Gravity Dams

Introduction
A gravity dam is a structure so proportioned
that its own weight resists the forces exerted
upon it
A gravity dam may be constructed either of
masonry or of concrete. However, now-a-days
with improved methods of construction, quality
control and curing, concrete is most commonly
used for the construction of gravity dams.

Basic Definitions
1. Axis of the dam: The axis of the
gravity dam is the line of the
upstream edge of the top (or
crown) of the dam.
2. Length of the dam: The length of
the dam is the distance from one
abutment to the other, measured
along the axis of the dam at the
level of the top of the dam.
3. Structural height of the dam:
The structural height of the dam is
the difference in elevations of the
top of the dam and the lowest
point in the excavated foundation

Dam Axis

M.W.L

F.R.L.

Structural
Height

Hydraulic
Height

u/s

River Bed

d/s

Heel
Toe

Base Width

4. Maximum base width of the dam: The maximum base

width of the dam is the maximum horizontal distance
between the heel and the toe of the maximum section of the
dam in the middle of the valley.
5. Toe and Heel: The toe of the dam is the downstream edge
of the base, and the heel is the upstream edge of the base.
6. Hydraulic height of the dam: The hydraulic height of the
dam is equal to the difference in elevations of the highest
controlled water surface on the upstream of the dam (i. e.
FRL) and the lowest point in the river bed.

Forces acting on a gravity dam

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Water pressure.
Weight of dam.
Uplift pressure.
Silt pressure.
Ice pressure.
Wind pressure.
Wave pressure.
Pressure due to earthquake

Water pressure

This is the major external force

acting on dam. When the
upstream face of the dam is
vertical, the water pressure acts
horizontally.
The water pressure intensity p
(KN/m2) varies linearly with the
depth of the water measured
below the free surface y (m) and
is expressed as

p wy
where w is the specific weight
of water

(a) U/s face vertical: When the upstream face of the dam is
vertical
1
2

PH

wh

It acts horizontally at a height of h/3 above the

base of the dam.
(b) U/s face inclined:
PV =

PV1 + PV2
= weight of water in BCDE + weight of
water in ABE

Weight of the dam

The weight of the dam is the main
stabilizing force in a gravity dam.
The dead load to be considered
comprises the weight of the
concrete or masonry or both plus
the weight of such appurtenances
as piers, gates and bridges.
W= W1+W2+W3

The total weight W of the dam

acts at the C.G. of its section.

Uplift pressure

The uplift pressure is defined as the upward pressure of

water as it flows or seeps through the body of the dam or
its foundation.
According to the Indian Standard (IS : 6512-1984), there
are two constituent elements in uplift pressure: the area
factor or the percentage of area on which uplift acts and
the intensity factor or the ratio which the actual intensity
of uplift pressure bears to the intensity gradient extending
from head water to tail water at various points.

Earth and Silt Pressures

Gravity dams are subjected to
earth pressures on the
downstream and upstream
faces where the foundation
trench is to he backfilled.
Except in the abutment
sections in specific cases and
in the junctions of the dam
with an earth or rock fill
embankment, earth pressures
have usually a minor effect on
the stability of the structure
and may be ignored.

Ice Pressure
The ice pressure is more important for dams constructed
in cold countries, or at higher elevations.
This force acts linearly along the length of the dam, at the
reservoir level, and its magnitude varies from 2.5 to 15
kg/cm3 depending upon temperature variations.

Wind Pressure
It is a minor force and need hardly be taken into account
for the design of dams. Wind pressure is required to be
considered only on the V portion of the super structure which
is exposed to the action of wind. Normally wind pressure is
taken. as 100 to 150 kg/m2 for the area exposed to the wind
pressure.

Wave Pressure
In addition to the static water loads the upper portions of
dams are subject to the impact of waves.
The maximum unit
pressure pw in kPa
occurs at 0.125 hw,
above the still water
level and is given by
the equation:

p w 24hw

Earthquake Forces (IS : 1893-1984 )

The earthquake sets up primary, secondary, Raleigh and
Love waves in the earth's crust. The waves impart
accelerations to the foundations under the dam and.
causes its movement. In order to avoid rupture, the dam
must also move along with it.
For the purpose of determining the seismic forces, the
country is classified into five zones.
According to IS : 1893-1984, the design value of
horizontal seismic coefficient determined by following
two methods.

In Seismic Coefficient Method the design value of horizontal

seismic coefficient (h) shall be computed as:

h I 0
where = a coefficient depending upon the soil foundation
system , I = a factor depending upon the importance of the
structure

 In response Spectrum Method the response acceleration

coefficient is first obtained for the natural period and
damping of the structure and the design value of horizontal
seismic coefficient (h) shall be computed using

h IF0 S a g
where Sa/g = average acceleration coefficient as read from Fig
for a damping of 5 percent and fundamental period of vibration of
the dam corresponding to
H2
T 5.55
B

m
gEm

where H = height of the dam in m, B = base width of the dam

in m, m = unit weight of the material of dam in N/m3, g =
acceleration due to gravity in m/s2, and Em, = modulus of elasticity
of the material in N/m2

The vertical seismic coefficient (v) may be taken as half of the

horizontal seismic coefficient i.e.

v 0.5 h

Load Combinations
Gravity dam design should be based on the most adverse load
combination A, B, C, D, E, F or G given below using the safety
factors prescribed.
Load Combination A (Construction Condition) - Dam completed but no water
in reservoir and no tail water.
Load Combination B (Normal Operating Condition) - Full reservoir elevation,
normal dry weather tail water, normal uplift; ice and silt (if applicable).
Load Combination C (Flood Discharge Condition) - Reservoir at maximum
flood pool elevation, all gates open, tail water at flood elevation, normal
uplift, and silt (if applicable ).
Load Combination D - Combination A, with earthquake.
Load Combination E - Combination B, with earthquake but no ice.
Load Combination F - Combination C, but with extreme uplift (drains
inoperative).
Load Combination G - Combination E, but with extreme uplift (drains
inoperative).

Requirements for Stability

Following are the modes of failure of a gravity dam:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Overturning
Sliding
Compression or Crushing
Tension.

Overturning
The overturning of the dam section takes place when the
resultant force at any section cuts the base of the dam
downstream of the toe. In that case the resultant moment at
the toe becomes clockwise (or -ve). On the other hand, if the
resultant cuts the base within the body of the dam, there will
be no overturning.
The factor of safety against overturning should not be less
than 1.5
The factor of safety against overturning is defined as the
ratio of the righting moment (+ ve MR) to the overturning
moments (- ve M0) about the toe

M R
Righting Moments
FS

Overturning Moments
M 0

Sliding
A dam will fail in sliding at its base, or at any other level,
if the horizontal forces causing sliding are more than the
resistance available to it at that level.
The factor of safety against sliding shall be computed
from the following equation and shall not be less than 1.0.
W PU F c A Fc
FS
FH
where FS = factor of safety against sliding, W = dead load
of the dam, PU = total uplift force, c = cohesion of the material or
permissible shear stress at the plane considered, A = area under
consideration for cohesion, F = partial factor of safety in respect
of friction, Fc = partial factor of safety in respect of cohesion, and
FH = total horizontal force.

Factor of safety against sliding and shear friction factor

(IS : 6512 1972)

Compression or Crushing
Let FH be the total
horizontal force, FV be the total
vertical force and R be the
resultant force cutting the base at
an eccentricity e from the centre
of the base of width b
Thus, direct stress cc is
FV
cc
b 1
Bending stress cbc at any fiber at
distance y from Neutral Axis is

cbc

M y

 Total normal stress pn is given by

p n cc cbc

FV 6FV e FV

2
b 1
b
b

The normal stress at the toe is

FV
6e
p n ,toe
1

b
b
The normal stress at the heel is

pn , heel

FV
6e

b
b

When the eccentricity e is equal to b/6 we get

pn,toe

2FV

;
b

pn ,heel 0

6e
1

Tension
From equation for the
normal stress at the heel
it is evident that if e >
b/6, the normal stress at
the heel will be -ve or
tensile. No tension
should be permitted at
any point of the dam
under any circumstance
for moderately high
dams.

Quality and Strength of Concrete/Masonry

The compressive strength of concrete should satisfy early
load and construction requirements and at the age of one
year it should be four times the maximum computed
stress in the dam or 14 N/mm2, whichever is more.
The compressive strength of masonry should satisfy early
load and construction requirements and at one year it
should be five times the maximum computed stress on the
dam or 12.5 N/mm2 whichever is more.

Principal and Shear Stresses

Principal Stress: Consider an
elementary triangular section at
either the heel or the toe of the dam
section such that stress intensities
may be assumed to be uniform on its
faces. The face of the dam will be a
principal plane as water pressure acts
on it in the perpendicular direction.
Let ds, dr and dy be the lengths of
AC, AB and BC; p = intensity of
water pressure; 1 = principal stress
on plane AB; = shear stress; and pn
= normal stress. we get

p n dy pds sin 1 dr cos

But

dr dy cos and ds dy sin , therefore

1 p n p sin 2 cos 2

1 p n sec 2 p tan 2

If pe is the intensity of hydrodynamic pressure due to

an earthquake, then the principal stress is given by

1 pn sec 2 p pe tan 2
This equation is known as the principal stress
relationship, and is applicable to both upstream and
downstream faces

 Shear Stress: Resolving all the forces in the horizontal

direction, we get
dy 1dr sin pds cos

dy 1dy cos sin pdy sin cos

Substituting the value of 1 we get

p n sec 2 p tan 2 p cos sin

p n p tan

The above equation is applicable for downstream side only.

For the upstream side, the magnitude of will be the same
but its direction will be reversed.

p n p p

'
e

tan

Elementary Profile of a Gravity Dam

We shall consider main three
forces (weight of the dam, water
pressure, and uplift pressure)
acting on the elementary profile
of a gravity dam viz
W bH c 2 ;
PU CbH w 2

PH w H 2 2 ;

Base width of the elementary profile

Stress Criteria: We have already seen that when reservoir is

empty, for no tension to develop, the resultant should act at the
inner third point. For the reservoir full condition, for no tension
to develop, the resultant R must pass through the outer third
point. Taking the moment of all forces about M2 and equating it
to zero (since the moment of R about M2 is zero), we get
b
H
b
W PH PU 0
3
3
3

Put

bH c b w H 2 H CbH w b

0
2 3
2 3
2 3

c S c w

S c b 2 H 2 Cb 2 0

bH

Sc C

 Stability or Sliding criteria : For no sliding to occur,

horizontal force causing sliding should be balanced by

the frictional forces opposing the same. Hence

PH W PU

w H 2 2 bH c 2 CbH w 2

From which

b H Sc C

If uplift is neglected, then

b H S c

Limiting Height of a Gravity Dam

In the limiting case

1 H w S c C 1 per

The limiting height Hlim is given by

H lim per w S c C 1

Thank You