the reservoir is kept low during the rainier periods of the
year. When heavy rain occurs, it is stopped by the dam and held back in the reservoir.
When the reservoir gets too full, the floodwater can be passed downstream over
a spillway. Sometimes, floodgates are used on top of spillways, and they can be fully or
partly opened to control the amount of water let out into the river downstream.
Land reclamation
Dams (often called dykes or levees in this context) are used to prevent ingress of
water to an area that would otherwise be submerged, allowing its reclamation for human
use.
Water supply of urban areas/ Industrial usage
Many urban areas of the world are supplied with water abstracted from rivers pent
up behind low dams or weirs. Examples include London - with water from the River
Thames and Chester with water taken from the River Dee.