4th INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON ROLLER COMPACTED

CONCRETE RCC DAMS

(Noviembre 2003)

RCC dams in Spain. Present and future

M. Alonso-Franco
FCC Construccin, S.A. - SPANCOLD - Spanish National Committee on Large Dams, Madrid, Spain

ABSTRACT: This paper briefly reviews the essential characteristics of the Spanish dams in RCC, both in their
typology and their design and construction, as factors relative to materials, mixtures and mixing.
The Spanish RCC dams have had a satisfactory behaviour, similar to the numerous dams of conventional concrete
existing in Spain. It is believed that the use of concrete with a high content of paste has had a great influence in this
performance.

1 INTRODUCTION benefits and have been a determining factor in the

development reached during the last decades.
The peculiar location of Spain, to the South West of The greater part of the Spanish dams are made of
Europe and to the North of Africa causes that concrete (72%), due to the fact that in general the good
climatology of Spain has some very specific and varied quality of the foundations, and that in Spain the rivers
characteristics, which produce rainfall patterns and river could present extreme floods, in face of which concrete
flows with a very high irregularity and an unevenly dams are less vulnerable. For all this, when in the
geographical distribution of the water resources. decade of the 1980s the technique of dam construction
The flow regime of the rivers presents a high of roller compacted concrete (RCC) was developed
irregularity, with pronounced interannual variations which and there was in the country a great activity in dam
can give rise to long periods of drought, and also very construction, in Spain this new technology was rapidly
important seasonal variations with low water levels implanted, and so in the year 1984 the first RCC dam
during the summer months. In and of itself, the available was completed (Erizana dam).
water resources in to natural regime are very scarce, At the present time there are 24 RCC dams in
with a total of 9,200 hm/year (8.3% of the renewable operation, 21 being large dams, with a height superior to
resources), what would take place, to mean per-capita 15 meters (see Table I at the end). These dams have
availabilities of only 240 m / year, as compared with the been constructed in locations of diverse climates, and
1,000 m / year considered basic on a world level in their objectives cover all de purposes: Water supply
order to cover the supply needs. (10), Flood control (9), Irrigation (3) and Hydropower
These basic data of the water resources in Spain, (2) (see Figure 1). Spain occupies the first place among
together with the specific circumstances of water supply, the European countries wit relationship to the number of
are clear indicators of the Spanish situation, in which in RCC dams, and the fifth place in the world ranking.
order to be able to attend the water demands it has been The advantages that have supposed the RCC dams
necessary to construct many large dams and reservoirs. refer mainly to the economy in the costs and to a bigger
The construction of dams in Spain began in Roman speed in the construction. Also the RCC dams suppose
times, of which still remain in operation the marvellous a bigger hydrological safety, issue that has a special
Proserpina and Cornalvo dams. At the present time importance in Spain.
there are 1,200 large dams in Spain, and 25 under The main characteristics of the Spain RCC dams,
construction, with a total reservoir capacity of 56,500 which are described more in detail in the several tables
hm which have made possible to pass from a natural of the paper, are the following:
regulation of only 8% of the renewable water resources, ? ?Height: Average 42.38+25.82 m, with a maximum of
to a real availability of more than 40%, which has 101 m (Rialb dam).
situated the country in the setting of the mean natural ? ?Volume of concrete: Total 4,218,600 m, with an
regulation of the European countries. With this number average of 175,800 m per dam, and a maximum of
of large dams Spain occupies the first place among the 1,325,000 m in Rialb dam.
European countries, and the fourth in the world ranking. ? ?Volume of RCC: Total 3,608,300 m with an average
Dams in Spain produce important economic and social of 150,350 m per dam, and a maximum of
1,200,000 in Rialb dam.
? ?Percentage of RCC over the total of the concrete: structure, eliminating all that is superfluous, that is to say,
86%. that which is not detrimental to it safety and its functional
In this paper the principal characteristics of the RCC character. So:
dams in Spain are described, analysing their typology, ? ?The conduits of intakes, outlets and diversions are
the material employed and the mixtures, the usually concentrated in one same section or block.
waterproofing, the upstream faces, the joints and their Their valves and operating mechanisms are situated
treatment, the lift joints, the stepped spillways, and the next to the downstream face and their inlets, if it is
construction methods usually employed (mixing, possible, in a tower backing on to the upstream face.
transport, placing and curing of the concrete). Finally ? ?The inspection and drainage galleries should be
some features of the Spanish RCC are presented. reduced in number to the essential minimum. In the
case that only one gallery is utilized, it will be
attempted to ensure that it be perimetric as it
2 TYPOLOGY permits the carrying out of corrective ground works,
waterproofing and drainage, in a more rational manner
All the dams constructed up to the present time are of a and with greater efficiency. These perimetric galleries
straight gravity type (PG), except one of curved plan, have been carried out in various ways: embedded in a
with a standard section (which adjusts to the Pigeau trench in the ground, encased in the conventional
profile) with slight adaptations in order to favour the new concrete of the foundation or formed with
technology of continuous placing of the concrete; at prefabricated elements. In the Puebla de Cazalla Dam
times the triangular profile comes close to being the perimetric gallery was formed with corrugated
trapezoidal. metal tubing, with very successful results.
It is obvious to point out that both the quality and the It has to be pointed that it has not always been
geotechnical characteristics of the foundation affect the possible to make a simplified design for which, in some
width of the structure (Puebla de Cazalla and Rialb cases, a part of the inherent constructive advantages of
Dams). The seismicity of the Iberian Peninsula has the RCC has been lost.
generally very little influence on this. In addition, it should be mentioned that in the new
The experience in construction of RCC dams has rockfill Tous Dam, RCC was extensively used to protect
shown that the design of a dam should simplify the the outlets.

Figure 1. Situation of the RCC dams.

 Figure 1 shows the location of all the twenty-six describe the geometric and constructive data and the
RCC dams and in Figure 2 some standard sections materials employed in the twenty-four RCC Spanish
which can be considered to be the most representative Dams in operation.
are shown. The Tables I to IV (see end of document)

Figure 2. Most representative sections of Spanish RCC dams.

3 MATERIALS FOR THE RCC The maximum size of aggregate (M.S.A.) has been
of 80 mm, only being greater in Erizana and Sta.
Eugenia dams where it was 100 mm. When the
3.1 Aggregates upstream face has been constructed with RCC, the
In Spain, the aggregates used in the RCC dams have aggregate of 80 mm has been reduced to 40 mm or 50
been practically of identical character to those mm in this zone.
employed in conventional concrete. Of crushed stone In the Spanish RCC the advantages of using
or of natural deposits, of calcareous or siliceous origin, aggregates of a greater size (greater resistance, lesser
are employed without distinction, depending on their shrinkage, lesser quantity of water and paste), have
cost. been subordinated to the interest of avoiding
The aggregates are classified in coarse aggregates segregation.
(> 5 mm) and fine aggregates or sands (< 5 mm). The When the aggregates have been of quality, the fines
first ones are separated, in general, in three fractions of the sands have formed part of the paste. If they are
and the second into one or two fractions, depending of a calcareous nature, these fines (< 80 ) can reach
on their maximum size. a 12% of the total of the sand. In the Urdalur Dam it
was of 8%.
 In Table IV (see end of document) the quantities of normal). Cementitous material contents of 240 kg/m
aggregates utilized in the concrete of different dams are have been reached in some cases.
indicated. It is convenient that the content in paste exceeds
that is necessary to fill the voids; the excess flows back
to the surface and contributes to improving the union
3.2 Cementitous content and additives between successive lifts.
The binding material used in Spain for the compacted In Table IV the characteristics of the concretes are
concretes is generally a mixture of Portland cement shown. (See end of document).
and fly ash, class F type silica-aluminous, with a
content of the latter very superior to that of the cement. Mean Maximum Minimum
Other additions such as blast-furnace slag have been C.P. (kg/m) 78 100 70
used only in Urdalur dam and in the auxiliary
compacted concrete of the New Tous Dam. In these F (kg/m) 125 170 90
cases the cementitious material has been a composite C+F (kg/m) 200 240 185
cement supplied by the cement factory. F
To date, it has been preferred, due to its greater (%) 63 70 60
C? F
flexibility, to make the mixture on the work site.
The characteristics of the fly ash are regulated by W
(%) 0,49 0,54 0,42
the UNE-83-415-87 Standard. C? F
In general at the beginning of RCC dams
construction, admixtures were not used for RCC. In Chart 1. Characteristics of the binders used in Spanish RCC
the Puebla de Cazalla Dam setting retarders was dams.
successfully used. Setting retarders and water reducers
are of a more general use at the present time.
5 IMPERMEABILITY

4 MIXTURES The impermeability of the Spanish dams of RCC has

been entrusted to the body of the dam and sometimes
In the RCC the mixtures are the object of special to its upstream zone. A conventional concrete strip of
studies. It is not only valid to comply with the a minimum width of 1.5 m sufficient to place and
specifications of the design documents, which generally absorb the water-stop bands, has been the element
are limited to requiring some compressive and tensile in which the impermeability of our first dams has been
strength. Several technologies are available in order to entrusted. In later constructions, the whole section has
determine the mix design of the concrete. All these been carried out using RCC, although of two types,
methods are grouped together by those which are RCC 1 and RCC 2. The first is placed on the
based on the concrete technology and those others upstream face in a strip of a minimum width of 3 m but
which depend on soil technology. Those of the first increasing with the head of water. This concrete, of
group are based on the consistency of the material, greater quality, has a smaller M.S.A. in order to
which is measured and determined by the Vebe reduce or avoid segregation; this measure is
Consistometer. The second group uses the Modified accompanied by a paste slightly richer in cementitious
Proctor test. material
In Spain, the concrete technology has been Presently the technique is orientated to the use of
generally employed. That is to say, it starts from a only one RCC type in the body of the dam, using all
grading of the coarse aggregate with a minimum of possible measures in order to minimize the problem of
voids which are filled with a mortar, in this turn the the segregation. This is possible by the use of a
voids of the sand being filled with an excess of paste. concrete rich in paste. This procedure presents some
In essence it consists in designing a paste of advantages: rapidity of construction, reduced cost and
cement, active additions, fines and water, the volume no technical problem of the union of the different
of which exceeds the volume of voids of the frame concretes.
formed by the total aggregate. In the Spanish dams no other elements have been
The combined grading of the aggregates is incorporated, close to the upstream face, in order to
continuous and the consistency of the concrete is improve the impermeability, as it has been done in
measured with the Vebe Modified consistometer. Up many other dams (synthetic sheets, prefabricated
to the present time all the RCC dams in Spain have panels, etc.).
been constructed with mixtures with a high content of If this has been possible, it is due to the use of RCC
paste, it is to say, with a cementitious material dosage with high quantity of paste in the Spanish dams.
superior to 150 kg/m, and in most cases, to 200 If in the dams of Puebla de Cazalla and Cenza a
kg/m, with a high substitution of cement by fly ash strip of bedding mortar, 80 cm wide, was placed
(proportions) fly ash/cement from 60/40 to 70/30 are between layers, its main purpose being to improve the
aspect of the faces.
 6.1.1 Joints with formwork
TYPE No. OF DAMS REMARKS In the beginning all the joints were of this type and they
were 40 to 60 m apart. These blocks permitted the
placing of the formwork of the face in one of them,
whilst the other was being concreted. Its inconvenience
6 was the passage of the machines from one block to
another, overcoming the difference of height of the
formwork, which has been solved in many diverse
ways. When the concrete of the upstream face was
vibrated, initiated joints were left every 15 or 10 m.
77 1 with slip formed curbs (See Figure 3).

6.1.2 Driven joints

Later, the blocks were made longer, or they were
11
11
3 small size dams concreted in a continuous manner from side to side,
1 with slip formed curbs
this depending on the size of the installations
(production) and on the maximum temperatures.
In both cases the blocks have to be divided in other
Chart 2. RCC dams in Spain upstream face. intermediate blocks in order to avoid cracking due to
the hydraulic and thermal shrinkage. This division of
the blocks can be done by sawing the layer with a disc
6 JOINTS saw or otherwise by driving in a plate or sheet. The
6.1 Vertical contraction joints first procedure has only been carried out in the
Maroo Dam. The second procedure has been used in
Their placing is mainly based on thermal all the remaining dams by way of an equipment which
considerations. The importance of a thermal study is inserts by vibration a synthetic film or a galvanized
obvious in order to determine their distance and the sheet.
convenience of cooling the concrete. Whatever the type of transverse joint employed, it
The RCC dams are divided in blocks by way of has to be made waterproof next to the upstream face.
joints which are materialized by means of conventional Normally it has been done with two bands of synthetic
formworks or with inductors. material ("water-stop"). Between them one or two
conduits are left moulded in the joint, one of them
connected to the inspection and drainage gallery. In the
Atance Dam an exterior

Figure 3. Waterproofing of vertical joints (formworked).

Figure 3. Waterproofing of vertical joints (formworked)

device has been installed the upstream face, which proved up to now due to the low water level in the
undoubtedly allows the placing of the RCC with reservoir.
greater speed and quality. Its efficiency has not been In Table III (see end of document) data of the
transverse and longitudinal joints of the blocks are
given. In Figure 3 the details of the impermeabilization the following treatment of joints, recommended by
are shown. some experts:
In Sierra Brava Dam with formworked blocks 90 1 Joint less than 24 hours: " Hot Joint ". It does not
m long, a driven joint has been inserted in their center require any treatment, if the surface has not been
(final blocks 45 m long). In the Maroo and Cenza damaged. Simply remove the water and the detritus
Dams, with continuous concreting, joints have been by way of a vacuum equipped truck.
sawn every 40 m in the first, and plates have been 2 Joint between 24 and 48 hours ( with favourable
driven by vibration every 20 m in the second. In the climate up to 72 hours ): "Prepared joint". It is
Val Dam joints have only been formworked every 60 sufficient to rake the surface with a steel wire brush
m. and remove the detritus (vacuum equipped truck ).
3 Joint more than 72 hours ( with unfavourable
climate 48 hours ): "Cold joint". Sandblasting and
6.2 Horizontal joints between layers water at pressure. Same completion as the previous
These joints are the weak points and most case.
controversial in the RCC dams, similarly to dams of In the hot joints no treatment is necessary, if we
conventional concrete. The difference is that in the first exclude their cleansing and maintaining the humidity of
case, these joints are spaced 0,30 m (thickness of the the surface, by aspersion of water.
layer) and in those of the second case they are spaced The cold joints are treated similarly to that of the
between 1,50 m to 2,50 m. The great number of the conventional concretes, applying a jet of air and water
first demands greater attention. at pressure, cleaning with sweeper and suction and
The surface treatment of the layers is a point of always placing a thin layer of mortar. The aspect of
discussion in our country, at the time of classifying a their surface should be identical to that of the
joint as "hot" (not needing treatment) or "cold" conventional concrete dams. The cold joints
(needing treatment). programmed coincide with the upper face of the curbs
There exist several criteria in order to determine if a (Burguillo and Sierra Brava dams,....) or else with the
joint can be considered as cold or hot. One of theme is edge of the formwork ( dams of Maroo, Santa
the Maturity Factor (M.F.), defined as the product of Eugenia, Canchales, etc.). Some people discuss the
the mean hourly temperature, measured on the surface necessity of bedding mortar, if the concrete is rich in
of the layers in Centigrade degrees, by the time paste.
transcurred in hours between the placing of two In this important theme of the union between layers,
successive layers. At first this M.F. factor was fixed one must be pragmatic, that is to say, the previously
between 150 - 250? Cxh. In many cases these values mentioned criteria should be considered as an
make it necessary to divide the dam in blocks by way orientation. It will be the daily practice which
of formworked joints, due to the size of the determines the time of covering. Samples obtained by
installations. These inconveniences and the experience drilling during the work will provide useful information
accumulated have brought about that many engineers about the quality of the union.
apply this criterion with flexibility. Every dam is a
prototype and has an M.F. of its own variable in time
according to the environmental conditions of 7 CONSTRUCTION
temperature and relative humidity. It must be the
7.1 Mixing, Transport and Placing
experimental data, obtained on the test slab, that will
provide an M.F. which is applied as a practical control The mixing of the concrete has been usually carried out
of the constructive process. in tower-plants with several batch mixers, with a
capacity such that makes possible its continuous
T(h) x t (?C) = M.F. placing although the mixing is not continuous. The only
dams with continuous mixing have been those of
Depending on the cases this factor has varied in Castilblanco and Rialb.
reality between values of the order of 80 and 300, Conventional trucks with pneumatic tyres and high
which shows its lack of representivity. In Spain it has speed belt conveyors as well as their combinations,
been used with maximum times between layers from 6 have been, in the Spanish dams, the only means of
to 9 hours, although in Puebla de Cazalla dam a time transport of the concrete from the mixing plant up to
of 16 hours was reached, due to the use of a setting the point of placing. Belt conveyors up to the entrance
retarder. to the works and interior distribution by trucks in
These criteria appear more appropriate for low Sierra Brava; all the transport by trucks in the dams of
paste contents (< 120 - 150 kg/m of cementitious Los Canchales, Puebla de Cazalla, Santa Eugenia; high
material) and require to use mortars in the cases of speed belts and trucks in the works in Maroo, Rialb,
cold joints ( time between layers superior to that Val, Boquern and Atance.
marked). Every system has advantages and inconveniences.
With richer contents ( > 200 Kg/m ) it goes up to If the transport is carried out only using trucks,
24 hours ( Upper Stillwater, New Victoria ) and with providing accesses at different levels, if the ground is
very abrupt, is difficult and costly; in these cases the Concrete curbs have been employed in the dams of
access should be made upstream in order not to affect Burguillo and Sierra Brava. They were constructed
the stability of the abutments nor causing damage to with slip form equipment. In order that the formwork
the landscape. The placing of the concrete with belt with curb results economical it is necessary that the
conveyors and spreaders is the procedure which least dam will be long enough, that it be employed on both
affects the quality of the mix already placed. In the high faces and that due to its shape it can be considered as
zones of the dam, the transport trucks are obliged to a part of the resistant section of the dam. In the first
manoeuvre and make tight turns which can damage the projects this solution resulted attractive to the
recently placed concrete. The high speed conveyors, in constructor, today their opinions do not always
spite of their cost, are very interesting for the dams of coincide.
large dimensions, and also in the case of very steep If the downstream face is smooth, conventional
slopes, with the inconvenience, with respect to trucks, formwork or slip formed curbs are employed. If it is
that a breakdown of the belt paralyzes all the process stepped, as occurs in the majority of the Spanish
of the job until it is repaired. dams, panels of the height of the step are employed;
The transport of the concrete is an important their fixing with anchorages and brackets is not easy,
decision which the constructor must take, as it affects for which it is convenient that the height of the step is
to a great degree the quality and the cost of the work. not small both for its fixing or as also its aesthetic
It should be taken in function of the topography of the outlook.
site, of the rhythms of production and of the existence In the Spanish dams no other type of formwork has
or not of shuttered blocks. been employed other than the ones described.
Once the concrete mix is poured on site - either Faces without formwork have been carried out in
with belts or trucks - in small mounds it is immediately the Guadalemar Dam (isosceles section). In the Los
spread by bulldozer in longitudinal strips parallel to the Canchales Dam formwork has not been employed on
axis of the dam. In very few occasions, a grader has the lower part of the downstream face since it was
been used. It is normal to advance the strip from the then covered by an earth fill.
downstream face to the upstream face with a slight
slope towards the latter.
The extension of the mixture close to the faces 7.3 Curing of the concrete
should be carried out carefully since they are the zones Immediately after its compaction and until the
more susceptible to segregation, for which they require spreading of the following layers the surface of the
greater attention and the presence of workmen for layer has to be maintained humid.
manual corrections. This curing must be more carefully performed when
The compaction of the concrete is always carried the temperatures are high, avoiding the drying out. The
out with self propelled smooth vibrating tandem rollers treatment finishes on commencing the spreading of the
of 10 to 16 t. Other light units of some 3 t or following layers, simply cleaning the surface with a
pneumatic plates and tampers are used close to truck with vacuum equipment. It is important not to
exterior faces and contacts with galleries and conduits. leave any puddles.
For a thickness of a normal layer ( ? 30 cm) the
number of passes of the roller is usually 6, back and
forth, the first and last without vibration and the rest 7.4 Contact surface of the ground with the RCC.
with vibration. The previous treatment of the foundation is equal to
that for conventional concrete. All the small voids of
the rock are filled with low consistency concrete
7.2 Faces-Formworks
internally vibrated. Before beginning the placing of the
It is usual that the upstream face of a dam is smooth RCC a flat surface not less than 30 x 30 m is
and that of downstream is stepped. necessary which is obtained with a levelling concrete,
The first Spanish dams have been constructed using so that the machines for placing, spreading and
conventional travelling formwork, the design details of compaction of the RCC can operate efficiently.
which depend on the number and type of the joints, In very steep slopes ( > 0.5H, 1 V ) and on those
on the rhythm of the construction and on the covering slightly inclined as also in places not accessible to the
time. The height of the panel is a multiple of the compacting machine, a vibrated concrete is placed.
thickness of the layer (2 to 2,40 m) and on its upper This union must be carefully controlled. Always when
edge it will form a cold joint. This type of formwork is possible in the dam section contacts should be avoided
especially indicated when the dam is divided in between conventional concrete and RCC, as
shuttered blocks, as when one goes up the concrete is described in the paper.
placed in the other. In the Cenza Dam a special
formwork, travelling-hinged has been used, which
allows greater speed of placing and, in this manner, the
layer can be continuous from side to side avoiding the
cold joint.
8 TEST SLABS interpreted as a design of dam well orientated
towards the new technology.
It appears obligatory that in every RCC dam, test 5. The cementitious materials are a mixture of
slabs are carried out, and it has been done in the Portland cement and fly ash class F. The
Spanish dams. substitution of cement by the fly ash reaches
Before starting the placing of the concrete in the percentages of 70%. In two cases the cementitious
dam, a full size test slab should be constructed; on material has been a composite cement available in
which the data obtained from the laboratory tests are the market.
corrected and optimized as well as those others that
are imposed by the Technical Specifications of the 6. The concretes of all the Spanish RCC dams are of
Project. On the test slab the conditions for placing on " high paste content ", that is to say, the quantity of
the job the RCC will be tested: faces, thickness of cementitious material is superior to 150 kg/m.
layers, segregation, treatment of joints between layers Their dosifications between 200 kg/m and 240
and construction joints. It will serve at the same time kg/m situate them among the dams with greater
for the personnel of the job to acquire experience. The quantity of cementitious material.
dimensions of the slab have to be generous and not 7. All the dams have been divided in blocks by way
less than 10 layers in height and an approximate of formworking the transverse joints. Exceptions
volume of RCC of 1,500 to 2,000 m. In the dams of are the dam of Guadalemar, which does not have
Canchales, Urdalur and Sierra Brava, among others, it joints, and Cenza, with a joint that only affects the
has been preferred to make two test slabs, one during uppermost 20 m.
a previous phase and another once the plant had been
installed. In order that its cost does not affect too much 8. The blocks of length superior to 60 m have been
that of the job, the second slab can be integrated in divided by way of driven joints in the majority of
some zone of the dam of lesser commitment. the cases.
In the previous laboratory tests study the gradation 9. The waterproofing of the vertical joints is obtained
of the aggregates, the dosification of the cementitious with two PVC water-stop bands, in the majority of
materials, the consistencies, and Vebe times, for the cases with a moulded conduit between them.
diverse mixtures of the RCC are studied.
From the test slab, cores will be obtained by drilling
in order to measure densities, observe the unions
between layers and the " in situ " permeabilities by
filling the borehole with water.

9 MAIN CHARACTERISTIC OF THE SPANISH

RCC DAMS

The main characteristics of the Spanish RCC dams can

be summarized as follows:
1. All the dams are of straight gravity type, except
one which is curved. Their standard section
responds to the classic Pigeaud profile with
adaptation to the technology of continuous placing.
2. In the design of the outlets and intakes, as also in
that of the galleries, efforts have been made, at
times insufficient, in order that the design is in
agreement with the philosophy of a faster and
economic construction.
3. The aggregates are of the same quality and similar
granulometry as those utilized in conventional
concrete. Their maximum size (M.S.A.) oscillates
between 100 and 40 mm, the most normal being 80
mm.
4. Percentages in volume of the compacted concretes
(RCC) with respect to the conventional concretes
(CC) which the dams contain are very high. Values
of (RCC):/(RCC+CC.) superior to 80% can be
 instead of flat ones, even in the case of dams of an
10. The Spanish dams of RCC do not incorporate in
average/low height. For curved dams, savings in the
their interior any material that is not concrete or
stilling basin are lower than those obtained in the case
mortar. No material of the market is incorporated
of straight ones, but still significant.
to reinforce the union between layers; no material
(synthetic sheets or others) in order to increase the
impermeability in the upstream zone; no 10.2 Thermal behavior
prefabricated material for the drainage of the dam (
only boreholes with drill or moulded conduits in the A lot of computation time is required for the analysis of
vertical joints). the long-term thermo-mechanical behavior of RCC
dams using 2-D models. To overcome this difficulty, a
modified 1-D strip model has been developed which
allows to estimate temperatures and stresses in the
10 INVESTIGATION
core of a RCC dam at low CPU time cost.
Temperatures predicted by this model fit the data
Together with this large experience in the use of RCC
obtained from a series of thermometers installed in
dams, extensive research has been conducted on a
Rialb RCC dam (Spain). Results of such simulations
number of particular topics of this technology. Some
can be used as input parameters for 2-D or 3-D
recent findings are summarized in the next paragraphs.
models or if decisions on the construction schedule or
on the placing temperature have to be made during the
10.1 Stepped spillways construction phase.
Tests have been performed on scale models to
characterize the pressure field over a stepped 10.3 Bonding between layers
spillway, providing information about the maximum and
The results of a penetration test performed at different
minimum pressures registered and the cavitation risk.
times have shown an excellent correlation with the
For all the tested discharges a fully developed
quality of the bond between layers, evaluated by
skimming flow regime occurs over the chute. The
means of the flexural strength of specimens compacted
pressure along the symmetry centers of the horizontal
in two layers. This type of tests is intended to eliminate
faces shows a wavy pattern: some steps are in a peak
some of the problems posed by the direct tensile tests.
and some others in a valley of that wavy behavior.
Also with this aim, an special testing device has been
Moreover, two different zones on the step have been
developed to improve the alignment of the specimen
identified: the outer edge, governed by impact with the
with the theoretical axis of the load generated by the
upper jet, and the inner region controlled by the
direct tensile test machine. Results can be deemed
recirculating internal eddies.
satisfactory, most of the specimens being broken
There is not much information about the behavior of
around their central part.
gated stepped spillways. For this reason some dams
built in RCC are designed with a smooth spillway
instead of a stepped one. To provide a better insight
into this topic, the interaction of a Tainter gate ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
controlling the flow over a stepped spillway has been
analyzed with a scale model. Several scenarios have The authors want to thank Mr. J. Yage and Mr. L.
been tested: the discharge under a partially raised Berga of SPANCOLD, whose help has been essential
Tainter gate and two emergency situations to make this article possible.
characterized by the gate overtopping and a TRANSLATION (Spanish-English): C. Jofr (IECA,
combination of flow over and under the gate. It was Madrid, Spain)
observed that to make compatible the flow through the
gate (over and/or under) with the hydraulic behavior of
a stepped spillway, the stepped channel should begin REFERENCES
downstream the ogee profile.
Alonso-Franco, M. & YAGE, J. 1995. The Spanish approach
Current social and political trends dominant in the to RCC dam engineering. The International Journal on
world seem to favour building new dams of heights Hydropower and Dams. May 1995.
below 50 m, their impact being smaller than that of Alonso-Franco, M. 1995. Compacted Concrete dams in Spain.
higher dams for large reservoirs. Most studies Evolution and constructive details. Proceedings of the
performed on stepped spillways refer to higher dams, International Symposium held in Santander (Spain),
even if the results are extrapolated and applied to 1995.
lower dams. To obtain more precise information, a Alonso-Franco, M., Yage, J. & Berga, L. 1999. RCC Dams in
Spain. Proceedings of the International Symposium on
research work was done on models of a scale that Roller Compacted Concrete Dam in Chengdu (China),
makes them representative of dams not higher than 50 1999.
m. The results indicate that a significant reduction of
basin works can be obtained with stepped spillways
Elviro, V. & Mateos, C. 1995. Spanish research into stepped
spillways. The International Journal on Hydropower and
Dams. September 1995.
Gomez Laa, G. 1992. Roller Compacted Concrete dams in
Spain. Water Power and Dam Construction N 9,
September 1992.
Gomez Laa, G. 1995. General Report on Behaviour and
Rehabilitation. Proceedings of the International
Symposium held in Santander (Spain), October 1995.
Table I - RCC dams completed in Spain
COMPLETION
NAME RIVER BASIN OWNER PURPOSE GEOLOGY
YEAR
ERIZANA BAHIA NORTE COM. GALLEGA S GRANITE 1985
CASTILBLANCO CALA GUADALQUIVIR COM. ANDALUZA S DIABASE & DIORITE 1985
LOS MORALES MORALES TAJO COM. MADRID S GNEISS & GRANITE 1988
STA. EUGENIA JALLAS NORTE CARBUROS METALICOS H GRANITE & SIENITE 1988
MAROO IZORIA NORTE COM. PAIS VASCO S MESOZOIC LIMESTONES & LOAM 1990
HERVAS HERVAS TAJO COM. EXTREMADURA S GRANITE 1990
LOS CANCHALES LACARA GUADIANA ESTADO C MESOZOIC LIMESTONES 1991
BURGUILLOS MONTES GUADIANA COM. EXTREMADURA S CORNSTONE & DIABASE 1991
BELEN GATO R. BELEN SUR COM. ANDALUZA C MESOZOIC DOLOMITES 1991
PUEBLA DE CAZALLA CORBONES GUADALQUIVIR ESTADO I MESOZOIC LIMESTONES & LOAM 1992
BELEN CAGELA R. BELEN SUR COM. ANDALUZA C MESOZOIC CHALKOSCHISTE 1992
BELEN FLORES R. BELEN SUR COM. ANDALUZA C MESOZOIC CHALKOSCHISTE 1992
CABALLARS R. BELEN SUR COM. ANDALUZA C MESOZOIC DOLOMITES 1992
AMATISTEROS I R. BELEN SUR COM. ANDALUZA C MESOZOIC DOLOMITES 1992
AMATISTEROS III R. BELEN SUR COM. ANDALUZA C MESOZOIC DOLOMITES 1992
URDALUR ALZANIA EBRO ESTADO S LIMOLITE & MESOZOIC SANDSTONES 1993
ARRIARAN ARRIARAN NORTE COM. PAIS VASCO S LOAMS 1993
CENZA CENZA NORTE IBERDROLA H GRANITE 1993
SIERRA BRAVA PIZARROSO GUADIANA ESTADO I PALEOZOIC SLATE & GRAUWAKE 1994
GUADALEMAR GUADALEMAR GUADIANA ESTADO S PALEOZOIC SLATE & GRAUWAKE 1994
BOQUERN R. BOQUERN SEGURA ESTADO C LIMEST ONE & DOLOMITE 1997
VAL VAL EBRO ESTADO I MIOCENE CONGLOMERATE 1998
ATANCE R. SALADO TAJO ESTADO I GNEISS 1998
RIALB R. SEGRE EBRO ESTADO I MESOZOIC LOAM & SANDSTONE 2000
Table II - Main features of RCC dams completed in Spain
CONCRETE VOLUME VOL. RATIO
CREST RESERVOIR SLOPES H:V
HEIGHT (10 3 m) RCC / CC+RCC
NAME LENGTH CAPACITY SPILLWAY
(m) DOWNSTREA
(m) (10 6 m) UPSTREAM CC RCC %
M
ERIZANA 12 115 0.48 0.1 0.60 2 9.7 71 NO
CASTILBLANCO 25 124 0.87 VERTICAL 0.75 6 14 86 SLOPING-CC
LOS MORALES 28 200 2.84 VERTICAL 0.75 3.5 22 89 SLOPING-CC
STA. EUGENIA 83 280 16.60 0.05 0.75 29 225 88 SLOPING-CC
MAROO 53 182 2.23 0.05 0.75 11 80 56 SLOPING-CC
HERVAS 33 210 0.22 0.15 0.70 19 24 46 SLOPING-CC
LOS CANCHALES 32 240 15.00 VERTICAL 0.50 - 0.80 29 25 76 SLOPING-CC
BURGUILLOS 24 167 2.50 VERTICAL 0.60 8 25 88 SLOPING-CC (Curbs)
BELEN GATO 34 158 0.25 0.25 0.75 5 38 93 STEPPED-RCC
VERTICAL -
PUEBLA DE CAZALLA 71 220 7.40 0.80 15 205 83 STEPPED-RCC
0.20
BELEN CAGELA 31 160 0.20 0.05 0.75 5 24 83 STEPPED-RCC
BELEN FLORES 27 87 0.30 0.05 0.75 2 10 83 SLOPING-CC
CABALLARS 16 98 0.03 0.05 0.75 1 6 86 STEPPED-RCC
AMATISTEROS I 11 91 0.03 0.05 0.75 0.5 3 86 STEPPED-RCC
AMATISTEROS III 15 78 0.01 0.05 0.75 1.0 5 83 STEPPED-RCC
URDALUR 58 396 5.40 VERTICAL 0.75 48 160 77 STEPPED-CC
ARRIARAN 58 206 3.20 0.05 0.70 13 110 89 SLOPING-CC
CENZA 49 640 4.30 VERTICAL 0.75 8.5 215 96 STEPPED-RCC
SIERRA BRAVA 53 800 232.00 0.05 0.75 63 277 89 STEPPED-RCC (Curbs)
GUADALEMAR 13 400 4.00 1 1.00 5 50 91 SLOPING-RCC
BOQUERN 58 290 15.00 0.05 0.73 8 150 94 STEPPED-RCC
VERTICAL -
VAL 94 379 25.30 0.80 130 630 83 STEPPED-CC
0.02
ATANCE 45 185 35.30 VERTICAL 0.80 6.5 60 90 STEPPED-RCC
RIALB 101 604 402.00 0.15 - 0.35 0.65 0.40 150 1,050 87 SLOPING-C.C.
Table III - Structural characteristics of RCC dams in Spain
NUMBER AND WIDTHS OF LIFT THICKNESS FACING CONCRETE
NAME OF DAM VERTICAL JOINTS - TYPE
BLOCKS (m) UPSTEAM DOWNSTREAM
ERIZANA Two: 45 + 70 m FORMED 0.35 RCC RCC
FORMED IN BLOCKS &
CASTILBLANCO DE LOS ARROYOS Two: 62 + 62 m 0.45 CC CC
(Start Joint in U/S facing)
LOS MORALES Two: 84 + 104 m FORMED 0.40 RCC RCC
SANTA EUGENIA Four: 80 + 60 + 65 + 90 m FORMED 0.30 RCC RCC
MAROO Three: 2 x 60 + 61 m SAW CUT 0.30 RCC RCC
FORMED IN BLOCKS &
HERVAS Four: 57 + 32 + 74 + 47 m 0.30 CC CC
(Joints in U/S facing: 15 m)
LOS CANCHALES Two: 65 + 116 m FORMED 0.25 RCC RCC
BURGUILLOS DEL CERRO Four: 40 + 65 + 45 + 17 m DRIVEN METAL PLATES 0.30 CC (Curbs) CC (Curbs)
BELEN GATO Three: 3 x 53 m METAL PLATES 0.30 RCC RCC
SAW CUT (PARTIAL) AND
PUEBLA DE CAZALLA Five: 20 + 3 x 60 + 20 m 0.30 RCC RCC
FORMED
BELEN CAGELA Three: 3 x 54 m METAL PLATES 0.30 RCC RCC
AMATISTEROS I Two: 2 x 46 m METAL PLATES 0.30 RCC RCC
CABALLAR I Two: 2 x 49 m METAL PLATES 0.30 RCC RCC
BLEN FLORES Two: 2 x 43 m METAL PLATES 0.30 RCC RCC
AMATISTEROS III Two: 2 x 39 m METAL PLATES 0.30 RCC RCC
FORMED IN BLOCKS &
URDALUR Five: 77 + 96 + 81 + 65 + 70 m 0.30 CC RCC
(Joints in U/S facing: 21 m)
ARRIARAN Five: 12 + 65 + 61 + 42 + 18 m FORMED 0.30 RCC RCC
FORMED (upper 20 m)
CENZA Two: only in the upper 20 m 0.30 RCC RCC
DRIVEN METAL PLATES: 20 m
FORMED (DRIVEN METAL
SIERRA BRAVA Five: 225 + 135 + 90 + 90 + 245 m 0.30 CC (Curbs) CC (Curbs)
PLATES)
GUADALEMAR Continous: 400 m NO JOINTS 0.30 RCC RCC
Seven: 73 + 35 + 37 + 16 + 37 + 35 +
RAMBLA DEL BOQUERN DRIVEN METAL PLATES 0.30 RCC RCC
57 m
VAL Eight 3 x 60 + 5 x 40 m FORMED 0.30 CC CC+RCC
ATANCE Six: 6 x 30 m DRIVEN PLASTIC PLATES 0.30 RCC RCC
RIALB Sixteen: 7 x 40 + 3 x 28 + 6 x 40 m FORMED 0.30 RCC RCC
Table IV RCC Mixes
CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL RATIO
MAX SIZE OF AGGREGATE
SAND QUANTITY WATER QUANTITY (kg/m of concrete) F W
NAME OF DAM AGGREGATES QUANTITY %
(kg/m of concrete) (l/m of concrete) C? F C? F
(mm) (kg/m of concrete) C F C+F

ERIZANA 100 1668 532 115 90 90 180 50 0.60

CASTILBLANCO DE LOS ARROYOS 40 1452 628 102 102 86 188 46 0.54
RCC1 40 1426 618 108 81 140 221 63 0.46
LOS MORALES
RCC2 80 1548 562 98 74 128 202 63 0.48
RCC1 70 1635 552 100 88 152 240 63 0.42
STA. EUGENIA
RCC2 100 1830 430 90 72 143 215 67 0.40
RCC1 70 1575 670 100 80 160 240 67 0.42
MAROO
RCC2 70 1575 670 98 65 170 235 72 0.42
HERVAS 80 1540 540 95 80 155 235 66 0.40
BURGUILLOS DEL CERRO 60 1662 593 85 75 135 210 64 0.40
RCC1 40 1490 620 105 84 156 240 65 0.44
LOS CANCHALES
RCC2 80 1650 585 100 70 145 215 67 0.46
RCC1 40 1409 720 127 85 137 222 62 0.57
PUEBLA DE CAZALLA
RCC2 80 1512 688 113 80 130 210 62 0.51
AMATISTEROS I
AMATISTEROS III
CABALLAR I
40 1364 800 105 73 109 182 60 0.60
BELEN GATO
BELEN CAGELA
BELEN FLORES
URDALUR 80 1524 691 90 72 108 180 60 0.50
ARRIARAN 80 1730 550 100 85 135 220 61 0.45
SIERRA BRAVA 80 1590 610 95 80 140 220 64 0.43
CENZA 60 1519 733 95 70 130 200 65 0.47
GUADALEMAR 80 1364 836 100 60 125 185 68 0.54
RAMBLA DEL BOQUERN 80 1568 615 94 55 130 185 70 0.51
VAL 80 1552 660 100 80 100 180 55 0.51
ATANCE 40 1332 811 109 57 133 190 70 0.56
RIALB 100 1695 570 95 70 130 200 65 0,47

Table V Main features ff spanish RCC dams under construction

HEIGHT CREST LENGTH RESERVOIR CAPACITY CONCRETE VOLUME COMPLETION
NAME BASIN
(m) (m) (10 6 m 3 ) (10 3 m 3 ) YEAR
ESPARRAGAL GUADALQUIVIR 21 391 4 60 (RCC) 2003
ENCISO EBRO 105 378 47 750 (CC + RCC) ---