4-1 Methods of Construction of A Subsurface Dam

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4.

Construction of a subsurface dam

4-1 Methods of construction of a subsurface dam

The various construction methods of a subsurface dam are listed in Table 4.1.

In some countries including Japan, there have already been several examples of subsurface
dams. The majority of them were constructed by a method known as "cut-off wall by
underground diaphragm wall (e.g. soil-cement mixing wall method)". Theoretically, a
subsurface dam utilizes a "cut-off wall" for groundwater storage, and can be built using the
“cut-off wall” method appropriate for local conditions.

Table 4.1: Methods of construction of a subsurface dam

Category Type of Construction method Features


construction and structure
method
Wall of steel Piling steel sheets This method is suitable for weak ground, but
Application sheet continuously piling into gravel layers or basement rock is
of method of difficult.
cut-off wall Wall of steel Piling steel tubes
under tubing continuously
ground
Underground Casting reinforced There are various methods according to the
diaphragm wall concrete wall on-site ground conditions. They all require highly
sophisticated equipment.

Column-type Casting wall of mortar This method was used to construct the subsurface
underground piles continuously dam at Miyako Island in Japan. It requires
diaphragm wall on-site highly sophisticated equipment.

Application Grouting method Injection of mortar into This method was partially used in the
of ground boreholes drilled construction of the subsurface dam at Miyako
improvement intermittently Island. It is widely applicable because small and
method medium-size equipment can be used. However,
confirmation of the effect of water cut-off is
somewhat difficult.

Application Method of Structure of concrete This is suitable for the "torrent dam"-type
of general concrete dam dam under ground fully subsurface dam whose crest is exposed above the
dam construction or by half ground surface (there are some examples in
construction (excavation/construction countries such as Kenya). The construction
method of dam body/filling costs are higher than those of the "earth dam"-
back) type subsurface dams. Countermeasures against
water leakage are required. For deep
excavation, the costs would be too high.

Method of earth Structure of earth dam This method was used for this project. Dams of
dam construction under ground this type can be constructed using ordinary civil
engineering equipment, and construction
management is easy. However, countermeasures
against water leakage are required. For deep
excavation, the costs would be too high.

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In this project at Nare, the "earth dam" method shown at the bottom of Table 4.1 was adopted
for the following reasons:

1) The "fossil valley" was buried deep (about 8 m below the ground surface), and it had
almost no groundwater run-off in the dry season. It was thus possible to apply this
method.

2) This method does not require sophisticated machines and could be carried out with
those available in Burkina Faso.

3) The cost of construction, including transportation and rental of machines, was the
lowest.

4-2 Characteristics of the subsurface dam built at Nare

The characteristics of the subsurface dam built at Nare for this model project are as follows:

(1) Site
In the fossil valley in the Koulikare Quarter, Nare Village, Tougouri District, Namentenga
Province, Burkina Faso

(2) Structure of the dam body


"Subsurface earth dam" (see Fig. 4.1)
- Depth of the base: 3.0 m to 11.4 m below the ground surface (maximum height of the
dam: 8.4 m)
- Crest length: 216.3 m
- Width (thickness): 8.6 m at the base, 3.0 m at the crest
- Volume: 7,144 m3
- Filling materials: clayey silt (heavily weathered layer of basement rock)
- Permeability coefficient: 10-7 to 10-8 cm/sec (very partly, 10-6 cm/sec)

At the upstream side of the base of the dam, an "anchor key" with about a 3- to 4-m width and
a 1.5-m depth (protrusion into the basement rock) was formed to protect the base. At a level
just above the crest, about a 1-m-thick layer of gravel with a similar diameter was laid to
ensure good permeability.

(3) Water source of the subsurface dam reservoir


Shallow groundwater within the fossil valley buried along the Kolongo River, a tributary of
the Gouaya River that is a part of the Niger River basin

(4) Dimensions of reservoir


- Maximum extent of reservoir area: 13.4-km length, about 150-m average length
(lowest estimate), about 2-km2 area
- Volume of reservoir layer: About 9,000,000 m3 (estimate)
- Water storage capacity: About 1,800,000 m3 (estimate)

(5) Amount of construction work


-
Excavation: Excavation of soil: 51,213 m3, excavation of rock: 4,377 m3, total:
55,590 m3
- High-density filling (the dam body): 7,144 m3
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