Upper stillwater dam is to be a roller-compacted concrete gravity structure. The dam will be founded on nearly horizontally bedded sandstone and argillite rock. An ungated overflow spillway will be constructed near the center of the dam.
Original Description:
Original Title
Arma-84-0922_foundation Studies for a Roller-compacted Concrete
Upper stillwater dam is to be a roller-compacted concrete gravity structure. The dam will be founded on nearly horizontally bedded sandstone and argillite rock. An ungated overflow spillway will be constructed near the center of the dam.
Upper stillwater dam is to be a roller-compacted concrete gravity structure. The dam will be founded on nearly horizontally bedded sandstone and argillite rock. An ungated overflow spillway will be constructed near the center of the dam.
FOUNDATION STUDIES FOR A ROLLER-COMPACTED CONCRETE
GRAVITY DAM by Gregg A. Scott Civil Engineer, Bureau of Reclamation Denver, Colorado ABSTRACT Upper Stillwater Dam is to be a roller-compacted concrete gravity structure, founded on nearly horizontally bedded sandstone and argillite rock. An overview of the testing and analyses used to evaluate the adequacy of the foundation relative to deformation, seepage, and stability is presented. INTRODUCTION Upper Stillwater Dam will be the Bureau of Reclamation's first roller-compacted concrete gravity dam. It is located on the south flank of the Uinta Mountains in northern Utah. The maximum height of the dam is 82 m, and the crest length is 812 m at elevation 2492 m. An ungated overflow spillway will be constructed near the center of the dam. Water is diverted to Stillwater Tunnel or regulated to Rock Creek through a single intake structure. The general features of the dam are shown in figure 1. The dam will be founded on interbedded sandstone and argillite of the Precambrian Uinta Mountain group. The bedding structure is nearly horizontal at the site. The bedrock has been subdivided into five rock units for mapping purposes as follows: (1) an upper sandstone unit near the top of both abutments, (2) a middle sandstone unit with numerous interbeds of argillite and siltstone, (3) a thick argillite designated unit M extending to near the base of both abut- ments, (4) a lower sandstone unit which forms most of the foundation, and (5) a small but continuous argillite interbed designated unit L within the lower sandstone unit. A construction contract was per- formed to strip surficial materials, exposing seven minor faults 922 ROLLER-COMPACTED CONCRETE GRAVITY DAM 923 -- F - / PROFILE ALONG AXIS o o6 Fgue 1. - nea] design and geology OER SADSTE TYPIGL desJgnated F-[ through F-4 and F-7 through F-9. They ae nealy vertical, coss the foundation fom upstream to downstream, and generally consJst of a gouge zone several mJllJmetes wJde wJthJn a factued zone of ock about [ m wde. OoJntJng, othe than bedding joints, Js 1JmJted to nea vertical ses pedomJnantly oiented parallel to the faults. OoJnt spacJngs average between 0.5 and 3 m dependJng on the set and 1ocatJon. Thee Js no dJstnct weatheMng pofJle, but most joJnts ae fJlled wJth sand and oganJc mateMals to depths aveagJng 6 m. An eosJonal channel foms a bedrock low about [4 m deep nea the Mght side of the foundatJon. ThJs channel, temed the tough, should elJeve any lage hoMzontal stresses. AddJtJonal detaJls of the geology ae shown Jn fJgue [. DEFORRATION STUDIES Initial attempts to estimate in situ foundation deformation modulus were based on correlations with RMR (Rock Mass Rating, Bieniawski, 1978) and geophysical shear wave frequency. However, neither method was found to be totally acceptable for the rock at the Upper Sti 1 lwater damsite. In situ jacking tests were performed at the site utilizing the Goodman borehole jack. The data were reduced according to the method described by Goodman, Van, and Heuze (1968). Adjustment factors were also considered. However, the measured modulus values were low 924 ROCK MECHANICS IN PRODUCTIVITY, PROTECTION enough that corrections were considered unnecessary. The results from argillite were used directly because they were consistent and indicated a modulus parallel to the bedding consistently 1.5 times that perpendicular to the bedding. The sandstone results required further analysis. Goodman (1982) suggests evaluating the data according to the following equation: 1/Erm : 1/E r + 1/(KnS' ) (1) where Erm is the rock mass modulus from the jacking tests, E r is the modulus of intact rock, K n is an effective joint stiffness, and S' is the effective spacing of joints. S' can be calculated from RQD (Rock Quality Designation) using the relationship proposed by Priest and Hudson (1976). The value of K n is determined from the jacking tests and should be fairly constant. However, the best behaved Goodman jack tests in sandstone indicate that K n is not constant as shown in figure 2. Modulus values calculated from the K n vs. RQD relationship using equation (1) are also plotted in figure 2. The results indicate that the modulus is relatively insensitive to changes in RQD. This is in part due to the fact that S' (or RQD) is a measure of fracturing in the direction of the drill hole, and the Goodman jack tests rock in a direction perpendicular to the drill hole. The small volume of rock tested by the Goodman jack probably also contributes to the observed results. Therefore, empirical relationships between RQD and labora- tory modulus reduction factors were used. Two-dimensional plane strain finite element studies were performed at five sections perpendicular to the dam axis. A typical mesh is shown in figure 3. The sections were located so as to be about evenly spaced and to take advantage of the available drill hole data. Element boundaries were chosen to correspond to boundaries of equal RQD for a given rock type, and appropriate modulus values were assigned to each element. The foundation was considered to be massless in the models, because it has already deformed as much as it will under its self-weight. Loads consistent with constructing the dam and filling the reservoir were applied to each model. The non- uniform foundation modulus values were then replaced with a uniform value, and the analyses were repeated for various values of uniform modulus. The calculated deformation at the base of the dam was plotted for each case as shown in figure 4. Deformation patterns were compared for cases of uniform and nonuniform modulus, and an equivalent uniform modulus was estimated for each section. The deformation pattern and modulus distribution were determined to be acceptable across the foundation. The deformation modulus of the unit M argillite is considerably less than that of the surrounding sandstone, and differential defor- mation of the abutments was considered worthy of study. Three- dimensional finite element meshes were developed as shown in figure ROLLER-COMPACTED CONCRETE GRAVITY DAM 925 zo _ \ 0 A Erin (calcula ted) 0.4 I o ;o ;o o ,o I10 I0.0 9.0
80 o 7'0 60 5.0 40
$.0 2.0 1.0 Figure 2. -Results from Goodman Jack tests. NODAL POINTS AT BASE OF DAM 0 0 0 0 0 0 Erin - 6895 MPo. Non-uniform modulus - . .... --. _ _ _C)... _..0______4 .. ) Erin-S448 MPo Dsplocement scale Figure 4. - Deformations at base of dam. Figure 3. -Typical two-dimensional finite element mesh. Figure 5. - Three-dimensional finite el ement mesh. 5, because two-dimensional analyses were not considered appropriate. Comparisons were made between various ratios of sandstone to argillite modulus, and a uniform abutment modulus. Deformation pat- terns on the abutment were examined and determined to be acceptable. Maximum tensile stresses in the dam structure at the abutment are nearly horizontal on the upstream face. These 'stresses result from water load bending and are actually reduced by the presence of softer rock units in the abutments. SEEPAGE STUDIES Upper Stillwater Dam will contain a drainage gallery from which a drainage curtain will be drilled into the foundation. The uplift at the line of drains was calculated using the equations presented by Casagrande (1961). As an approximation, it was assumed that the 926 ROCK MECHANICS IN PRODUCTIVITY, PROTECTION total head at the drains is constant and equal to tailwater elevation plus the uplift at the line of drains. This total head was assigned to a line of nodal points to represent the drains in finite element models. Two-dimensional finite element seepage studies were conducted at the five study locations previously discussed. Element boundaries were chosen to also correspond to those of equal permeability, iden- tified by results from packer pump-in tests. Equipotential lines were constructed from the results of the studies, as shown in figure 6. Several sensitivity studies were conducted to examine the effects of length and orientation of drains, isotropic or anisotropic per- meabilities, and other uplift assumptions. The results indicate that water forces acting on foundation planes are relatively insensitive to the assumptions of the seepage studies, provided the drains are accounted for and extend below any potentially critical sliding plane. Figure 6. - Equipotential lines. Figure 7. - Direct shear test results. STABILITY STUDIES A number of direct shear tests were conducted on open bedding joints in sandstone and argillite. A portable direct shear device was used to perform tests in the field on samples of the unit L argillite under in situ moisture conditions. Tests were conducted on 50- and 100-mm-diameter core containing sandstone joints. The results, shown in figure 7, indicate that the strength of the argillite is somewhat less under in situ moisture conditions than dry. The size of core had little effect on the strength of sandstone joints. Because the bedding joints do not daylight and other joints are near vertical, instability of the foundation requires movement through some portion of intact rock. Therefore, triaxial tests were ROLLER-COMPACTED CONCRETE GRAVITY DAM 927 conducted on intact rock, cored at various angles to the bedding, to establish friction angles and cohesion values for the materials. The concept of an active and passive block, as shown in figure 8, was used to evaluate the stability of the foundation. This was con- sidered appropriate based on the orientation of jointing at the site. Side plane resistance was not considered but could be included if results from conservative two-dimensional analyses indicated more resistance was required. Water forces acting on the foundation pla- nes were calculated by integrating pressure heads from the seepage analyses. Solution of the two-block problem then involves these steps: (1) a factor of safety, FS a, is assumed for the active block; (2) a value for the interblock force, P, is then calculated; (3) a factor of safety, FSp, is computed for the passive block; and (4) if the calculated value-of FSp is not equal to the assumed value of FS a, an adjustment is made-to FS a and the process is repeated. Analyses of this type were performed at each time step (0.01 S) during a Richter M6.0 design earthquake located at a 2-km fault distance. Forces from the dam were calculated from response history finite element analyses which included hydrodynamic interaction, and vertical and horizontal components of ground motion. Inertia forces from the two components of ground motion were also included. Sensitivity studies indicated that, aside from shear strength, the results were most sensitive to the assumed value of the interblock force angle, e. The value of e should approach the friction angle of the block interface. However, the orientations of principal stresses near the toe of the dam were also evaluated at each time step to study the potential value of e. The minimum value of e estimated in this manner was 33 . However, to be conservative, 15 was used for e in the analyses. The value for a friction angle of the active plane was selected from figure 7 by examining maximum normal stresses. Two cases were examined relative to the shear strength of the passive block. In one case, the strength results from the triaxial tests were reduced by an appropriate factor to account for jointing. In the other case, the empirical criterion proposed by Hoek and Brown (1980) was used to evaluate the limit strength of the rock mass. Several depths of potential sliding planes were considered, including that of the unit L argillite, at the five study sections previously discussed. The factor of safety was plotted for each time step as shown in figure 9, and was found to be acceptable in all cases. To study the possibility of localized overstressing of the foun- dation, leading to progressive instability, studies were performed using the structural and seepage finite element analyses previously discussed. Mass was included in the foundation for these studies to obtain the appropriate stress distribution. A case was also examined which included a temperature load in the dam structure. Local fac- tors of safety were computed for each element considering water pressures, normal and shear stresses on the bedding, and the appropriate shear strength from figure 7. The potential for 928 ROCK MECHANICS IN PRODUCTIVITY, PROTECTION p iwp o ,4CTIV BLOCK Figure 8. - Two-block potential mode of instability. 0.00 1.25 2.50 3.75 5.00 6.25 7.50 8.75 10.00 TIME - SECONDS Figure 9. - Factor of safety vs. time. progressive instability was then evaluated in the following manner: (1) for elements with local factors of safety less than 1.0, the excess shear force was transferred to the adjacent element; (2) a new shear stress and local factor of safety was computed for this adja- cent element; (3) if the new local factor of safety was less than 1.0, the excess shear force was transferred to the next adjacent ele- ment; and (4) the process was repeated until stability was reached. An adequate margin of safety was found for all five study locations. Buckling of a tabular zone near the toe of the dam was evaluated according to the Euler formulation. A critical buckling load per unit width was calculated. This load was compared to the actual load as estimated from finite element studies. Several lengths of poten- tial buckling zones were evaluated at the five study locations pre- viously discussed and an adequate margin of safety was found in all cases. The Euler formulation assumes pinned ends and neglects the weight of overlying materials, which are both conservative assump- tions. However, it ignores the effects of cross jointing. FOUNDATION TREATMENT AND INSTRUMENTATION Foundation treatment for Upper Stillwater Dam will follow standard Bureau of Reclamation practice. Controlled blasting will be utilized to excavate below the majority of fracturing and fracture fillings. Consolidation grouting will be performed over the entire foundation, and a grout curtain will be installed from the gallery. The grouting will be monitored using a computerized system. A drainage curtain will also be installed from the gallery as discussed earlier. The grout and drainage curtains will extend below the unit L argillite. Several three-dimensional finite element studies were performed to evaluate the effects of fault treatment. Deformations on both sides of the faults, with and without various dental treatment concrete ROLLER-COMPACTED CONCRETE GRAVITY DAM 929 alternatives, were examined. Principal and shear stresses were exam- ined in the treatment concrete and in the dam adjacent to the foun- dation. No adverse conditions were found, largely due to the fact that the loading is relatively uniform on both sides of the faults. Exit gradients were also calculated at the toe of the dam for various treatment depths. Extra treatment depths were not required to keep exit gradients to an acceptable level. Therefore, fault treatment will 'consist of excavating the fault material to refusal using mecha- nical methods. The zones will then be backfilled with dental treat- ment concrete and grouted. Piezometers will be installed at the base of the dam, in the abut- ments, and near the depth of the unit L argillite. Seepage flows will also be monitored. Foundation movements will be monitored with extensometers anchored deeply in vertical and angled holes. The extensometers will be installed after completion of the gallery to moni tot deformati OhS during constructi on. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many Bureau of Reclamation personnel contributed to these studies, including several at the Uinta Basin Construction Office in Duchesne, Utah. REFERENCES Bieniawski, Z. T., 1978, "Determining Rock Mass Deformability: Experience from Case Histories," Int. J. Rock Mech. Min. Sci. and Geomech. Abstr., vol. 15, pp. 237-247. Casagrande, A., 1961, "Control of Seepage through Foundations and Abutments of Dams," Geotechnique, vol. 11, no. 3, pp. 161-182. Goodman, R. E., Van, T. K., and Heuze, F. E., 1968, "The Measurement of Rock Deformability in Boreholes," Proceedings, loth Sj/mposium on Rock Mechanics, Austin, Texas. Goodman, R. E., 1982, "Recommendations Concerning Foundation Investigations for Upper Stillwater Damsite," USBR Contract No. 2-07-DV-00162. Hoek, E., and Brown, E. T., 1980, "Empirical Strength Criterion for Rock Masses," Proceedings, ASCE J. Geotech. Enqr. Div., GT9, pp. 1013-1035. Priest, S. D., and Hudson, J. A., 1976, "Discontinuity Spacings in Rock," Int. J. Rock Mech. Min. Sci. and Geomech. Abstr., vol. 13, pp. 135-138.