Hydropower Engineering

Gravity Dam
 History
• Gravity dams were the first type of dam ever to be
constructed, and were made from stone bricks or concrete
bricks
• . One of the first gravity dams on record was built by
Egyptians around 2950 to 2750 BC. The dam, called sadd
el-kafara and meaning “Dam of the Pagans,”.
• Around 100 A.D, the romans became the first civilization to
use concrete and mortar in the construction of gravity
dams
• Today, gravity dams are still being fabricated out of
concrete, but with the incorporation of post-tensioned
steel, a new development in their construction
 Gravity dam

• Gravity dam is a massive sized dam fabricated from concrete and designed
to hold back large volume of water
• the weight of the dam is actually able to resist the horizontal thrust of
water pushing against it. This is why it is called gravity dam
• Gravity dam are well suited for blocking river in wide valleys or narrow
gorge ways
• gravity dams must rely (trust) on their own weight to hold back water, it is
key that they are built on solid foundation of bedrock.
• are solid concrete structures that maintain their stability against design
loads from the geometric shape and the mass and strength of the concrete
• gravity dams are generally straight in plan and are called straight gravity
dams.
• However, sometimes they are slightly curved in plan and are called curved-
gravity dams (Hoover dam).
• A gravity dam is called solid gravity dam when it is a solid mass of concrete
with no hollow spaces inside the dam
• the gravity dam, in general, means a solid gravity dam
• gravity dams are solid concrete structures
• The two general concrete construction methods for concrete
gravity dams are
 conventional placed mass concrete and
 RCC (Roller-compacted concrete)
• American Concrete Institute (ACI) Conventionally placed mass
concrete dams
• are characterized by construction using materials and
techniques employed in the proportioning, mixing, placing,
curing (hardening) , and temperature control of mass concrete
• Have overflow (spill way) section and non-overflow section
• Dam construction with conventional concrete readily facilitates
installation of conduits, penstocks, galleries, etc., within the
structure
• Construction procedures include batching and mixing, and
transportation, placement, vibration, cooling, curing
(hardening), and preparation of horizontal construction joints
between lifts
• The heat generated as cement hydrates requires careful
temperature control during placement of mass concrete and
for several days after placement

• The design of RCC gravity dams is similar to conventional

concrete structures
• The differences lie in the construction methods, concrete mix
design, and details of the appurtenant (accessory) structures
• RCC is a relatively dry, lean (tilt), concrete material containing
coarse and fine aggregate that is consolidated(strengthen) by
external vibration using vibratory rollers, dozer, and other heavy
equipment
• For effective consolidation, RCC must be dry enough to support
the weight of the construction equipment

– Construction material
 fine and coarse (rough cut) aggregates
 Chemical admixtures
 cementations’ materials, water for washing aggregates, mixing,
curing(hardening) of concrete and
 Various appurtenant structures
 the most important factors in determining the quality and
economy of the concrete is the selection of suitable sources of
aggregate
• In design of concrete gravity dams, the following forces may
affect the design
A. Dead load(WD):- considered should include the weight of
concrete, accessories such as gates and bridges
B. Headwater and tail water pressures(PU & PD):-the
hydrostatic pressure against the dam is a function of the
water depth times the unit weight of water.
C. Uplift(U):-thus pressure vary with time and are related to
boundary conditions and diffusion of materials. It is assumed
to be unchanged by earthquake loads.
D. Earthquake:- site specification and design of gravity dam
determined from seismological evaluation.
E. Other forces:- force due to wind wave on the upstream , ice
pressure and temperature.
Thank you