Hs I Stab - of Emb - Dam1

Stability analysis of earth dams
Introduction
❖The stability of earth dam is that property which enables it to stay in position.
❖ A dam is stable if the resultant of all forces acting on the dam does not result
in movement. Thus there are degrees of stability.
❖ If the forces resisting movement are in exact balance with those forces
tending to produce movement, the dam would be barely stable and the factor
of safety would be unity. This would be a dangerous condition because the
slightest increase in the acting forces would result in failure.
❖On the other hand, if the ratio of the forces resisting movement to those
tending to produce movement is 1.5, we have a factor of safety of 1.5, which is
generally considered adequate in structures of earth or rock.
❖In comparison with the usually determined factors of safety for concrete and
steel structures, the factor of safety of 1.3 to 1.5 generally considered
acceptable in the design of earth dams seem very low.
Contd….
There are several reasons for the apparent lowness of the acceptable factor of
safety in earth dam designs, some of which may be mentioned:
a. The figures used for strength of earth materials are necessarily taken quite
close to the minimum values obtained, and the strength which would be
mobilized before disastrous failure could be much greater.
b. Usually the factor of safety increases with the passage of time owing to
consolidation, etc., so that the factor of safety which was originally 1.3 may
eventually become 2.
c. In most cases the forces tending to produce movement are taken as the upper
possible limit but may actually be materially less than the assumed values.
• The net result is that if the investigation and analysis have been thorough, we
usually have rather conducive evidences that the factor of safety determined is
the minimum to be expected.
Stability of earth dam against headwater pressure
❖ The overall sliding stability of the earth dam is determined considering it as a
solid body.
❖ The factor of safety against sliding is defined as the ratio of the force resisting
sliding of the dam to the force tending to cause sliding
❖ The resisting force is taken as the shear resistance developed at the base of
the dam, given by
Resisting Force = W tan Φ
Where W is the effective weight of the entire dam per unit length, and Φ is the
angle of internal friction of the soil of which the dam is composed of.
Figure:- stability of earth dam against horizontal shear .
Contd……
Stability of earth dam against horizontal shear (i.e. stability of d/s
portion of the earth dam)
❖ Figure 3.7 b shows the d/s slope of the dam separated from the rest of the dam
by a vertical plane passing through the top shoulder of the d/s slope.
❖ A horizontal force acts on the vertical plane AB in the downstream direction
due to earth pressure (usually computed my Rankine’s theory) caused by the left
portion of the dam and due to water pressure.
❖ Thus, the total horizontal force is given by
where γs is the weighted unit weight of the soil mass at the vertical section AB;
H is the vertical distance from the top of the dam to the base of the dam (= dam
height),
ф is the angle of internal friction of the soil in the dam; and
h1 is the vertical distance from the phreatic line to the base of the dam.
Contd……
• The weighted unit weight γs of the soil mass is given by
where
✓ γ1 is the submerged unit weight of the soil below the phreatic line and
✓ γ2 is the moist unit weight of the soil above the phreatic line.
➢ The resisting force against sliding is developed due to internal friction and
cohesion of the soil mass in the downstream portion of the dam, and is given by
where
➢ Wd is the total effective weight of the d/s portion of the dam above the base,
➢c is the unit cohesion and
➢ bd is the width of the base of the d/s portion
Contd….
❖ For computing Wd, the submerged unit weight of the soil is
taken below the phreatic line and the moist weight above the
phreatic line.
❖ The average factor of safety Fs against shear is given by
Factor of safety against maximum shear (d/s slope)
Contd…….
Where
➢ σ is the vertical stress,
➢ γs is the weighted unit weight of the soil mass in the section of the dam along
a vertical line at the point of maximum shear stress, and
➢ h is the vertical distance from the d/s slope of the dam down to the point of
maximum shear stress (=height of soil column).
Thus
The factor of safety against maximum shear should be at least 1.5.

The same procedure should be repeated for other horizontal sections above the
base
Stability of upstream slope against horizontal shear
❖ The same procedure applies as that used for d/s slope discussed above. Figure 3.7c
shows the u/s slope separated from the rest of the dam by a vertical plane CD
passing through the u/s shoulder of the dam.
❖ As already mentioned, the most critical condition of u/s slope occurs during
sudden drawdown.
❖ Therefore, the upstream portion of the dam would remain saturated below the
phreatic line.
❖The horizontal force acting on the upstream portion of the dam is given by
where γs is the saturated unit weight of the soil in the upstream portion,
❖ H is the vertical distance from the top of the dam to the base of the dam, and
❖h1 is the vertical distance from the phreatic line to the base of the dam.
Contd….
Factor of safety against maximum shear (u/s portion)
➢ The maximum shear stress occurs at a point at a distance of 0.4bu from the
vertical line CD through the u/s shoulder, as in the case of d/s slope.
➢ The shear strength at that point is obtained as
➢ where γ´s is the submerged unit weight of soil, h is the height of the soil
column at that point.
Thus
The factor of safety against maximum shear stress should be at least 1.5. Similar
procedure should be repeated for other horizontal sections above the base.
Stability of foundation against horizontal shear
❑ If the foundation of an earth dam consists of a strong stratum, such as
compacted gravel, coarse sand, consolidated silt or clay, it has a high shear
strength and generally safe against horizontal shear.
❑ On the other hand, if the foundation consists of fine, loose sand,
unconsolidated silt or clay, it has low shear strength.
❑ Such foundations should be checked for stability against horizontal shear.
❑ An approximate method is given below, which is based on the assumption that
a c-Φ soil can be replaced by an equivalent cohesion less soil, which would
produce the same earth pressure as that by the c-Φ soil.
Contd…..
Figure : Foundation stability against horizontal shear

Figure shows the upstream portion of an earth dam on weak foundation. The section
AB passes through the upstream shoulder of the dam.
The thickness of the foundation stratum is h2 and the overall height of the dam
measured from the rigid boundary is h1.
Stability of foundation below upstream slope
❖ For checking the stability of the foundation below the upstream slope, the
sudden drawdown condition is the most critical and is discussed below.
❖ A horizontal shear force S acts on the vertical plane AB, which is given by
Contd…..
Contd…..
Contd……
Stability of foundation below downstream slope
❑ The above analysis is for the stability of foundation
below the u/s slope under sudden drawdown conditions.
❑ The same procedure can be used for the stability
analysis of the foundation below the d/s slope for steady
seepage conditions. For soil mass lying below the
phreatic line, the submerged unit weight is taken for
computing the shear strength.
❑ However, the saturated unit weights are used for
computing the shear force S.
examples
Solution: From the given data, the average unit weight may be computed as
❖
2. Stability of earth dam against horizontal shear (i.e. stability of d/s portion of the earth dam)
Refer to the following figure of a dam cross section of homogeneous material
consisting of a medium silt placed in 15 cm rolled layers. Slopes are u/s and d/s,
3.5:1 and 2.5:1, respectively. The dam is founded on a firm and relatively
impervious foundation. Determine the safety against downstream horizontal
shear.
Solution:
Assumptions:
✓ Void ratio, material in dam, e = 0.43 or per cent voids (or porosity) = e/(1+e) =
0.30
✓ Specific gravity = 2.65
Hence, dry unit weight = 9.81 x 2.65 x (1 – 0.3) =18.20 kN/m3
Water contained in pores when saturated = 0.30 x9.81 =2.94 kN/m3
Saturated unit weight = 21.14 kN/m3
Submerged unit weight = 21.14 – 9.81 = 11.33 kN/m3
Moist unit weight will be assumed as 18.9 kN/m3
Angle of internal friction, Φ = 26°, unit cohesion, c = 0
✓ Mean (weighted average) unit weight: Up to elevation 18.3 m the material is
below seepage line and will have submerged unit weight of 11.33 kN/m3 and
above and beyond the seepage line unit weight will be taken as moist or 18.9
kN/m3.
Contd……
Contd….
Contd,………
3. Stability of upstream slope against horizontal shear
Refer to figure for example 2. Determine the factor of safety of the upstream
portion of the dam against sudden drawdown of the water in the reservoir.
Assumptions on weights of materials will be as in example 2, above.
Solution
Contd…..
4
Contd………
4
Contd….
❖ Factor of safety against shear in the foundation at the point of maximum shear:
The mean effective unit weight, γ1, will be = (9.09 + 18.9)/2 = 14.0 kN/m3).
❖ This is because at this point there is 18.3 m below and 18.3 m of material above
the ground water level.
❖ Unit shear strength at the point of maximum shear = c + γ h tan Φ = 19.2 + (14 x
36.6 x 0.306) = 156.7 kN
❖ Factor of safety against shear at point of maximum shear = 156.7/94.6 =1.66
which is satisfactory.
❖ It should be understood that it would be possible to have a factor of safety of
less than 1.0 at point of maximum unit shear.
❖ In that case there would be local movement at this point, but if the average
factor of safety exceeds unity, the resisting forces would be mobilized and failure
would not occur.
Quiz I (10%)
1. What are the considerations for the choices of a earth dam in preference to
other type?
2. Write the design theory of arch dams.
3. Explain shear strength parameters with respect to stability of earth dam

Hs I Stab - of Emb - Dam1

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Hs I Stab - of Emb - Dam1

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Hs I Stab - of Emb - Dam1

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Stability analysis of earth dams

The factor of safety against maximum shear should be at least 1.5.

Figure : Foundation stability against horizontal shear

You might also like