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DAM (GENERAL), RESERVOIRS,

SPILLWAYS & ENERGY DISSIPATORS

BY SAGAR DODEJA, IES

STRUCTURES FOR HARNESSING WATER RESOURCES OF A RIVER

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SAGAR SIR, MADE EASY

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• In order to harness the water potential of a
river optimally, it is necessary to construct
two types of hydraulic structures:
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1. STORAGE STRUCTURE: usually a DAM, which
stores excess water of a river during periods
of high flows (as during the monsoons) and
releases it according to a regulated schedule.
2. DIVERSION STRUCTURE : may be a WEIR or a
BARRAGE that raises the water level of the
river slightly, not for creating storage, but for
allowing the water to get diverted through a
canal situated at one or both of its banks.

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TYPES OF DAMS
(OVERVIEW)

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• Gravity Dams resist all the forces due to

its own self weight.
• This type of dam can be constructed in
almost any type of foundation (soil, rock
etc.) SAGAR SIR, MADE EASY
• Highest Gravity Dam - Grand Dixence Dam
• Second Highest Gravity Dam - Bhakra Dam

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• These types of dams have considerable

upstream curvature in plan and rely on an
arching action on the abutments through
which it passes most of the water load on to
the walls of the river valley.
• Thus, abutments must be strong enough to
resist the stresses.SAGAR SIR, MADE EASY
• This type of dam is structurally more efficient
than gravity dams and greatly reduces the
volume of concrete required.

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ARCH AND DOUBLE ARCH(CUPOLA) DAMS

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• Earth-fill or earthen embankments –These may

be classified as dams in which compacted soil is
used for constructing the bulk of the dam
volume. An earth fill dam is constructed
primarily of selected engineering soils compacted
uniformly and intensively in the relatively thin
layers and at a controlled moisture content.
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For complete details such as Phreatic Line concept,
Seepage Theory etc., refer Soil Mechanics

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ROCK FILL DAM

TEHRI DAM

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• Rock-fill embankments – In these types of

dams, there is an impervious core of
compacted earth fill or a slender concrete
or bituminous membrane but the bulk of
the dam volume is made of coarse grained
gravels, crushed rocks or boulders.
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BUTTRESS DAM

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• This type of dams consist of a continuous

upstream face supported at regular intervals by
buttress walls on the down stream side.
• These dams are generally lighter than the gravity
dam but likely to induce slightly higher stresses at
the foundation since most of the load now passes
through the buttress walls and not spread
uniformly over the foundation as in a solid gravity
dam. SAGAR SIR, MADE EASY

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RESERVOIR
• Artificial lake created by constructing a dam across
a river is a reservoir.
• Multipurpose reservoir is preferred over single
purpose reservoir (refer Introduction to Irrigation
chapter for all purposes)
• Useful life of a reservoir depends upon the
deposition of sediments. The deposition of
sediments gradually decreases the storage capacity
of the reservoir. The rate of sedimentation in the.
Reservoir depends on the trap efficiency.
• Trap efficiency SAGAR SIR, MADE EASY
= (Sediment Retained/Total Sediments) x 100

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• It has been found that the trap efficiency depends
upon the capacity/inflow ratio
• Trap efficiency = f(Capacity/Inflow)
• Inflow refers to sediment inflow, capacity refers to
reservoir total capacity.
• Brune (1948) suggested that greater the capacity/
inflow ratio, greater is the trap efficiency.
• This means that larger and deeper reservoirs will
experience more sedimentation.
• Trap efficiency decreases with the age of reservoir
because the available capacity decreases due to
sedimentation SAGAR SIR, MADE EASY
• Reservoir is said to reach its useful life when it is not
able to be used for the intended purpose.

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SPILLWAYS
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• Passages constructed either within a dam or in
the periphery of the reservoir to safely pass this
excess of the river during flood flows
• The surface of the spillway should also be such
that it is able to withstand erosion or scouring
due to the very high velocities generated during
the passage of a flood through the spillway

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TYPES OF SPILLWAYS

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1. Free Overfall/Straight Drop Spillway

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• Usually, spillways are provided with
gates, which provides a better
control on the discharges passing
through. However, in remote areas,
where access to the gates by
personnel may not be possible
during all times as during the rainy
season or in the night, un-gated
spillways may have to be provided.
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2. Overflow/Ogee Spillway

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OGEE SPILLWAY CHARACTERISTICS OF SARDAR SAROVAR DAM

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Ogee Spillway Design
• The ogee shape (or S shape) approximates
the profile of lower nappe of a sheet of
water flowing over a weir which is ideal for
obtaining optimum discharges.
• The design is done as per IS 6934-1998
• The upstream quadrant of the crest confirm
to the equation of ellipse
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• The downstream profile confirm to the
equation shown in figure.
• A1, B1 and K2 are constants.

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General Equation
• The general equation of Ogee Spillway is as
follows -

Hd is the upstream head of water over the crest

n is usually 1.85 and K is usually 2

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3. Chute/Open Channel Spillway
• A chute spillway, variously called as open channel
or trough spillway, is one whose discharge is
conveyed from the reservoir to the downstream
river level through an open channel which has a
constantly changing cross sectional area

4. Side Channel Spillway

• A side channel spillway is one in which the
control weir is placed approximately parallel to
the upper portion of the discharge channel

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5. Shaft Spillway
• A Shaft Spillway is one where water
enters over a horizontally positioned lip,
drops through a vertical or sloping shaft,
and then flows to the downstream river
channel through a horizontal or nearly
horizontal conduit or tunnel
• When the inlet is funnel shaped, the
structure is called a morning glory
spillway (name is derived from the flower
of the same name)

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6. Siphon Spillway
• It is a closed conduit formed in the shape of
an inverted U, positioned so that the inside
of the bend of the upper passageway is at
normal reservoir storage level.
• It is also called as Saddle Siphon Spillway
• Siphonic action takes place after the air in
the bend over the crest has been
exhausted. SAGAR SIR, MADE EASY
• Continuous flow is maintained by the
suction effect due to the gravity pull of the
water in the lower leg of the siphon.

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Siphon Spillway

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DISCHARGE EQUATION FOR SIPHON SPILLWAY

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ENERGY DISSIPATORS
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• At the bottom of the spillways, where the water
rushes out to meet the natural river, is usually
provided with an energy dissipation device that
kills most of the energy of the flowing water.
• These devices, commonly called as Energy
Dissipators, are required to prevent the river
surface from getting dangerously scoured by the
impact of the out-falling water

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• Different types of energy dissipators may be used
along with a spillway, alone or in combination of more
than one, depending upon the energy to be dissipated
and erosion control required downstream of a dam.
• Broadly, the energy dissipators are classified under
two categories –
1. Devices using a hydraulic jump for energy dissipation
called as Stilling Basin.
2. Devices using a bucket for energy dissipation

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Stilling basin type energy dissipators
• HORIZONTAL APRON TYPE

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Sloping Apron Type

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Bucket type energy dissipators

SKI JUMP BUCKET TYPE

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USUALLY THE LIP/LAUNCH ANGLE

IS KEPT 45O

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SELECTION OF AN ENERGY DISSIPATOR
The choice of energy dissipating device is governed
by tail water depth & the characteristics of
hydraulic jump.
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1. POST JUMP HEIGHT (y2) – fixed for a particular
discharge intensity (q)
2. TAIL WATER DEPTH (y2’) – calculated by stream
gauging (downstream slope, terrain conditions
etc.)

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Now a graph is plotted between
1. Jump Height vs Discharge (JHC or JHRC or
JRC)
2. Tail Water Depth vs Discharge (TWRC or TRC)

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Then, these curves are superimposed

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MEASURES ADOPTED FOR DISSIPATION
OF ENERGY
• Whenever a supercritical flow converts
into subcritical (below spillway), hydraulic
jump is bound to form to dissipate the
excess energy
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• The challenge is to safely dissipate the
energy without harming any part of the
structure

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•This is the ideal case
•In this, the horizontal apron
provided on the riverbed
downstream from the toe of
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the spillway would suffice.
•The length of the apron
should be equal to the length
of the jump corresponding to
the maximum discharge over
the spillway.

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•The TWD as provided by the natural

river is not sufficient for a clear
jump to form at the toe.

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This is overcome by -
• A stilling basin apron that is depressed below the
river bed level
• A sill or baffle of sufficient height at the end of
the spillway to raise the tail water
• A ski jump to throw water if there is rock beneath

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Since, this situation results
in submergence of the jump,
it is necessary to raise the
floor to form a clear jump

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• Providing an inclined apron

• A bucket type energy dissipator

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HYDRAULIC DESIGN OF BARRAGES
& WEIRS AS PER IS 6966(PART 1):1989
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Looseness Factor
The ratio of overall length of weir or barrage proposed
or provided to the theoretically computed minimum
stable width of the river at the design flood by using
Lacey’s equation
Retrogression
It is the degradation of the downstream river and
levels as a result of construction of a weir or barrage
causing lowering of downstream river.

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Afflux
• The rise in water levels at any point upstream
of barrage/weir during floods is called afflux.
• Maximum afflux occurs just upstream of the
barrage or weir. SAGAR SIR, MADE EASY
• The amount of afflux will determine the top
levels of the guide bunds and marginal bunds,
piers, flank walls etc.
• Naturally a smaller waterway would result
in larger afflux and vice versa

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Waterway
In confined rivers with stable banks, the
overall waterway should be approximately
equal to the actual width of the river at the
design flood.
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For meandering alluvial rivers, the looseness
factor shall be applied to Lacey’s waterway
for determining the width of waterway

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Lacey’s waterway is given by the following formula

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The discharge through a barrage/weir is obtained from
the following formula
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****THE END ****

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