Chapter 3

Dam safety and instrumentation

 Instrumentation:
-Installing & monitoring instruments with in
or on dam to reveal abnormalities in behavior.
primary functions of instrumentation
- revealing abnormalities in behavior
- providing early warning of
distress/catastrophic failure.

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 Parameters in monitoring dam
behavior
The followings are the most significant parameters
in monitoring dam behavior:
- seepage and leakage (quantity, nature (e.g.
turbidity), location and source)
- settlement and loss of freeboard in
embankments (magnitude, rate)
- external and internal deformation
(magnitude, rate, location)
- pore water pressures and uplift (magnitude,
variation)

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 Cont…
1) Seepage and leakage:
instrument – Drains–under drains to V-
notch weir.
measurement - Seepage flow quantity, and
nature of seepage water.
defect/problem - internal erosion,
cracking.

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 Cont…
2) Pore water pressure:
instrument – Piezometers.
They use electrical dip meter to record phreatic
level
measurement - Internal water pressure in
earth fill
- Internal water pressure in
concrete or rock foundation
defect/problem
- Instability, sliding

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 Cont…
3) Settlement:
instrument – Settlement gauges
Vertical & horizontal magnet extensometer.
measurement - Internal or relative
settlement and crest settlement.
defect/problem – loss of free board in
embankment dam & development of surface
crack.

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 Cont…
4) external and internal deformation:
• instrument – Inclinometers,
strain gauges or duct tubes.
measurement - Internal relative
displacements
defect/problem – instability.

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 Cont…
• The instruments should be:
- simple
- reliable and accurate
- durable
acceptable in terms of cost

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SUMMERY

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 Surveillance
Dams of all types require regular surveillance if
they are to be maintained in a safe and
operationally efficient state.
 The primary objective of surveillance program is
to minimize the possibility of catastrophic failure
of the dam by timely detection of design
inadequacies or regressive changes in behavior.
 A further objective is to assist in the scheduling
of routine maintenance or, when necessary, of
major remedial works.

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 Cont….
Surveillance embraces the regular and frequent
observation and recording of all aspects of the
service performance of a dam and its reservoir.
It includes routine observation and inspection,
 the monitoring and assessment of seepage and
instrumentation data
 the recording of all other relevant information,
including hydrological records.
Less frequent but more rigorous statutory
inspections by specialist engineers are also carried
out as part of a comprehensive surveillance program
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 Cont….
and may include a complete investigation reappraisal
of the dam's integrity.
For the purpose of describing necessary
surveillance activities, many of which are
interdependent, five critical phases in the life cycle
of a dam must be identified:
1).The design or pre-construction phase
- Assessments must be made of the conditions that
can be imposed upon the structure by its boundary
environment or those existing conditions affected by
the structure.
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 Cot…
2) The Construction period
- When opportunity for verifying design
predictions is available, the accuracy of the design
assumptions often revealed, and the initial effects
of structural loading can be assessed.
3) The period of first reservoir filling
- When the impact of hydraulic loading and
reservoir induced seepage effects can be initially
observed & assessed.

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 Cont….
4) The early operation period of the dam,
 When the structure is subjected to an increased
range of operating /loading conditions, and the time
dependent effects of the reservoir reaching
equilibrium.
5) The subsequent aging of the operating
structure and its infrequent exposure to extremes
of hydraulic and seismic external loading.

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 Gates and valves

- They are any structures installed either on the

crest of spillway or through a closed conduit to
regulate the flow.
- They can be made of steel , reinforced
concrete & wood e.t.c

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 Cont…
- Basic operational requirements of gates:
- water tightness
- convenience of installation
- convenience of maintenance.
- easy of automation

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 Continued…….
types and classification of gates based on:
1) Position in dam:
- crest gates/ also called low head gates
- high head / submerged gates
2) function:
- service gates
- maintenance gate
- Emergency gates
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 Cont…
3) material:
- steel , aluminum alloy , reinforced concrete ,
wood
4) Moving mechanism:
- electrically
- mechanically they open and close mechanically,
require electrical power to operate and are
not considered fully failsafe.
• Eg. radial gates, vertical lift gates, etc
-automatically by water pressure and by hand.
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 1. Crest gates
- gates installed over crest of spillway
E.g. -Vertical lift gate / plain
- radial / tainter gates
- drum / sector gates
-The following factors are taken in to consideration
in deciding whether to provide crest gates or not
A. safety of the dam
B. cost economics
C. operational problems
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D. downstream conditions
 Continued…….

a). Plain / vertical lift gate:

- rectangular in shape spanning
horizontally b/n the grooves of piers.
- moves upward and downward by
hoisting mechanism @ top using cable.
- higher friction can be developed b/n the
gate and groove guides.
- provide cylindrical rollers b/n groove
guides.

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Cont….

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 Continued…….
b) Radial gates / tainter gates:
- have curved water face made of steel
which transmits the pressure to peirs.
- the gate moves up and down by
hoisting mechanism using gear.
- hinged d/s @ piers (trunnion / pin).
- usually suitable for spillways having
curved crest.
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Cont..

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Cont…

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Cont..

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Cont…

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 Continued.
• Advantages of radial gates:
- smaller hoist
- higher stiffness
- easier automation
- better winter performance
- The radial shape provides efficient transfer of
hydrostatic loads through the trunnion.
- A lower hoist capacity is required.

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 Cont..
-Radial gates have a relatively fast operating
speed and can be operated efficiently.
-Side seals are used, so gate slots are not required.
This reduces problems associated with
cavitation,debris collection, and buildup of ice.
-Radial gate geometry provides favorable
hydraulic discharge characteristics.
Disadvantages
-To accommodate location of the trunnion, the pier
and foundation will likely be longer in the
downstream direction than would be necessary
for vertical gates. 27
 Cont…
-The hoist arrangement may result in taller piers
(increase cost) especially when a wire rope hoist
system is used.
-End frame members may encroach on water
passage.
-Long strut arms are often necessary where flood
levels are high to allow the open gate to clear the
water surface profile.

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 Continued
c) Drum gates:Semi-mechanical gatesthey
open automatically but close mechanically
and therefore they cause temporary loss of
storage.
–E.g. drum gates, etc.
- circular sector / cylindrical in cross section.
- the drum is enclosed on all three sides and
ends.
- hinged u/s or D/s.

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 Cont…

- the gate is raised above the spillway crest by

effect of buoyancy.
- When the drum is lowered it fits in to recess.
- Drum gate requires large recess so not suitable
for smaller spillways

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Cont…

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 Cont…
• Advantage :
- ease of automation and absence of lifting
gear / fast movement.
- accuracy of regulation
- ease of passing of ice and debris.

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 Cont…
 Disadvantage:
- difficult to install
- requires careful maintenance
- heating in winter condition

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 Hydraulic Valves /Control Valves/
The distinguishing feature of valves from gates is
that they are constructed in such a way that the
closing member remains in the water passageway for
all operating positions.
a). The Needle Valve
 These are intended to operate at the d/s end of an
outlet conduit under free discharge conditions and
extremely high heads (up to 215m).
.

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Cont…

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b).Tube Valve
 It is essentially a needle valve with the tip of the
downstream or movable needle eliminated.
It was designed to minimize the cavitationerosion,
which developed at the downstream end of the
needle valve.
hey are designed for discharge regulation for
heads up to 90m. They have low coefficient of
discharge.

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 Cont…
These valves are not satisfactory for all regulated
openings as the jet is rough and unstable up to 35%
openings.
They also have problem of vibration at nearly full
openings and nearly closed positions.

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 Hollow- Jet Valves
It is essentially a needle valve with the movable or
closing needle pointed u/s and the d/s portion of the
body eliminated
Then allowing the water to discharge from the
bell-shaped body in a tubular or hollow part.
 This is called hollow-jet valve because the jet as
it leaves the valve is in the form of a longitudinal
slotted tube or segmental jet having a hollow instead
of a solid stem.
 These valves have better coefficient of discharge
than needle or tube valves.
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 Cont….
They are intended for heads up to 305m. These
valves should not be operated at openings less than
5% for long periods because of risk of cavitation.
.

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Cont…

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 Butterfly Valves
These are simple, rugged, economical valves used
to shut off flow in a penstock or outlet conduit.
 It is essentially a circular leaf, slightly convex in
form mounted on a transverse shaft carried by two
bearings in the valve body.
 Butterfly valves are occasionally installed as
regulating controls for low head discharges

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 Cont…
But their primary use is as service or guard gate in
power penstocks immediately upstream from the
turbine.
Some of these valves have been designed to
operate under a head greater than 300m.
When used for emergency closure it operates
either fully open or closed and not as partially open.

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Cont….

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 Fixed-Cone Valves (Howell-Bunger)
This is the most frequently used type of regulating
valve installed at the end of outlets discharging into
the atmosphere.
It consists of a fixed 900 cone disperser, with the
axis horizontal, upstream of which is the opening
covered by a sliding cylindrical sleeve.
 A movable external horizontal sleeve controls the
discharge by varying the opening between the sleeve
and the cone.
The discharge is in the form of a diverging hollow
conical jet.
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 Cont….
It has been used for heads up to 250m, and when
fully open its discharge coefficient is 0.85- 0.90.
The fully opened valve area is about 0.8 of the
conduit area.
 This type of valve is cheap but causes lots of
spray.
When the spray cannot be tolerated, a hood or
discharge guide is installed to confine and redirect
the discharge.

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Cont…..

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