PRELIMINARY DESIGN OF A DAM IN THE SERT BROOK

Nuno Gonalo Parro Lobato de Faria

SUMMARY

This work has as objective the design at a preliminary level of a dam and its associated hydraulic
structures. The dam is located in the Sert Brook.

A hydrological study was conducted to estimate and evaluate the design flood according to the stipulated
return period for small concrete dams, 1000 years. To attain this the precipitation-runoff model, the SCS
HUD model, was used with the information gathered from the gauging stations with influence in the brook
basin.

The dam is equipped with a spillway, to determine which kind of spillway the dam would be equipped
with some discharge simulations were conducted, in the end the spillway that presented the best possible
results was a WES ogee crest.

In order to conduct the most of the construction the worksite should be as dry as possible and in order to
get that a river diversion was design. This river diversion was design for an average flow that is exceeded,
in average, 30 days per year. The river diversion is composed of two cofferdams, one for upstream and
another for downstream, and a diversion channel which crosses the dam body and the cofferdams.

The bottom outlet and water intake were design to go through the dams body. The bottom outlet and its
discharge valve (Howell-Bunger) were designed in order to empty the reservoir within two weeks. The
water intake was designed as a response to the demands downstream.

Keywords: hydrological study, spillway, river diversion, bottom outlet, water intake
OBJECTIVE

This work has as an objective the design of a concrete dam and its hydraulic structures such as: spillway,
river diversion, bottom outlet and water intake.

The dam is located in the Sert brook near the city of Sert.

The main characteristics of the dam and its hydraulic structures that were the result of this study are
summarized in this abstract.

HYDROLOGICAL STUDY

In order to quantify the solicitations that the dam is subject, the design flood needs to be determined.
The hydrologic study was conducted as a mean to do so.

As stipulated by the legislation, for this kind of dams, the flood hydrograph and the peak discharge were
determined for a return period of 1000 years.

Was mentioned before the hydrograph and peak discharge were determined using a model called HUD
developed by Soil Conservation Service.

In order to use the model precipitation data was gathered from the meteorological stations near the dam
basin and then the formulation developed by BRANDO & HIPOLITO (1997) combined with the Intensity-
Duration-Frequency (IDF) curves studied by BRANDO et al (2001) was applied

Because what we got was the design precipitation and not the design flood we needed a way to transform
the design precipitation into the design flood. PORTELA (2006) proposed a procedure which was followed
and where the hyetographs obtained in the procedure above mentioned were used to apply the SCSs
HUD model.

Furthermore the peak discharge obtained was also compared with the annual discharges from nearby
basins

Table 1 summarizes the man results obtained from the hydrologic study
 Watershed (km2) 314.66
Concentration time (h) 22.61
Return period (years) 1000
Design precipitation (mm) 219.7
Peak discharge (m3/s) 735.9
Table 1 - results of the hydrological study

DAM GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

The dam axis was chosen in an effort to use as less concrete as possible, placing the axis is the shortest
cross-section and based on the peak discharge and the design head given by the spillway solution the dam
height was determined resulting in a dam height of 26.15 m

The dam body is made of concrete blocks with a vertical slope upstream and a downstream slope of
1.00:0.80 (V:H)

The storage capacity of the dam was given by the accumulated volume curve which was part of the startup
data for this work

The characteristics of the dam body are summarized in the table 2

Type Gravity/Concrete
Crest elevation (m) 193.65
Height (m) 26.15
Crest width (m) 3.70
Normal storage capacity (hm3) 1.25
Minimum storage capacity (hm3) 0.38
Normal Water Level (NWL) (m) 188.5
Maximum Water Level (MWL) (m) 191.88
Minimum Operation Level (MOL) (m) 178.5
Table 2 - characteristics of the dam and the reservoir
SPILLWAY

One of the hydraulic structures that are a part of the dam is the spillway different solutions were
considered, however due to the small volume available in the reservoir the only possible solution was a
spillway over the top taking advantage of the increased length, the spill way is comprised by a WES weir
and an energy dissipation structure.

In order to determine the geometric characteristics of the spillway several solutions were studied taking
into account different crest lengths and evaluating the design head obtained.

Table 3 summarizes the main characteristics for the Spillway.

Type WES weir

Length (m) 50
Effective length (m) 47.43
Maximum head (m) 3.78
Design Head (m) 3.65
Discharge Coefficient 0.53
Affluent flow (m3/s) 735.90
Effluent flow (m3/s) 690.47
Table 3 Characteristics of the spillway

The energy dissipation structure in located in tha end of the spillway, at the toe of the dam, the design of
the dissipation structure follows the procedures presented by PINHEIRO (2005) for a dissipation strutures
of the trampoline type. Table 4 presents the summary of the main characteristics for the solution adopted.

Radius (m) 4.74

Elevation 166.72
Downstream water level 172.61
Exit angle 26.75
Table 4 Characteristics of the energy dissipation structure

The geometry of the energy dissipation structure can be seen in figues 1 and 2
 Figure 1 geometry details of the energy dissipation structure

Because the width at the bottom of the dam was smaller the width of the spillway channel was also
decreased in order for the channel to fit within the space which can be seen on Figure 2

Figure 2 - Changing length of the spillway channel

RIVER DIVERSION

In order for the construction to take place the worksite has to be dry, the river diversion is the way to
obtain that. Designed according to the methodology presented by PINHEIRO (2002) for an average flow
that is exceeded in average 30 days per year

The river diversion is composed of two cofferdams, one upstream and another one downstream and a
diversion channel that crosses the body of the dam.

The diversion channel has a transition structure just before the upstream cofferdam in which the width
changes from 6.00 m to 3.00 m, this change of width is accomplished by means of a hydrodynamic shape
as showed in figure, this shape also guarantees a transition between the subcritical flow in the reservoir
into a supercritical flow in the channel without flow separation

The cofferdams were both design with a slope of 1.00:2.00 (V:H) and a crest width of 3.00 m to allow the
passage of vehicles.

Table summarizes the main characteristics of the river diversion structures

Design discharge (m3/s) 16.35

Water level on reservoir (m) 172.03
Water level downstream (m) 167.73
Upstream cofferdam elevation (m) 173.03
Downstream cofferdam elevation (m) 167.73
Cofferdam crest width (m) 3.00
Channel upstream elevation (m)
Channel downstream elevation (m) 166.66
Channel height (m) VARIES (4.73 -1.5)
Channel width (m) 3.00
Figure 3 - Characcteristics of the river diversion structures

The main characteristics of the river can also be seen on figures 4 to 7

 Figure 4 River diversion. Upstream cofferdam. Longitudinal section

Figure 5 River diversion. Downstream cofferdam. Longitudinal section

Figure 6 - River diversion. Upstream transition structure. Plan.

Figure 7 - River diversion. Downstream restitution zone. Plan.

BOTTOM OUTLET

The bottom outlet was design in order to empty the reservoir within two weeks with the help of a Howell
Bunger valve.

The bottom outlet is composed of several elementes, the upstream trashrack, the transition, steel pipe,
upstream gate, reduction cone and the Howell Bunger valve.

The trashrack was design according to PINHEIRO (2006) and has 4.00 m width and 4.00 m height. And
placed at an eleveation of 175.30 m complying with the minimum submersion of 1.36 m and a the
minimum operation level defined of 178.50 m.

After the trashrack there is the entrance to the hydraulic circuit which has and hydrodynamic shape and
right after we have a transition from rectangular section to the circular section of the steel pipe.

The steel pipe connects the entrance of the bottom outlet and the Howell Bunger valve and has a diameter
of 2.00 m and a length of 12.00 m.

Just upstream the Howell Bunger we have a plan gate which shuts the hydraulic circuit to allow
maintenance operations. Also, an air pipe was added in order to avoid the formation of vortexes and
damage to the circuit.

The Howell Bunger valve has an diameter of 1.30 m and because the pipe and the valve have different
diameters a reduction cone was added.

The main characteristics of the bottom outlet are summarized in

Trashrack width (m) 4.00

Trashrack height (m) 4.00
Steel pipe diameter (m) 2.00
Steel pipe length (m) 12.00
Plan gate width (m) 2.20
Plan gate height (m) 2.20
Air conduct diameter (m) 0.30
Bottom discharge valve type Howell Bunger
Valve diameter (m) 1.3
Bottom outlet entrance elevation (m) 175.30
 Valve axis elevation (m) 175.57
Maximum discharge (m3/s) 11.65
Table 5 Characteristics of the bottom outlet

The main characteristics can also be seen on figures 8 to 11

Figure 8 Bottom outlet. Plan

Figure 9 Botton outlet. Longitudinal section

 Figure 10 Bottom outlet; operation building; plan

Figure 11 Bottom outlet; operating building; longitudinal section

WATER INTAKE

Since there was no information about the water demands of the adjacent populations the water intake
conduit was designed for 0.5 m3/s.

The water intake, as the bottom outlet, it is composed by several elements such as the upstream
trashrack, transition section, steel pipe and plan gate.

Also, like in the bottom outlet the entire water intake is controlled through the operating building. The
main characteristics of the water intake are summarized in table 6 and can be seen on figures 12 and 13

trashrack width (m) 0.90

Trashrack height (m) 0.90
Steel pipe diameter (m) 0.40
Plan gate width (m) 0.60
Plan gate height (m) 0.60
Air conduct diameter (m) 0.15
Elevation of water intake entrance (m) 174.57
Design flow (m3/s) 0.50
Table 6 Characteristics of bottom outlet elements

Figure 12 Water intake; longitudinal section

Figure 13 Water intake; operation building; plant