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• Graphical method of determining Wn and b • An approximate method to determine the safety of earth
Wt: The factor of safety determined in the dam: for preliminary design
above approach entirely depends on the • Overall stability: it is to be checked by considering the dam
accuracy of ϴ and areal measurements, which zi as a solid mass.
usually are difficult. Thus to avoid such in • The resisting force is taken as the shear developed at the
accuracies a the following graphical method is A base of the dam and is given by W tanφ. Where W is the
Wni
proposed. Wi effective unit weight of the dam and φ is the angle of
C internal friction angle. To determine the effective weight the
• 1. For each slices find out the heights through B
the centroid z1, z2, etc for all the slices. phreatic line has to be drawn first and then soil above the
phreatic line is considered moist or dry and the soil below
• 2. Calculate the weight of each slice as: Wi = bziϒ; where ϒ is the phreatic line is considered saturated.
the unit weight of the embankment soil depending on the • The force tending to cause sliding is the horizontal water
conditions (saturated or submerged). pressure given by 0.5ϒh2.
• 3. Extend z1, z2, etc vertically through A and draw W1, W2, etc • The factor of safety which is the ratio of the resisting force to
to the correct scale to locate B. the sliding force should not be less than 2.
• 4. Draw a tangent and normal lines through A and a parallel • Note here that the upstream water weight is not considered
line to the tangent through B. The triangle formed (ABC) is the in the analysis. Moreover the factor of safety uses the force
force polygon of Wni, Wti and Wi. rather than the momentum created by the forces
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• Approximate method: 0.4bd • Approximate method: 0.4bu

A Position of U/s slope stability
D/s slope stability maximum shear
A
• Here too, at first, the h H Hd
h1
• The procedure is the same h Hu H
as the d/s slope case h1
phreatic line is drawn B B
bd bu Maximum shear
• The horizontal force Hd acts on the vertical face AB is due to
the earth pressure caused by the left side of the dam and • The horizontal force Hu acts on the vertical face AB
the water pressure. The earth pressure is usually computed computed as:
by the Rankin's earth pressure theory as: Hu  0.5 sat H tan 45  0.5   0.5h1
2 2 2

Hd  0.5 s H 2 tan 2 45  0.5   0.5h12 • As the portion of the soil above the phreatic line is small the
– Where ϒs is the unit weight of the soil at the vertical section AB entire soil mass is assumed to be saturated thus the ϒsat is
 s   subh1   moist H  h1  H
and is given by used. The stability is analyzed for sudden drawdown.
• The resisting force against sliding is developed due to the
• The resisting force against sliding is developed due to the internal friction and cohesion (c) of the soil mass in the u/s
internal friction and cohesion (c) of the soil mass in the d/s portion. i.e. Wu tanφ + cbu; where Wu is the submerged
portion. i.e. Wd tanφ + cbd; where Wd is the effective weight weight (0.5ϒsubHbu) of the u/s portion of the soil.
(ϒsubAsub + ϒmoistAmoist) of the d/s portion of the soil. • The factor of safety is computed as the ratio of Hu and
• The factor of safety is computed as the ratio of Hd and resisting force. The factor of safety shall not be less than 2.
resisting force. The factor of safety shall not be less than 2.
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• Approximate method: Factor of safety against maximum Foundation Analysis

shear
• The d/s and u/s slopes shall also be checked for the maximum • Foundation stress in earth dams are not usually critical except
shear which occurs at 0.4bu or 0.4bd as shown in the above when the foundation material consists of unconsolidated clay
figures. or silt with low shearing strength.
• According to the theory of elasticity the maximum shear τmax is • Consider a dam on homogeneous, unconsolidated earth
twice the average shear. i.e. τmax = 2Hd for d/s and τmax = 2Hu foundation of thickness t. The downward force exerted on the
for the u/s slope. foundation at the center of the dam tends to squeeze the
foundation material from under the dam. But shear stress
• Factor of safety is the ratio of the shear strength to maximum develops in the foundation resisting this action. For such cases,
shear stress at the point of maximum shear. Leo Jugenson suggested the following maximum stresses:
• The shear strength is determined by Mohr-Coulomb shear • If t > L, τmax= 0.256ϒf H; Where ϒf = specific weight of fill.
equation: S = σ tanφ + c; where σ is the vertical stress given by: • Where L is the bottom width of the dam; H is the height of the
σ = ϒshs, in which hs is the height of the soil column at the point dam.
of maximum shear.
 s hs tan   c bd  subhs tan   c bu • Usually t < L. If t < L/10, τmax = ϒf H t/L
FS d / s  ; FS u / s  • Shear strength, Ss = c + σ tanφ
 s H 2 tan 2  45   2   h12  subH 2 tan 2  45   2   h12 • The factor of safety against overstress is FS = Ss/ τmax > 1.5
   
• This factor of safety should be greater than 1.5.
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4.9 Seepage control 5. Steel sheet pile: Are driven up to the impervious stratum.
Steel sheet piles are usually expensive and are not very
• Measures to control seepage through the foundation: effective. There may be leakage through the joints between
1. Positive cutoff trench: When the foundation layer is of two sheet piles.
moderate depth (up to 25 m) a trench is excavated with 6. Upstream blanket with relief well: if the foundation material
suitable side slope and up to the hard stratum. The trench is extends to a great depth all the methods described above
then filled with impervious material. The fill materials shall be may not be viable from economic point. In such a case an
the same as the core. upstream blanket combined with a relief well is preferred.
2. Concrete diaphragm: Consists of a thin concrete cutoff wall An upstream blanket reduces the seepage gradient by
placed in a slurry trench excavated in the foundation. increasing the flow path. Impervious clay blanket of 1.5 m to
3. Grout curtain: is obtained by injecting a grout of cement, clay, 3 m thick and length up to 10 times the head of the ponded
chemicals or combination of these are injected under water are constructed; however the exact length is to be
pressure within the foundation zone. Clay grout is quite designed to keep the seepage gradient within the
effective in sand and gravel deposits. permissible limit. The relief well are provided to collect the
4. Slurry trench: A trench is excavated by a machine up to the seepage water through the foundation.
impervious stratum and the trench is filled with bentonite • For foundation having heterogeneous soil the combination
which prevents the trench from caving in. The trench is then of the above methods could be used.
backfilled with well graded impermeable material such as • For high permeable foundation (permeability greater than
mixture of sand, gravel and bentonite blended with 10 – 15 % 10-3m/s) grout curtain with diaphragm wall are generally
of natural silt. 55 economical. 56

4.11 Rock fill dam Filter

U/s core
• Rock fill dam are constructed with central core consisting silt Rock
fill
and clay. Some times an impervious membrane is provided
at the upstream face instead of the central core in order to RFD with central core RFD with an inclined core RFD with u/s core
reduce seepage through the dam.
• The impermeable membrane may be of RCC or asphalt • Impervious membranes in rock fill dam:
concrete. Alternatively, though not common, steel or timber • Reinforced concrete membrane: very common in rock fill
membrane can also be used. dam. Its thickness in meter is determined from; t = 0.3 +
• The d/s and u/s slopes are steeper in rock fill dam than the 0.0025h, where h is the depth of water in meters. The steel
earth fill dam. The downstream slope is usually 1:4 (V:H) and area is 5% of the concrete area in both directions.
the u/s slope is usually flatter than the d/s. • Asphalt concrete facing: this is suitable for low height rock fill
• Types of rock fill dams (RFD): dams. Three 10 cm thick asphalt layers are successively
Rubble masonry compacted by paving machine. Asphalt can be laid on steep
Central core U/s membrane slope of up to 1.5:1 (H:V) and it remains stable up to 60 oc.
U/s membrane
Rock Rock
• Steel facing: steel plate 6 to 10 mm thick are used. Vertical
Rock Supporting fill fill contraction joints are provided at 8 m spacing. Higher cost
Fill membrane
RFD with u/s membrane
and corrosion are its main disadvantage.
RFD with u/s
RFD with thin and rubble masonry • Timber facing: these are used for temporary works as the
membrane
central core timber decay fast.
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• U/s cutoff: is provided up to the impervious layer beneath.

This cutoff shall be driven a meter in to the impervious
stratum.
• U/s rock cushion: between the main rock fill and u/s
membrane a zone of dry rubble masonry or well
compacted rock cushion is placed. The dry rubble masonry
provide smooth surface for supporting the u/s membrane.
Its thickness is usually ranges from 1.5 m to 8.5 m.
Sometimes, in place of rubble masonry, graded sand and
gravel of size 6 to 75 mm may be placed.
• Main rock fill in the d/s: the maximum size of the rock to
be used is 1 m3 and the maximum to be used is 5000 kg.
the current trend is to use smaller sizes (0.05 to 1 m3) for
easy handling. The gradation curve should be well graded
so that smaller stones can fill the voids of the bigger stone.
The tones should be placed in layer of 1 to 2 m and then
compacted by 50 ton rubber type roller or vibratory roller.

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