ARCHES & BTTRES DAM

ARCH DAM

An arch dam structurally behaves: partly as cantilever retaining wall standing

from its base and partly the load will be transferred to the two lands of the arch span
by horizontal arch action. The arch load will thus be transferred to the side walls of
the canyon which must be strong, stable and rocky.

The distribution of part of the load to the side walls of the canyon, reduces the
load on the cantilever walls there by reducing its thickness as compared to that in
ordinary gravity dam.
Arch dam may be divided into three types, VIZ:
1. Constant Radius Arch Dams
2. Variable Radius Arch Dams
3. Constant Angle Arch Dams

A constant radius arch dam is the simplest in the design as well as construction
but uses maximum concrete.

A constant angle arc dam on the other hand, uses about 43% of the concrete
used by a constant radius arch dam. The variable radius arch dam is an intermediate
choice using around 58% of the concrete used by constant radius arch dam.

CONSTANT RADIUS ARCH DAM

It is a dam in which the radii of the outside curved surface equal at all
elevations from top to the bottom. The centres of all such circular arcs called extrodos
will therefore lie on one vertical line. However, introdos
( i .e . inside curved surface of the arch) has gradually decreasing radius from top to
bottom so as to provide increased concrete thickness to the base to account for
increasing hydrostatic pressure.
Variable Radius Arch Dam

A variable radius arch dam is the on in which radii of the extrodos curves and
of introdos curves very at various elevations, being maximum at the top and a certain
maximum at its bottom.

In such a dam, the D/S face at CL is vertical while at all other location there is
a batter (slope) on both the sides except at the abetments where again U/S side
becomes vertical:-
CONSTANT ANGLE ARCH DAMS

The constant angle arch dam is a typical type of variable radius of arch dam in
which the central angles of the horizontal arch rings are of the same magnitude at all
elevations as shown in the figure. The best central angles of value for design is 133º-
34' hence such a dam proves to be the most economical out of 3 types.

The only requirement to adopt this design in the availability of a stronger

foundation.
FORCES ACTING ON ARCH DAMS

Generally the same forces act on an arch dam, which do act on a gravity dam.
There forces are:
1. Water pressure
2. uplift pressure
3. earthquake pressure
4. silt pressure
5. wave pressure
6. ice pressure

The relative importance of the forces is difficult in arch dam as compared to that
in a gravity dam. For example the uplift pressure in an arch dam is small and is
generally neglected becomes of the narrow base width of its body.

On the other hand, the stresses changed by ice, temperature changes, and yield
of supports (abutments) generally become quite important in arch dams, hence must
be thoroughly examined.

ARCH DAMS DESIGN

Arch dam can be designed on the basis of any of the following three methods:-
(i) Thin cylinder theory
(ii) Theory of Electric Arches
(iii) The trial load method

THIN CYLINDER THEORY

In the thin cylinder theory, the stresses in an arch are assured to be approximately
the same, as in a thin cylinder of equal outside radius.
This figure shows the action of a thin arch,
having average radius r, angle subtended at the centre of the arch equal to 2a, and
thickness t. intensity of hydrostatic pressure p at any depth h is given by
P=rh 1
Where r = sp . wt of water
This horizontal pressure acts in radial direction. The total d/s component of horizontal
force (PH) acting along the axis of river is given by
PH= Intensity of pressure x Projected Area
PH= rh × 2r Sinα=2rhr Sinα → 2
If R is the at each abutment, its component in u/s direction is equal to 2R Sinα.
Equating this to PH for equilibrium
2rhr Sinα═ 2R Sinα
Or rhr =R → 3
This equation gives an expression for abutment reaction which is equal to the
maximum compressive force induced in the arch. Let or be the compressive stress
induced in the arch at the abutment , then
σ = R/t =rhr/t 4
If fc is the allowable compressive stress for arch material , then
fc≥ rhr/t
Or t ≥ rhr /fc
Under limit
t = rhr/fc 5
This equation shows that the thickness of the arch (t) should increase linearly with the
depth below the water surface, and that at a given elevation the required thickness of
the arch ring is proportional to the radius of the arc at that elevation.

CENTRAL ANGLE FOR MINIMUM CONCRETE

Considering the arch ring as shown above, we have

Volume of concrete per unit
height of the arch ring, V = r(2α)A
where A= X-sec area of arch ring = t×1
therefore V r(2α).t
substituting value of t from eq. 5
V = r(2α) rhr / fc
V = rh / fc×r²×(2α) → 6
Now if L is the span of the arch ring then from the above figure
Sinα = L/2/r
Or r = L / 2sinα → 7
Substituting in eq. 6
V = rh / fc (L/2sinα)²(2α)
V = rh / fc .L²/2.(α/sin²α) → 8
Where rh / fc × L²/2 is a constant = K (say)
So V = K (α/sin²α)
For V to be minimum rv / rα must be zero
rv / rα= k r/rα [α × sin½α ] =0
α (-2 sin⅓α cos α)+ sin½α (1) = 0
Sin½α × sin α - 2α sin⅓α sinα cos α/sinα = 0
Sin²α -2αsin α cos α/sin α = 0
sin²α = 2α sinα cosα
sinα /cosα =2α
tanα = 2 α
or 2 = 133º-34'
thus it is the value of most economical angle.

Buttress DAMS

An ordinary concrete gravity dam is a solid body of mass concrete running

across the entire width of river valley. Such a solid wall required huge amount of
concrete which partly remains unstressed to full extent thereby leading to wastage of
concrete.

The uplift pressure also acts on the entire width of the dam body from its
bottom which further increases its size without giving any additional benefit as a dam.

Efforts have , therefore , been made from time to time to innovate methods for
affecting economy in the use of concrete from dam portions which remain unstressed.
Attempts have therefore been made to provide hollow gravity dams. Buttress dams
are an improved innovation over the hollow concrete gravity dams.

In buttress dams, solid walls of specified thickness and section are

constructed parallel to the how at some suitable intervals the walls are called
buttresses.
Inclined slabs or arch slabs are thus supported on U/S side on these buttresses as
shown below:-

Most common types of buttress dams are therefore

1. Deck slab type
2. Multiple Arch Type
Slab type dams are generally preferred for smaller heights i.e 20 to50m.
Multiple arch dams are used for higher heights i.e. 50m on ward.
Simply Supported Slab Type of Buttress Dams

In such type of dam, the R.C.C deck slab is freely supported on the buttresses
which have corbels for the slab to rest on. The deck slab is inclined to horizontal by
about 40º to 55º so as to support the dead load of a porlion of reservoir water and thus
to provide stabilizing force in addition to the self wt of the dam to avoid its sliding.

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

The loading and safety criteria for buttress dams is same as for gravity dam
except that the provided buttress thickness t will take load coming from dam length =
x+t; where x is the clear spacing between the two consecutive buttresses. Hence t
meter length of buttress section will take loads coming from (x + t) meter length of
dam as against the unit meter dam length. The resultant impact can be considered by
increasing the unit weight of water by multiplying its actual value by a surcharge
factor ( S ) defined as
S= x + t
t
Hence effective unit wt. of water can be considered as r(x + t ) and the section
t
of the buttresses can be designed exactly in the same manner as gravity dam section is
designed considering unit length and a continuous section.
 The deck slab can be designed as simply supported R.C.C decks each spanning
over two adjacent buttresses and each having a span = x + t.

(i) BUTTRESS SPACING AND DECK SLOPE

The most economical spacing of buttresses is the one in which minimum
thickness of concrete is fully utilized. This spacing is govered to a large extent by
the values of the U/S slope of the dam (Φ). For economy it is also necessary that
the buttress spacing be changed for dams of different heights as shown in the
table.

SUGGESTED ECONOMIC BUTTRESS SPACING

Mean Dan Economic Buttress Spacing Suggested in m for normal Φ value
HEIGHT(m) of 40º to 50º

Less than 15 4.5

15 - 30 4.5 – 7.5
30 – 45 7.5 – 12
Above 45 12 – 15

(ii) The height , thickness and spacing of buttresses can be further controlled by:

Slenderness ratio=Height of Buttress/Thickness of Buttress=12 to 15

Massiveness factor=Spacing of Buttresses/ Thickness of Buttress=2.5 to 3

(iii) For the constant spacing, variation of few degrees in the U/S slop may result
in an appreciable change in quantity required per m length dam ( Vc ) is related to
U/S deck slope (Φ) , dam height (H) and the sliding factor (Fs i.e. EH/V) by the
equation:-
Vc = 0.208 H² [1/Fs - cotΦ]

This eq. Cleary shows that for a fixed dam height (H) and a given value
of Fs , the concrete quantity depends solely on Φ. Hence for different values of
Φ , at fixed values of H and Fs , concrete quantities can be worked out.
Types of Buttress Dams

1. Multiple Arch Buttress Dam

It comprises a series of
inclined arches supported
by buttresses. The water
load is transferred from
the arches to the
tomdation through the
buttresses.