A Layman's Guide To Dams & Spillway (2011) - Presentation

A LAYMANS GUIDE TO DAMS &
SPILLWAYS
by
Bram Knoop & Bruce Cole
Australian Engineering Heritage 2011
INTRODUCTION
Dams generally attract public attention:-

When they are in the planning stage,

During droughts, - water restrictions,

During major floods, - inundation.

And when they receive a Bronze Plaque.
Wivenhoe Dam
Brisbane River
QLD
Upper Reservoir Waterworks Reserve
H = 18m
Lc= 204m
Vef= 0.135Mm3

Vs= 0.300Mm3

<< Spillway &
Bypass
OUTLINE
Public Expectations

Functions of Dams & Essential Features

Spillway Requirements & Types

ANCOLD Register of Large Dams & Types of Dams

Examples of types of dams, Earthfill Embankments, etc.
This will include spillways, and Outlet Works

Dam Upgrades,

PUBLIC EXPECTATIONS
Typical questions included:

Why cant dams control large floods?

Why do we have a 100 year flood 34 years
after the previous 100 year flood in 1974?

Why cant flood waters be diverted to the dry
inland Murray-Darling Basin?
Engineering Heritage Conference 2011
FUNCTIONS OF DAMS
Mainly to store water for later use in:
Irrigation farming (#) ~70%
Industrial use ~20%
Domestic consumption <10%
Flood protection
Navigation
Environmental flows
Waste storages tailings dams
Recreational activities
# - % storage capacity of all dams in Australia
ESSENTIAL FEATURES
Extensive studies are required to establish the feasibility of a
major dam project.
This includes hydrological, engineering and economic
evaluations.
Dam Sites normally on-stream, but can be or off-stream,
Foundations need to be stable and water tight,
Structural Stability requires appropriate safety factors,
Spillway Facilities can be un-controlled, or controlled,
Outlet Works gates, valves to suit specific requirements.

All parts need to be optimised to for an economic dam project.
SPILLWAY REQUIREMENTS
To release excess water from the reservoir.

Capacity: initially based on existing flood data, or experience.

Now Based: on probable maximum precipitation (PMP),

PMP estimates: depend geographic and atmospheric conditions,

And on probable maximum flood (PMF) estimates, this is the notional
upper limit for a specific catchment area.

The annual exceedance probability (AEP) for a PMF event may vary
from 1/10E7 for small catchments to 1/10E4 for large catchments.

There are different types of spillways some of which will be pointed out.
TYPES OF SPILLWAYS
Uncontrolled Spillways Free flow over a spillway crest.

Controlled Spillways Flow regulated by gates.

Earthfill and Rockfill Embankments: normally have
Spillways adjacent to the dam embankment.

Concrete Dams: can have Spillway Crests that are part of the
dam structure; or they can have a Spillway adjacent to the dam.
ANCOLD REGISTER OF LARGE DAMS
Types of Dams No. Examples
Ht m
Earthfill Embankment 260 Eucumbene 116
Rockfill Embankment 145 Dartmouth 180
Concrete Gravity 108 Warragamba 142
Concrete Arch 40 Gordon 140
Concrete Buttress 5 Meadowbank 43
Multiple Arch Buttress 3 Julius 38
561
EARTHFILL EMBANKMENT DAMS
EUCUMBENE
DAM

H = 116m
Lc = 579m

Vef = 6.75Mm3

Spillway >>>
Qs = 475m3/s

Vs = 4,800Mm3

This is the largest
Dam of its type.

SMHA Photo
ROCKFILL EMBANKMENT DAMS

BLOWERING DAM

H = 112m
Lc = 808m
Vrf = 8.6Mm3
Qs =2350m3/s

Vs = 1,600Mm3

< Power Stn.
<< Tail Race
ROCKFILL EMBANKMENT DAMS
Blowering Dam Cross Section SMHA Diagram

CONCRETE FACED ROCKFILL DAMS
REECE DAM
Pieman River P. D.
This is the largest CFRD
in Australia
< Spillway

<<< Power Station

H = 122m
Lc = 374m
Vr = 2.7Mm3
Qs = 4714m3/s
Vs = 641Mm3

CFRD Cross Section
3 Concrete Plinth
4 D/S Face Protection
5 Compacted Rockfill Zone
6 Transition Zones
7 Upstream Face Membrane
Reece Dam
Upstream Face

<<< Slipform

<< Plinth

<< Plinth
CONCRETE GRAVITY DAMS
GUTHEGA DAM

H = 34m
Lc = 139m
Vc = 44,000m3

<< Spillway
Qs = 1420m3/s

Vs = 1.8Mm3

< Spillway Apron

This was the first
Dam in the Snowy
Hydro Scheme

ROLLER COMPACTED CONCRETE GRAVITY DAMS
Meander Dam
Construction

H = 50m
Lc = 186m
Vc = 85,000m3

Vs = 24Mm3

Qs = 2600m3/s
MEANDER
RCC DAM

< D/S Face

RCC placing

<<< U/S Face
Meander Dam
Downstream face
as the dam nears
completion

This RCC Gravity
Dam has a central
stepped spillway
with a d/s impact
basin.
CONCRETE ARCH DAMS
A - Gordon Dam start of Construction B - After Diversion Closure
CONCRETE ARCH DAMS
GORDON DAM
<
Concrete placement
at Block C
CONCRETE ARCH DAMS
GORDON DAM
This is the highest arch
dam and largest storage
in Australia

H = 140m
Lc = 198m
Vc = 154,000m3
Vs = 12,450Mm3

Qs = 175m3/s
This is via an
emergency spillway that
is made by removing
two crest parapet wall
sections.

MULTIPLE ARCH & BUTTRESS DAMS
Miena Multiple Arch Dam Tas.
Julius Dam - Qld

Oberon Buttress Dam - Qld
UNUSUAL SPILLWAYS
Geehi Dam Glory Hole Spillway

Crotty Dam - Chute Spillway on the crest
and downstream face of a rockfill dam.
OUTLET WORKS
Hume Dam Outlet Valves

Typical Cone Dispersion Valve
DAM UPGRADES
ANCOLD produced a number of Guidelines including:

Design of Dams for Earthquake 1998a,
Acceptable Flood Capacity 2000a,
Assessment of the Consequences of Dam Failure 2000b,
Guidelines on Risk Assessment 2003.

Older dams may have insufficient spillway capacity.

Over the past 40 years many dams have been modified to
comply with currently accepted criteria for dam safety and
flood capacity

WARRAGAMBA DAM
Warragamba Dam
in the early 1960s.

H = 137m
Lc = 351m

Vc = 1.3Mm3

Vs = 2.1Gm3

WARRAGAMBA DAM SPILLWAY UPGRADE - 2008
H = 142m
Lc = 351m

Right Bank
Fuse Plug
Spillway

INCIDENTS & FAILURES
Dam Incident:
A structural failure that generally can be fixed, usually at great expense.
Examples range from: failed gate works, major leakages, substantial
settlements, concrete cracking, etc.

Dam Failure:
A structural failure that can not be fixed and is normally followed by a
judicial inquiry.
Recent Examples:
Camara Dam (RCC Dam) Brazil June 2004
Malpasset Dam (Arch Dam) France 2
nd
December 1959
CAMARA DAM FAILURE - BRAZIL
This RCC Dam failed
on June 2004.
H = 50m
Lc = ?
Vc =?

Failure flood 17Mm3

5 Deaths
20 Vanished
250 Homes lost
800 Families
homeless
CAMARA DAM FAILURE - BRAZIL
This was a first filling failure.
The left bank section of the dam
section of the dam collapsed as
shown.
DAM FAILURES
Malpasset Dam
< July 1959

And after 2-12-1959
Right & Left Banks

GORDON DAM
GORDON DAM

GORDON DAM

GORDON DAM CONSTRUCTION

Left: After the
upstream coffer
dam was
breached.

Right: With the
storage level
rising.

RECENT HISTORY
Australia experienced below average
rainfalls for most of the decade 2000-2010

Dam storage levels dropped to low levels

Water restrictions applied in many towns

This changed in 2010-2011 when ..

The eastern states saw extensive flooding

With property damage and loss of life.
DAM PROJECT INVESTIGATIONS
Extensive Studies are required to Establish the Feasibility
of a Major Dam Project; these include:

Catchment Surveys; geography, climate, hydrology, environment, geology,

Water Resources; run-off, minimum, average, peak flows,

Dam Site & Reservoir Investigations; soil, rock, stability, materials,

Suitable Dam Design Types; embankment, concrete gravity, arch,

Suitable Spillway Arrangements; uncontrolled, controlled,

Appropriate Outlet Works; gates, valves,

Economic Studies; project costs, operating costs, returns on investment,
PUBLIC INTEREST
The 2011 floods in Queensland were widely
reported.
There appeared to be a lack of understanding
of the principal features of large dams and their
operation.
This applied to journalist, and members of the
public.
A Commission of Inquiry was set up to
investigate the Queensland Floods.

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