549

GRAVITY DAMS

Example 16.1 For the profile of a gravity dam shown in Fig. 16.8, compute principal
stresses for usual loading and vertical stresses for extreme loading at the heel and toe of the
base of the dam. Also determine factors of safety against overturning and sliding as well as
shear-friction factors of safety for usual loading and extreme loading (with drains inoperative)
conditions. Consider only downward earthquake acceleration for extreme loading condition.
Sediment is deposited to a height of 15 m in the reservoir. Other data are as follows:
Coefficient of shear friction, = 0.7 (usual loading)
= 0.85 (extreme loading)
Shear strength at concrete-rock contact, C = 150 104 N/m2
= 2.4 104 N/m3

Weight density of concrete

8
4
15

0.75
1

h = 96

Ww

0.15
30 1

0.3
Gallery

4.5

h = g

8
63.75
76.25
(a) Profile

4.8
g
38
Drains
inoperative

96
Drains operative

(b) Uplift pressure head diagram

Fig. 16.8 Profile and uplift pressure diagram for the gravity dam of Example 16.1

550

IRRIGATION AND WATER RESOURCES ENGINEERING

= 1 104 N/m3

Weight density of water

h = 0.1; v = 0.05
Solution:
Computation of Stresses:
(i) Usual loading combination (normal design reservoir elevation with appropriate dead
loads, uplift (with drains operative), silt, ice, tail-water, and thermal loads corresponding to usual temperature):
Resultant vertical force = W = sum of vertical forces at sl. nos. 1, 2 (i), 3 (i), and 4(ii)
of Table 16.1.
= (8584.50 + 394.88 2000.68 + 32.48) 104
= 7011.18 104 N
Resultant horizontal force = H = sum of horizontal forces at sl. nos. 2 (ii) and 4 (i) of
Table 16.1.
= ( 4567.50 153.00) 104
= 4720.50 104 N
Moment about toe of the dam at the base = M = sum of moments at sl. nos. 1,2, 3 (i),
and 4 of Table 16.1.
= [418302.75 + 27091.99 147334.50 96183.57 + 1662.88] 104
= 203539.55 104 Nm
Distance of the resultant from the toe, y =

M 203539.55 10 4
=
= 29.03 m
W
. 104
701118

Eccentricity, e = 38.125 29.03 = 9.10 m

(The resultant passes through the downstream of the centre of the base). Using Eqs.
(16.12) and (16.13)
yD =

. 10 4
.
W
6 910
6e
701118
=
1+
1+
b
b
76.25
76.25

LM
N

OP
Q

LM
N

OP
Q

= 157.79 104 N/m2

6 9.10
6e
7011.18 10 4
W
=
1
1
76.25
76.25
b
b
= 26.11 104 N/m2

yU =

LM
N

OP
Q

LM
N

Using Eq. (16.16), the major principal stress at the toe,

1D = yD sec2 D p tan2 D

1D = 157.79 104 1.5625 9 104 0.5625

= 239.66 104 N/m2

Using Eq. (16.21), shear stress at the toe, (yx)D = (yD p) tan D

(yx)D = (157.79 9) 104 0.75

= 111.59 104 N/m2

OP
Q

Dead load Wc

Water load
Vertical
Head-water Ww

Tail-water Ww

Horizontal
Head-water Wl
Tail-water Wl

Uplift force, U
Drains
operative

Drains
inoperative

2.
(i)
(a)

(b)

(ii)
(a)
(b)

3.
(i)

(ii)
1 0.5 87 76.25 1
1 9 76.25 1

1 38 4.8 1
1 58 4.8 0.5 1
1 29 71.45 0.5 1
1 9 71.45 1

1 0.5 96 96 1.0
1 0.5 9 9 1.0

1 66 4.5 1.0
1 0.5 30 4.5 1.0
1 0.5 9.0 6.75 1.0

1 30 4.5 0.5 2.4

1 100 8 2.4
1 85 63.75 0.5 2.4

(3)

(2)

(1)

1.

Force computations
(104 newtons)

Type of load

Sl.
No.

4003.13

3316.88
686.25

2000.68

182.40
139.20
1036.03
643.05

+ 394.88

+ 297.00
+ 67.50
+ 30.38

+ 8584.50

+ 162.00
+ 1920.00
+ 6502.50

(4)

Vertical forces
(downward + ve)
(104 newtons)

4567.50

4908.00
+ 40.50

(5)

Horizontal forces
(upstream + ve)
(104 newtons)

Magnitude of forces

50.83
38.13

73.85
74.65
47.63
35.73

32.00
3.00

76.25 2.25 = 74.00

76.25 1.50 = 74.75
(9 0.75)/3 = 2.25

73.25
67.75
42.50

(6)

Moment arm
(metres)

Table 16.1 Computation of forces and moments for unit length of dam section

13470.24
10391.28
49345.87
22976.18

(Contd.)...

194763.72

168597.01
26166.71

96183.57

147334.50

147456.00
+ 121.50

+ 27091.99

+21978.00
+5045.63
+ 68.36

+ 418302.75

+ 11866.50
+ 130080.00
+ 276356.25

(7)

Moment about
the toe (anticlockwise + ve)
(104 Nm)

GRAVITY DAMS

551

1Hydrodynamic

Tail-water1

(b)

(a)

Hydrodynamic
force
Head-water
(c1=cm for y=h)

(ii)

(i)

5.

(ii)

load
Earthquake
forces
Inertial
horizontal force
due to weight of
the dam

Load due to
sediment
deposit Ws
Excess horizontal pressure
Excess vertical

4.

(i)

(2)

(1)

491.19

2.76

488.43

50.00
28.33

10.00

76.25 4.5/3 = 74.75

15/3 = 5.00

(6)

force due to tail -water has been considered negative for the most critical condition.

At the base c = cm = 0.73

(for U = 0)
Vpe = 0.726 (0.73 0.1
1 96) 96
Mpe = 0.299 (0.73 0.1
1 96) (96)2
At the base c = cm = 0.47
(for D = tan1 (0.75))
Vpe = 0.726 (0.47 0.1 1
9) 9
Mpe = 0.299 (0.47 0.1
1 9) (9)2

858.45

192.00
650.25

1920.00 0.1
6502.50 0.1

153

(5)

16.20

32.48

(4)

162.00 0.1

1 0.5 15 2.25 1.925

1 0.5 15 15 1.36

(3)

19321.38

10.25

19311.13

28183.58

9600.00
18421.58

162.00

+ 1662.88

+ 2427.88

765.00

(7)

552
IRRIGATION AND WATER RESOURCES ENGINEERING

553

GRAVITY DAMS

Using Eq. (16.19), with pe = 0, the minor principal stress at the heel
1U = yU sec2 U p tan2 U
= 26.11 104 1.0225 96 104 0.0225
= 24.54 104 N/m2
Using Eq (16.22), shear stress at the heel, (yx)U = (yU p) tan U

(yx)U = (26.11 96.00) 104 0.15

= 10.48 104 N/m2

Further, major principal stress at the heel = p = 96 104 N/m2

and minor principal stress at the toe = p = 9.0 104 N/m2
Factor of safety for overturning =
=
Sliding factor

=
=

stabilising moment
overturning moment

(418302.75 + 27091.99 + 1662.88) 10 4

(147334.50 + 96183.57) 10 4

= 1.84

H
W
4720.55 10 4
701118
. 104

= 0.67

Shear-friction factor of safety (with drains operative),

Fs =
=

Cb 1 + W
H

150 104 76.25 1 + 0.7(701118

. 104 )
4720.50 104

= 3.46

(ii) Extreme loading combination (usual loading combination with drains inoperative
and the loading due to earthquake):
The inertial and hydrodynamic forces and corresponding moments due to horizontal
earthquake have been computed as shown in Table 16.1. The effect of vertical earthquake can
be included in stability computations by multiplying the forces by (1 + v) and (1 v) for
upward and downward accelerations, respectively. Since the computation of hydrodynamic
force involves the use of unit weight of water, the hydrodynamic force will also be modified by
vertical acceleration due to earthquake. Further, the effect of earthquake on uplift forces is
considered negligible. For reservoir full condition, the downward earthquake acceleration
results in more critical condition. Therefore, the following computations have been worked out
for the downward earthquake acceleration only.
Resultant vertical force with downward earthquake acceleration
= (8584.50 + 394.88 + 32.48) 104 0.95 2000.68 104
= 6560.59 104 N
Resultant horizontal force with downward earthquake acceleration
= (4567.50 + 153 + 858.45 + 491.19) 104
= 6070.14 104 N

554

IRRIGATION AND WATER RESOURCES ENGINEERING

Resultant moment about the toe with downward acceleration

= (418302.75 +27091.99 147334.50 + 1662.88 28183.58
19321.38) 104 0.95 194763.72 104
= 44843.53 104 Nm
Now,

y=

M 44843.53 10 4
= 6.835 m
=
W
6560.59 10 4

Eccentricity, e = 38.125 6.835 = 31.29 m

The resultant passes through the downstream side of the centre of the base. The value
of e is more than b/6 i.e., 12.71 m. Therefore, there would be tensile stresses around the heel of
the dam. The vertical stresses at the toe and heel with downward earthquake acceleration are,
yD =

W
6 31.29
6e
6560.59 10 4
=
1+
1+
b
b
76.25
76.25

FG
H

IJ
K

FG
H

IJ
K

= 297.89 104 N/m2

6 31.29
6e
6560.59 10 4
W
=
1
1
76.25
76.25
b
b
4
2
= 125.81 10 N/m
Factor of safety against overturning
and

Sliding factor

FG
H

yU =

IJ
K

FG
H

IJ
K

(418302.75 + 27091.99 + 1662.88) 10 4

= 1.15
(147334.50 + 194763.72 + 28183.58 + 19321.38) 10 4

H
W

=
=

( 4567.50 + 153 + 858.45 + 49119

. ) 10 4
6560.59 10 4
607014
.
= 0.925
6560.59

Shear-friction factor of safety, Fs =

=
=

Cb 1 + W
H

150 10 4 76.25 1 + 0.7 6560.59 104

607014
. 10 4
16029.91
= 2.64
607014
.

16.7. FOUNDATION TREATMENT

The foundation of a gravity dam should be firm and free of major faults which, if present, may
require costly foundation treatment. The entire loose overburden over the area of the foundation
to be occupied by the base of the dam should be removed. The dam itself must be based on the
firm material which can withstand the loads imposed by the dam, reservoir, and other
appurtenant structures. To consolidate the rock foundation and to make it an effective barrier