Detection and Assessment of Internal Erosion at

WAC Bennett Dam

Steve Garner, BC Hydro

182 m high
2 km long
Zoned Earthfill Dam

WAC Bennett Dam

Location

tish
Bri mbia
lu
Co

WAC Bennett
Dam

Prince George

On the Peace River in Northeastern British Columbia

Vancouver

Williston Reservoir is 70 x 109 m3

Working Hypothesis
Gradations of Construction Materials

All materials come from moraine pits, deficient in medium sands

Wide, blended till-like core, internally unstable
Transition and Filter gap-graded in medium sand range
3

Instrument Plane in Canyon Area

Observation
Well

Reservoir El 2205
ft (672 m)
Reservoir
El 672

Scale:

1965

30

60

90 m

Filter
Transition

1967
1966

Riser
Pipe

Shell

Core

EP-06 EP-07 EP-08

Silty Transition
Drain

1964
Permeable S
hales and S
a
Shale
Shale

ndstones

Sandston
e

Observation Wells
8 leaky Observation Wells installed
downsteam of dam axis
Includes an Observation Well near
each Instrument Plane
Part of Instrument Island near Riser
Pipes

Performance Of Embankment Piezometers

700

RESERVOIR

680

EP06

640

EP07

620

EP08

600

580

3.5

PIEZOMETER TIPS

560

3.0
540
1965

1970

1975

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

2.5

Gradient

Elevation Head (m)

660

EP08 TO
TRANSITION

2005

2.0

1.5

1.0

BETWEEN EP'S

0.5

0.0
1965

UPSTREAM
SHELL TO
EP06
1970

1975

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

2005

Canyon Area (1974)

Instrument Plane 1
1974
(
)

Canyon Area
1974
Res El 2205.6

2165 2110?

2163

2145?

2080

2115

2055

EP52
2160

2065?

EP53
2072

2053?

1995

EP50
2032

EP51
1976

Canyon Section (1978)

Canyon Section
1978

Instrument Plane 1
1978

2130? 2075?

2160?

2150

2085

2130

2060

EP52
2126

2065??

EP53
2048

2050??

2010

EP50
2019

EP51
1964?

Canyon Section (1988)

Canyon Section
1988

Instrument Plane 1
1988

2145

2075

2053 2057
2140

EP52
2137

2045

EP53
2053

2012

1991
1946
2140

1998

2085

1905

2020

1845

EP50
1958

EP51
1888

1865

Canyon Section (1996)

Instrument Plane 1
1996
)

2130

Canyon Section
1996

2075

2049 2060
2132

EP52
2126

2010

EP53
2030 2002
1973
1911

2120

2050

1975

1842
1980

1880

1810

EP50

EP51
1843

10

OW Flowmeter Measurements

OW10

OW9

OW2

OW7

OW5

OW4

2200

2200

2200

2200

2200

2150

2150

2150

2150

2150

2100

2100

2100

2100

2050

2050

2050

2050

2050

2000

2000

2000

2000

2000

1950

1950

1950

1900

1900

1900

1850

1850

1800

1800

1750

1750

1700

1700

0 .2

0 .4
0

0 .2

0 .4

End of 1964 Construction

End of 1966 Construction

2100

1950
End of 1965 Construction

1900
1850

0 0 .4 0 .8 1 .2 1 .6
0 0.4 0.8 1.2 1.6

0 0.4 0.8 1.2 1.6

0

0 .4

0 .8

1 .2

October 1996
December 2000
September 2002
September 2004
September 2004 (verification)

11

OW Cross-hole Seismic Results

OW10

OW2

OW9

OW7

OW5

OW4

2200

2200

2200

2200

2200

2150

2150

2150

2150

2150

2100

2100

2100

2100

2050

2050

2050

2050

2050

2000

2000

2000

2000

1950

1950

1950

1900

1900

1900

1850

1850

2000
500 1000 1500 2000
500 1000 1500 2000

1800

1800

1750

1750

1700

1700

End of 1964 Construction

5001000150020002500

WAC Bennett Dam

ANALYSIS REPORT

DATE:

Oct. 2004
CD

REPORT No.:

SV
E301

End of 1966 Construction

2100

1950
End of 1965 Construction

1900
1850

5001000150020002500
5001000150020002500

5001000150020002500

SHEAR WAVE VELOCITY PROFILE

Summary of OW Results

12

Fig. 3-42

OW 2

Instrument Plane 1
2004 Seepage Model, Flowmeter and Seismic
)

Res El 2192.6

2250
2200
2150
2100

2122

End of 1966 Construction

2066

Winter 1966/67

2050

Instrument
Island
2111

1919

Winter 1965/66

1950
1900
1850

2090.5

2010

1915
1800
1750

OW2 OW7
Flowmeter

1700

00
24

00
22

00
20

00
18

00
16

14

00

1650

00

1789

12

1859.5

00

1966.5

10

End of 1965 Construction

2000

1994 1956.5

Shear Wave Velocity (feet/s)

13

WAC Bennett Dam - 1996

Sinkhole 1
(BM 1)

Sinkhole 2

(BM 2)

14

Sinkhole 1

2.5 m diameter at crest

7 m deep sinkhole
extremely loose zone to 80 m
depth
variable zone to 125 m depth

15

Splitter Dikes

Sinkhole 1
Splitter
Dike 3

Sinkhole 2

Splitter
Dike 2
Splitter
Dike 1

Splitter
Dike 4

16

Splitter Dike Gradation

a in
Dr
ter
Fil

n
tio
nsi
Tra

Core

Shell
Tran
s

ition

Crest of Dike

Splitter Dike

Sandstone/Shale
Foundation

GRAVEL
COARSE

SAND
SILT

FINE

COARSE

FINE

MEDIUM

U.S. STANDARD SIEVE SIZES

3"

1/2 "

3/4"

3/8"

#4
#4

#10
#10

#20
#20

#40

#60

#100

#200

100
90
80

PERCENT FINER THAN

70

Transition and
Splitter Dike

60
50

Flow Test

40
30

Drain

20
10
0
100

10

1
GRAIN SIZE (millimetres)

0.1

0.01

17

Slice 15 (590 mm)

Local Collapse Near Rigid Cell

18

Slice 50 (30 mm)

Loss of Fines Between Nested Particles

19

Working Hypothesis
Surmised Internal Erosion

2025
2000
1975
1950
1925
1900
1875
1850

Benchmark Tube
OW-5

OW-6
Internal
Erosion

20

Working Hypothesis
Surmised Present Condition

2025
2000
1975
1950
1925
1900
1875
1850

Limit of Core
at Crest

OW-5

Locally
Remediated Area
OW-6
Remaining
Damaged Area

21

Transition Plane
Changes in Shear Wave Velocities
2250
2200

Oct. 2000
Aug. 2001

2150

Aug. 2002
Sept. 2003

Elevation (feet)

2100

Oct. 2003
Sept. 2004

2050

Oct. 2005
Core ecs-0.1

2000

Core ecs-0.07

1950

Transition ecs-0.05

1900
1850

850 ft/s
(259 m/s)

1800
1750
500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

Shear Wave Velocity (feet/s)

22

MP-Data and Shear Wave Velocities

MP Pressure Head

2250

2250

2200

2200

2150

2150

2100

2100

2050

2050

2000

Elevation (ft)

E le v a t io n ( f e e t )

X-Hole Seismic

Oct-00
Aug-01
Aug-02
Sep-03

2000

1950

1950

1900

1900

1850

1850

1800

1800
-10

-5

5
10
Pressure Head (ft)

15

20

23

25

Conventional instrumentation can detect internal erosion

Conventional instrumentation can accelerate internal erosion
Cross-hole seismic has been used successfully for detecting
and tracking internal erosion

Tack
(Thank You)

24