TYPES OF DAMS AND DESIGNS

Dam Geology
 TYPES OF DAMS BASED ON HYDRAULIC DESIGN

Based on hydraulic design the dams can be

classified into TWO types:

1. OVERFLOW DAM OR OVERFALL DAM

2. NON-OVERFLOW DAMS
 OVERFLOW DAM OR OVERFALL DAM

• It is constructed with a crest to permit

overflow of surplus water that cannot be
retained in the reservoir.
• Generally dams are not designed as overflow
dams for its entire length.
• Diversion weirs of small height may be
designed to permit overflow over its entire
length.
 NON-OVERFLOW DAMS

• It is constructed such that water is not allowed

to overflow over its crest.
• In most cases, dams are so designed that part
of its length is used as an overflow dam (this
part is called the spillway) while the rest of its
length is designed as a non-overflow dam.
Recep YURTAL Ç.Ü., İnş.Müh.Böl.
 BASED ON MATERIAL OF CONSTRUCTION

Based on Material constructions the dams can

be also classified as RIGID DAMS OR NON RIGID
DAMS
 RIGID DAM

It is constructed with rigid material such as

stone, masonry, concrete, steel, or timber.
• Steel dams (steel plates supported on inclined
struts) and timber dams (wooden planks
supported on a wooden framework) are
constructed only for small heights (rarely).
 NON-RIGID DAM (EMBANKMENT DAMS)

It is constructed with non-rigid material such as earth,

tailings, rock fill etc.

• Earth dam – gravel, sand, silt, clay etc

• Tailings dam – waste or refuse obtained from mines.
• Rock fill dam – rock material supporting a water
tight material on the upstream face
• Earth and Rock fill composite dam – Rock fill on the
downstream side and earth fill on the u/s side
 Non rigid continued
• Earthen dams are provided with a stone
masonry or concrete overflow (spillway)
section. Such dams are called composite
dams.
• In some cases, part of the length of the dam is
constructed as earth dam and the rest
(excluding the spillway) as a masonry dam.
Such dams are called masonry /earthen dams.
 BASED ON STRUCTURAL BEHAVIOUR

• GRAVITY DAM
• ARCH DAM
• BUTTRESS DAM
• EMBANKMENT DAM
terminologies
• Crest: The top of the dam
structure. This may in
some cases be used for
providing a roadway or
walkway over the dam.
• Parapet walls: Low
Protective walls on either
side of the roadway or
walkway on the crest.
terminologies
• Heel: Portion of
structure in contact
with ground or river-
bed at upstream side.
• Toe: Portion of
structure in contact
with ground or river-
bed at downstream
side.
terminologies
• Spillway: It is the
arrangement
made (kind of
passage) near
the top of
structure for the
passage of
surplus/
excessive water
from the
reservoir.
terminologies
• Gallery: Level or gently sloping
tunnel like passage (small room
like space) at transverse or
longitudinal within the dam with
drain on floor for seepage water.
• The gallery is generally provided
for having space for drilling grout
holes and drainage holes.
• This may also be used to
accommodate the
instrumentation for studying the
performance of dam.
terminologies

• Sluice way:
Opening in the
structure near
the base,
provided to
clear the silt
accumulation in
the reservoir.
terminologies
• Diversion Tunnel:
Tunnel constructed to
divert or change the
direction of water to
bypass the dam
construction site.
terminologies
• Free board: The
space between the
highest level of
water in the
reservoir and the
top of the structure.
• Dead Storage level:
Level of permanent
storage below
which the water will
not be withdrawn.
terminologies
• Abutments:
The valley slopes on
either side of the dam
wall to which the left &
right end of dam are
fixed to.
 GRAVITY DAM

• It is a masonry or concrete dam which resists the forces acting on it by its own weight. Its
is approximately triangular in shape.

• Straight gravity dam – A gravity dam that is straight in plan.

• Curved gravity plan – A gravity dam that is curved in plan.

• Curved gravity dam (Arch gravity dam) – It resists the forces acting on it by combined
gravity action (its own weight) and arch action.

• Solid gravity dam – Its body consists of a solid mass of masonry or concrete

• Hollow gravity dam – It has hollow spaces within its body.

• Most gravity dams are straight solid gravity dams.

Gravity Dam
 GRAVITY DAMS

• Advantages
• Gravity dams are quite strong, stable and durable.
• are quite suitable across moderately wide valleys and gorges
having steep slopes where earth dams, if constructed, might slip.
• can be constructed to very great heights, provided good rock
foundations are available.
• are well adapted for use as an overflow spillway section. Earth
dams cannot be used as an overflow section.
• Even in earth dams, the overflow section is usually a gravity dam.
• are specially suited to such areas where there is very heavy
downpour.
Gravity dam
 BUTTRESS DAM

• It consists of water retaining sloping membrane

or deck on the u/s which is supported by a
series of buttresses.
• These buttresses are in the form of equally
spaced triangular masonry or reinforced
concrete walls or counterforts.
• In general, the structural behaviour of a
buttress dam is similar to that of a gravity dam.
butress
• The sloping membrane is
usually a reinforced concrete
slab.
• In some cases, the upstream
slab is replaced by multiple
arches supported on
buttresses (multiple arch
buttress dam) or by flaring the
upstream edge of the
buttresses to span the distance
between the buttresses
(bulkhead buttress dam or
massive head buttress dam).
Buttress
Buttress
 Buttress Dam
• Buttress Dam – Is a gravity dam reinforced by
structural supports.
• Buttress – a support that transmits a force
from a roof or wall to another supporting
structure.
• This type of structure can be considered even
if the foundation rocks are little weaker.
 Arch Dams
• An arch dam is curved in plan, with its convexity
towards the upstream side. They transfers the
water pressure and other forces mainly to the
abutments by arch action.

• An arch dam is quite suitable for narrow

canyons with strong flanks which are capable of
resisting the thrust produced by the arch action.
Arch dam
• The section of an arch dam is
approximately triangular like
a gravity dam but the section
is comparatively thinner.
• The arch dam may have a
single curvature or double
curvature in the vertical
plane. Generally, the arch
dams of double curvature
are more economical and are
used in practice.
Arch dam
• Arch shape gives strength
• Less material (cheaper)
• Narrow sites
• Need strong abutments
Recep YURTAL Ç.Ü., İnş.Müh.Böl.
Arch dam
 EMBANKMENT DAM

• It is a non-rigid dam which resists the forces

acting on it by its shear strength and to some
extent also by its own weight (gravity).
• Its structural behaviour is in many ways
different from that of a gravity dam.
• Earth or rock: Weight resists flow of water
 Earth Dams

• They are trapezoidal in shape. Earth dams are

constructed where the foundation or the underlying
material or rocks are weak to support the masonry
dam or where the suitable competent rocks are at
greater depth.
• Earthen dams are relatively smaller in height and
broad at the base. They are mainly built with clay,
sand and gravel, hence they are also known as Earth
fill dam or Rock fill dam.
Earth dam
Earth Dam
 Embankment Dams - Earthfill

• Fine grained impervious material

• only moderate stability, necessitating flat

side-slopes

• protect slopes from erosion by layers of

rock rip-rap
Embankment Dams - Earthfill

 Symmetrical zoned material

 somewhat steeper slopes

 most common type

 Advantages of Earthdams

• are usually cheaper than gravity dams if suitable earth

materials for construction are available near the site.
• can be constructed on almost all types of foundations,
provided suitable measures of foundation treatment and
seepage control are taken.
• can be constructed in a relatively short period.
• Skilled labour is not required in construction of an earth
dam.
• are aesthetically more pleasing than gravity dams.
• are more earthquake-resistant than gravity dams.
 EARTH DAMS (disadvantages)

• Earth dams are not suitable for narrow gorges with steep
slopes.
• Cannot be designed as an overflow section. A spillway has to
be located away from the dam.
• cannot be constructed in regions with heavy downpour, as the
slopes might be washed away.
• Maintenance cost of an earth dam is quite high. It requires
constant supervision.
• Sluices cannot be provided in a high earth dam to remove silt.
• Fails suddenly without any sign of imminent failure. A sudden
• failure causes havoc and untold miseries.
Earth dam
 Rock Fill dams
• A rock fill dam is built of rock fragments and boulders of large size.
• An impervious membrane (cement concrete or asphaltic concrete
or earth core) is placed on the rock fill on the upstream side to
reduce the seepage through the dam.
• A dry rubble cushion is placed between the rock fill and the
membrane for the distribution of water load and for providing a
support to the membrane.
• side slopes of rock fill are usually kept equal to the angle of
• repose of rock (1.4:1 or 1.3:1).
• Rock fill dams are quite economical when a large quantity of rock
is easily available near the site.
 Advantages

• Rockfill dams have almost the same advantages and

• disadvantages over gravity dams as discussed for
earth dams.
• are quite inexpensive if rock fragments are easily
available.
• can be constructed quite rapidly.
• can better withstand the shocks due to earthquake
than earth dams.
• can be constructed even in adverse climates
 Disadvantages

• Rock fill dams require more strong

foundations than earth dams.
• Rock fill dams require heavy machines for
transporting, dumping and compacting rocks.