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Gravity Dam

This document discusses gravity dams. It begins with an introduction to dams and their purposes. It then discusses the history of dams, how gravity dams work, factors in selecting dam sites, advantages and disadvantages of gravity dams, forces acting on gravity dams, causes of gravity dam failure, and precautions against failure. The key points are that gravity dams rely on their own weight to resist external forces, require suitable rock foundations, and can fail due to overturning, sliding, overstressing, or cracking if not properly designed and built.

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163 views19 pages

Gravity Dam

This document discusses gravity dams. It begins with an introduction to dams and their purposes. It then discusses the history of dams, how gravity dams work, factors in selecting dam sites, advantages and disadvantages of gravity dams, forces acting on gravity dams, causes of gravity dam failure, and precautions against failure. The key points are that gravity dams rely on their own weight to resist external forces, require suitable rock foundations, and can fail due to overturning, sliding, overstressing, or cracking if not properly designed and built.

Uploaded by

haleshsp
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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GRAVITY DAM

CONTENTS
 INTRODUCTION
 HISTORY OF DAM
 GRAVITY DAM
 SITE SELECTION OF GRAVITY DAM
 MERITS AND DEMERITS OF GRAVITY DAM
 FORCES ACTING ON GRAVITY DAM
 CAUSES OF FAILURE OF GRAVITY DAM
 PRECAUTIONS AGAINST FAILURE
 REFERENCES
 CONCLUSION
INTRODUCTION
 A Dam is a hydraulic structure constructed across a river or a stream to retain
the water on its upstream side.
 It is suitable in hilly region where a deep gorge section available for
the storage reservoir.

PURPOSE OF STORING WATER


 Irrigation
 hydroelectric power generation
 flood control
 water supply
 fishery
 recreation
History of Dams
 First dam was constructed by the Egyptians in 2950-
2750 B.C, using stone/ brick masonry.
 Earth dam was built first in Mesopotamia around 2000

B.C.
 Romans used concrete and mortars around 100 AD.
 Due to large size and amount of building material need to

construct earth and gravity dams


GRAVITY DAM
 A gravity dam is solid concrete
or masonry structure, which
resist the external forces its by
own weight.
 gravity dam is triangular in
shape, but practical purposes, is
modified at top.
 the upstream and downstream
base of the dam is made sloping
 the height of dam depends on
the nature of foundation. if good
rock foundation available height
may be above 200m, if not
available good foundation height
should be limited to 20m.
CROSS SECTION OF DAM
SELECTION OF DAM SITE
 Geological condition for the catchment should be
such that percolation loses is less.
 The reservoir site should be free from earthquakes.
 The reservoir basin should have narrow opening so
that the length of the dam will be less and can store
more water.
 It should not submerge the valuable land.
 The site should be easily accessible by road or
railway.
 Suitable area should be available for labor colonies,
staff quarters, godowns, stack yards, etc.
MERITS AND DEMERITS OF GRAVITY DAM

MERITS;
 Maintenance of gravity is less.
 Spillway can be provided in the body of the dam itself.
 Section can be made thinner to economize in cost.
 If the good foundations are available this dams can be
constructed to greater height.
DEMERITS;
 Initial cost is high.
 Time is more for construction.
 It requires elaborate construction plant, skilled labour.
FORCES ACTING ON GRAVITY DAM
1. Water pressure
2. Weight of the dam
3. Uplift pressure
4. Silt pressure
5. Wind pressure
6. Wave pressure
7. Ice pressure
WATER PRESSURE

 It is the major external force


acting on a dam.
 The intensity of the pressure
varies triangularly, with a zero
intensity at the water surface,
to a value “wh” at depth h
below the water surface.
 Force due to water pressure
P = W H2 / 2
 This acts at a height of h/3
from base of the dam.
WEIGHT OF THE DAM
 Weight of the dam is the major
resisting force.
 The weight of the dam depends
upon the area of cross section of
the dam and on the density of the
material.
 Total weight of the dam acts at
the center of gravity of dam
section.
 The weight of the dam is
stabilizing force or it gives the
stability to the dam.
UPLIFT PRESSURE

 Uplift pressure is the


upward pressure exerted
by water as it seeps
through the body of the
dam or its foundation.
 Seeping water exerts
pressure on the base of
the dam and it depends
upon water head.
SILT PRESSURE
 Silt gets deposited against the upstream face of the dam.
 If h is the height of the silt deposited, then the force exerted
by this silt in addition to external water pressure, can be
Psilt = γsat .h2 . Ka / 2
 It acts at h/3 from base.

WIND PRESSURE
 It generally not considered while designing section of dam,
but if area exposed to wind then it may be taken as
100kg/m^2 or 150kg/m^2
WAVE PRESSURE
 Waves are generated on the
surface of the reservoir by the
blowing winds, which cause
pressure towards the downstream
side.
 Waves pressure depends upon the
wave height.
Pw = 2.4 γw . Hw
 It acts at hw/2 above the still water
surface.
ICE PRESSURE
▶ The ice may be formed on the water surface of the
reservoir in cold countries, may sometimes melt and
expand.
▶ The dam face has to resist the thrust exerted by the
expending ice.
▶ The magnitude of this force varies from 250 to 1500
KN/m2 depending upon the temperature variations.
CAUSES OF FAILURE OF DAM
1. BY OVER TURNING:
The solid gravity dam may fail may fail by overturning at its toe when the
total horizontal force acting on the dam greater than the vertical force.
2. BY SLIDING:
The total horizontal force acting on a dam tend to slide the entire dam
its base or along any horizontal section of the dam.
3. BY OVER STRESSING:
If the permissible working compressive stress of concrete or masonry
exceeds due to some adverse condition, then the dam may fail by crushing
due to overstressing of the concrete or masonry.
4. BY CRACKING:
Due to some reasons, the tension is developed in the dam section, crack
will form in the body of the dam and ultimately this will cause the failure of
the dam.
PRECAUTION AGAINST FAILURE
1. To avoid over turning, the resultant of all forces acting on the dam
 
 should
dam.
remain with in the middle-third of the base of the width

2. In the dam, the sliding should be fully resisted when condition for
no sliding exist in the dam section.
condition for no sliding is given by tan
P= Total horizontal force Total vertical force
3. In the dam section, the compressive stresses of concrete or
masonry should not exceed the permissible working stress to avoid
failure due to crushing.
4. There should be no tension in the dam section to avoid the
formation cracks. This condition may be achieved by middle-third
rule. The factor of safety considered 4 to 5.
CONCLUSION
 Compare to the any other dams the gravity life
span is long.
 The maintenance cost is less.
 Gravity dams are used for the multi purpose
better than the any other.
 Compare to earthen dam, in the gravity dam
spillway are provided at the full supply level to
allow the surplus water from upstream to the
downstream.
THANK YOU

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