ASSINGMENT NO 02

CE 2108
ATI GALLE
DAMS & RESERVOIRS

NAME

: M.V.C.K PRIYAMAL

REG NO

: GAL/CE/2015/F/0145

COURSE

: CIVIL

SUBMIT DATE : 2016/07/15

CONTENT
1) Introduction of dams & reservoirs
2) Classification of dam,
(A) Based on materials of construction
(B) Based on structural behavior
(C) Based on functions
(D) Based on hydraulic behavior
(E) Based on methods of constructions
3) Construction of reservoirs
4) Purpose of reservoirs
5) Zones of storage behaviors
6) Water losses & control of water losses from reservoirs

INTRODUCTION
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally
serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or
levees (also known as dikes) are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land
regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are often used in conjunction
with dams to generate electricity. A dam can also be used to collect water or for storage of
water which can be evenly distributed between

Reservoirs
Reservoirs are those water bodies formed or modified by human activity for specific purposes,
in order to provide a reliable and controllable resource. Their main purpose include;
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
vii.

Flood Control
Irrigation
Water supply
Hydroelectric power
Development of fishery
Navigation
Soil conservation

CLASSIFICATION OF DAM
(A) Based on materials of construction
i.

Rigid dam
It is constructed with rigid materials like masonry, concrete, steel or timber. It is
designated as;
a) Masonry dam
b) Concrete dam
c) Steel dam
d) Timber dam

ii.

Non rigid dam

It is constructed with non rigid materials, such as earth clay, rock materials etc It
is designated as;
a) Earthen dam
b) Rock fill dam
c) Composite dam

(B) Based on structural behavior

i.

Gravity dam
It is constructed with masonry or concrete, It resists the forces acting on it by its
own weight. It is approximately triangular in section. Straight gravity dam A
gravity dam that is straight in plan.

Curved gravity plan A gravity dam that is curved in plan.

Curved gravity dam (Arch gravity dam) It resists the forces acting on it by
combined gravity action (its own weight) and arch action.

Solid gravity dam Its body spaces within its body.

Most gravity dams are straight solid gravity dams.

consist of a solid mass of masonry or concrete

Hollow gravity dam It has hollow

ii.

Arch dam
It is a curved masonry or concrete dam, convex upstream, which resists the forces
acting on it by arch action. These type of dams are concrete or masonry dams which
are curved or convex upstream in plan

This shape helps to transmit the major part of the water load to the abutments.

Arch dams are built across narrow, deep river gorges, but now in recent years they
have been considered even for little wider valleys. Arch shape gives strength

Good for narrow, rocky locations & they are curved and the natural shape of the arch
holds back the water in the reservoir.

iii.

Buttress dam
It consists of water retaining sloping membrane or deck on the u/s which is
supported by a series of buttresses. These buttresses are in the form of equally spaced
triangular masonry or reinforced concrete walls or counterforts. The sloping
membrane is usually a reinforced concrete slab. In some cases, the u/s slab is
replaced by multiple arches supported on buttresses (multiple arch buttress dam) or
by flaring the u/s edge of the buttresses to span the distance between the buttresses
(bulkhead buttress dam or massive head buttress dam). In general, the structural
behavior of a buttress dam is similar to that of a gravity dam.

Buttress Dam Is a gravity dam reinforced by structural supports

Buttress a support that transmits a force from a roof or wall to another supporting
structure

This type of structure can be considered even if the foundation rocks are little
weaker.

Face is held up by a series of supports.

Flat or curved face.

iv.

Embankment dam
It is a non-rigid dam which resists the forces acting on it by its shear strength and
to some extent also by its own weight (gravity). Its structural behavior is in many
ways different from that of a gravity dam.

They are trapezoidal in shape.

Earth dams are constructed where the foundation or the underlying material or rocks
are weak to support the masonry dam or where the suitable competent rocks are at
greater depth.

Earthen dams are relatively smaller in height and broad at the base.

They are mainly built with clay, sand and gravel, hence they are also known as Earth
fill dam or Rock fill dam.

(C) Based on functions

i.

Storage dam
It is constructed to create a reservoir to store water during periods when there is
huge flow in the river (in excess of demand) for utilization later during periods of
low flow (demand exceeds flow in the river). Water stored in the reservoir is used for

irrigation, power generation, water supply etc. By suitable operation, it can also serve
as a detention dam.

ii.

Detention dam
It is primarily constructed to temporarily detain all or part of the flood water in a
river and to gradually release the stored water later at controlled rates so that the
entire region on the downstream side of the dam is protected from possible damage
due to floods. It may also be used as a storage dam.

iii.

Diversion dam
It is constructed to divert part of or all the water from a river into a conduit or a
channel. For diverting water from a river into an irrigation canal, mostly a diversion
weir is constructed across the river.

v.

Coffer dam
It is a temporary dam constructed to exclude water from a specific area. It is
constructed on the u/s side of the site where a dam is to be constructed so that the site
is dry. In this case, it behaves like a diversion dam.

(D) Based on hydraulic behavior

i.

Over flow dam

It is constructed with a crest to permit overflow of surplus water that cannot be
retained in the reservoir. Generally dams are not designed as overflow dams for its entire
length. Diversion weirs of small height may be designed to permit overflow over its
entire length.

ii.

Non over flow dam

It is constructed such that water is not allowed to overflow over its crest.
In most cases, dams are so designed that part of its length is designed as an overflow
dam (this part is called the spillway) while the rest of its length is designed as a nonoverflow dam. In some cases, these two sections are not combined

(E)

Based on method of construction

Rolled fill earth dams
In this type of dams , successive layers of moistent or dam soil are laid one over the
other. Each layer not exceeding 20 cm in thickness is properly consolidated at optimum
moisture contain, only then is the next layer laid.

Hydraulic fill dam

In this type of dams, the construction, excavation, transportation of the earth is
done by hydraulic methods. Outer edges of the embankment are kept slightly higher than
the middle portion of each layer .During construction, a mixture of excavated material
and water consist of coarse and fine materials settle first at the edges, the while the finer
materials move to the middle and settle there. Fine particles are deposited in the central
portion to form a water tight central core. In method, compaction is not required.

CONSTRUCTION OF RESERVOIRS
A reservoir usually means an enlarged natural or artificial lake, storage pond or impoundment
created using a dam or lock to store water. Reservoirs can be created by controlling a stream that drains
an existing body of water. They can also be constructed in river valleys using a dam
Construction of a reservoir in a valley will usually need the river to be diverted during part of
the build, often through a temporary tunnel or by-pass channel
In hilly regions, reservoirs are often constructed by enlarging existing lakes. Sometimes in such
reservoirs the new top water level exceeds the watershed height on one or more of the feeder streams
such as at Llyn Clywedog in Mid Wales. In such cases additional side dams are required to contain the
reservoir.

PUROSE OF RESERVOIRS
This storage reservoirs is formed for the following purposes
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Flood Control
Irrigation
Water supply
Hydroelectric power
Development of fishery
Navigation

7.

Soil conservation

a) Single purposes reservoirs

This type of reservoir is formed to serve single purpose such as irrigation, flood control,
water supply etc

b) Multipurpose reservoirs
This type of reservoir is formed to serve many purposes such as,
a. Irrigation & water supply
b. Irrigation water supply & flood control
c. Irrigation, water supply, flood control, hydroelectric power generation,
fishery etc
d. Hydropower: To generate power and energy whenever water is available
or to provide reliable supplies of power and energy at all times when needed
to meet demand.
e. Pumped storage hydropower schemes: in which the water flows
from an upper to a lower reservoir, generating power and energy at times of
high demand through turbines, which may be reversible, and the water is
pumped back to the upper reservoir when surplus energy is available.

ZONES OF STORAGE RESERVOIRS

The storage capacity in a reservoir is nationally divided into three or four parts distinguished by
corresponding levels.

These specific levels and parts are generally defined as follows:

Full Reservoir Level (FRL):

It is the level corresponding to the storage which includes both inactive and active storages and also the
flood storage, if provided for. In fact, this is the highest reservoir level that can be maintained without
spillway discharge or without passing water downstream through sluice ways.

Minimum Drawdown Level (MDDL):

It is the level below which the reservoir will not be drawn down so as to maintain a minimum head
required in power projects.

Dead Storage Level (DSL):

Below this level, there are no outlets to drain the water in the reservoir by gravity.

Maximum Water Level (MWL):

This is the water level that is ever likely to be attained during the passage of the design flood. It depends
upon the specified initial reservoir level and the spillway gate operation rule. This level is also
sometimes called the Highest Reservoir Level or the Highest Flood Level.

Live storage:
This is the storage available for intended purpose between Full Supply Level and the Invert Level of the
lowest discharge outlet. The Full Supply Level is normally that level above which over spill to waste
would take place. The minimum operating level must be sufficiently above the lowest discharge outlet
to avoid vortex formation and air entrainment. Live storage may also be termed as the volume of water

actually available at any time between the Dead Storage Level and the lower of the actual water level
and Full Reservoir Level.

Dead storage:
It is the total storage below the invert level of the lowest discharge outlet from the reservoir. It may be
available to contain sedimentation, provided the sediment does not adversely affect the lowest
discharge.

Outlet Surcharge or Flood storage:

This is required as a reserve between Full Reservoir Level and the Maximum Water level to contain the
peaks of floods that might occur when there is insufficient storage capacity for them below Full
Reservoir Level.

Buffer Storage:
This is the space located just above the Dead Storage Level up to Minimum Drawdown Level. As the
name implies, this zone is a buffer between the active and dead storage zones and releases from this
zone are made in dry situations to cater for essential requirements only. Dead Storage and Buffer
Storage together is called Interactive Storage.

Within-the-Year Storage:
This term is used to denote the storage of a reservoir meant for meeting the demands of a specific
hydrologic year used for planning the project.

Carry-Over Storage:
When the entire water stored in a reservoir is not used up in a year, the unused water is stored as carryover storage for use in subsequent years.

Silt / Sedimentation zones:

The space occupied by the sediment in the reservoir can be divided into separate zones. A schematic
diagram showing these zones is illustrated in Fig. 2 (as defined in IS: 5477).

Freeboard:
It is the margin kept for safety between the level at which the dam would be overtopped and the
maximum still water level. This is required to allow for settlement of the dam, for wave run up above
still water level and for unforeseen rises in water level, because of surges resulting from landslides into
the reservoir from the peripheral hills, earthquakes or unforeseen floods or operational deficiencies.

WATER LOSSES & CONTROL OF RESERVOIRS

Water losses like evaporation and seepage occur under pre-project conditions and are reflected in
the stream flow records used for estimating water yield.

The construction of new reservoirs and canals is accompanied by additional evaporation and
infiltration.
Estimation of these losses may be based on measurements at existing reservoirs and canals.
The measured inflows and outflows and the rate of change of storage are balanced by
computed total loss rate.
The depth of water evaporated per year from the reservoir surface may vary from about 400
mm in cool and humid climate to more than 2500 mm in hot and arid regions.

Therefore, evaporation is an important consideration in many projects and deserves careful

attention. Various methods like water budget method, energy budget method, etc may be applied for
estimating the evaporation from reservoir.
However, to be more accurate, evaporation from reservoir is estimated by using data from pan evaporimeters or pans exposed to atmosphere with or without meshing in or near the reservoir site
and is suitably adjusted.

Seepage losses from reservoirs and irrigation canals may be significant if these facilities are
located in an area underlain by permeable strata.
Avoidance in full or in part of seepage losses may be very expensive and technical
difficulties involved may render a project unfeasible.
These are generally covered under the conveyance losses in canals projected on the demand
side of simulation studies.