Upper Dam and Appurtenant Structures: Method Statement Contract A

Method Statement
Contract A
Upper Dam and Appurtenant
Structures
INTRODUCTION
This method statement covers the construction works of Contract A for
the Siah Bishe Pumped Storage Project, particularly the general site
installation and the works necessary for the construction of the upper
dam and the appurtenant structures.
The following works and structures have already been presented and
are therefore not included in this document:
− Rehabilitation of diversion tunnels
− Construction of cofferdams.
The following method statements will be presented separately and is
therefore not included in this document:
− Underground works
For certain works, more detailed method statements will be presented
prior to their commencement. This statement refers to the following
works:
− Excavation
− Embankment
− Rock fill of body of the dam
− Concrete works, including plinth, concrete face of the dam,
spillway
− Roads
− Any other particular works in the project
Method StatementUpperDam.doc
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It should be noted that it might be necessary to update this document
if during detailed design other solutions are proposed than the
assumed at this stage. Alternatively details of certain construction
procedures may be presented later in separate documents without
updating this method statement as new appendices. Since at that time
the document should be complete itself, then some of descriptions in
present document might be repeated in the above said appendix
briefly. Finally we will have a complete method statement.
In order to make it possible to read this document on its own, extracts
of the technical specifications have been included in this document
where necessary.
1 UPPER DAM SITE

1.1 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
The following chapters of Technical Specification Lot 1, Civil
Engineering Works, Section D, are relevant for the execution of the
main construction works at the upper dam site:
Volume III General Information
Chapter 0 Survey
Chapter 1 Site installation
Chapter 2 Earth and rock works
Volume IV Chapter 5 Underground excavation (for galleries)
Chapter 6 Embankments
Chapter 7 Dewatering
Volume V Chapter 9 Grouting
Chapter 11 Concrete
Volume VIII Chapter 23 Geotechnical investigations
Chapter 26 Rock anchor bolts
Chapter 28 Joints
Chapter 31 Construction tolerances
Volume IX Chapter 35 Grounding
Chapter 36 Standards list
Chapter 37 Scope of works and interface
requirements
In addition, the Technical specifications Volume X to XII, Section E –
Bill of quantities with unit price definitions are relevant for the
execution of these works.
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1.2 DESIGN ASPECTS
1.2.1 Main Dam
The dam is designed with upstream slope of 1:1.6 (v:h) and
downstream slope of 1:1.5 (v:h). The crest consists of a parapet wall of
3 meters height at the upstream edge and has a final width of 12m.
The foundation of the parapet wall is at elevation 2409.50 m above sea
level (asl) and at this elevation has a width of 16m, sufficient for the
equipment for the facing concrete.
The plinth and the transition zones, namely fine transition zone
(material 2AA), semi-pervious transition zone (material 2A) and coarse
transition zone (material 2B) should be founded on sound or slightly
weathered rock. The upstream part of the dam below the face (rockfill
3A) shall be founded on rock, whereas the downstream part of the dam
(rockfills 3A, 3B and 3C) will be founded on the alluvium and colluvium
encountered after stripping the topsoil, and removing loose overburden
to a level appropriate for the foundation of the dam body.
1.2.2 Spillway
The detail design of the spillway has not yet been finalized at this stage
and consequently the approval for it could not obtained so far.
Therefore the described arrangement shall be considered provisional
for the time being. The spillway is located on the left abutment of the
dam; with the 20 m wide ogee crest slightly downstream of the dam
axis. The approach channel to the ogee has its base at elevation 2390
m asl. The 20 m wide stepped spillway chute leads in eastern direction
from the ogee level of 2406.50 m asl down to elevation 2365.50 m asl
where a stilling basin is located. Until this point, the whole spillway
structure is founded on rock and made of concrete. After the stilling
basin the spillway crosses the stabilizing fill at elevation 2370 m asl
with minimum slope in a wider channel made of concrete and rip-rap,
possibly with some provisions for sealing the channel against the
stabilizing fill. The slope of the fill towards the river will be equally
protected with riprap against erosion.
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1.3 SCHEDULE AND SEQUENCES OF WORKS: GENERAL
CONSIDERATIONS
In the following, the construction schedule, sequence of works and
important interdependences will be described briefly. Further details
are shown in Appendix 3.1, which highlights the sequence of the works
every 3 months in a graphic form and Appendix 3.2 contains the
detailed construction schedule for the activities at the upper dam site.
1.3.1 Year 2004

Some works has been completed in 2004, for example repair works on
the diversion tunnels of both dams and construction of cofferdams.
Since this method statement is going to be submitted in 2005, we will
below focus on the activities which should be done during year 2005
and afterwards.
1.3.2 Year 2005

The construction starts with excavation works on the left abutment for
the spillway down to the elevation 2370 m asl and in the upstream part
of the dam where excavation is required to the rock surface. The
excavation of the plinth, which is founded on sound or slightly
weathered rock, will be done simultaneously with the upstream dam
excavation.
Once the Chalus road has been relocated, the same procedure for
excavation in the upstream part of the dam will be executed on the
right abutment, followed finally by the excavation works in the bottom
of the valley. Due to a delay in relocation of the Chalus Road caused by
other parties, and considering the critical time nature of subsequent
valley bottom and plinth construction activities, it has been decided to
separate right bank excavation into two major sub-divisions:
• 1st phase: excavation before relocation of the Chalus road
• 3rd phase: excavation after relocation of the Chalus road
Due to the decision to rotate the axis of the upper dam, alterations to
the mobilisation activities are required. Some of these changes can be
done before relocation of the Chalus road:
• Construction of new offices
• Relocation of existing offices.
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Other changes should be performed after the relocation of the Chalus
road, of which the most important is the construction of a new access
road to the site, because the existing access road will be crossed and
cut by the excavation of plinth. This phase of construction and
excavation is called 2nd phase.
The estimated volumes of excavation are detailed below:
• Left bank 150000 m3
• 1st phase of right bank 100000 m3
• 2nd phase of right bank 20000 m3
• 3rd phase of right bank 150000 m3
• Bottom of valley 100000 m3
Simultaneously with the excavation works described above,
embankment of the stabilizing fill will start with materials from the
dam, spillway and headrace tunnel excavations. The rock fill
downstream of the upper dam commenced in 2004, the embankment
of the downstream part will continue up to elevation 2340 m asl. After
the completion of excavation of right bank, embankment will continue
to the level 2365 m asl.
It should be noted that it is important to complete the excavations of
the dam and construction of plinth on the valley bottom and some
higher elevations on both banks in 2005. Failure to complete this
would mean rockfill operations could not be followed intensively in
2006, which would cause significant delay to the time schedule.
Therefore excavation of both banks, bottom of valley and construction
of plinth, leading to rockfilling, lies on the critical path.
In the upstream part of the dam, foundation treatment and anchoring
works for the plinth are scheduled to start towards the end of year
2005, after reaching the final excavation depth in the bottom of the
valley.
Once the excavation works at the left bank have reached levels below
2400 m asl in the dam crest area and elevation 2370 m asl at the start
of the stabilizing fill, construction of the spillway can start.
According to the latest design of spillway, it can be divided in 3 parts:
• Upper part, consisting of intake and ogee area, and step wise
chute
• Middle part, consisting of “S” shaped channel
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• Lower part, consisting of the channel leading to the river
Because of significant differences in location, structure, material and
method of construction of each part of spillway, each of above-
mentioned parts of spillway can be constructed independently. It is
desirable to start with the upper part, then the middle part and finish
with the lower part. This is because the main part of excavation of the
upper part should be performed at the same time as the excavation of
the left bank, while the excavation of the lower part will cut the access
road to the d/s part of the dam, which is necessary during construction
of body of dam. Thus the excavation of upper part of spillway is
foreseen to be done in 2005, but excavation of the “S” shaped channel
is in 2006, and the lower part will be left up to the time that the
elevation of embankment of body of dam has risen to elevation 2395 m
asl, by which time most of the rock fill will be completed.
In November and December, the access gallery to the drainage gallery
at elevation 2360 m asl in the right abutment of the dam will be
excavated.
One of the main activities during 2005 is related to the excavation and
completion of the plinth, mainly on left bank, bottom of valley, and at
least some part of the right bank up to an elevation such that the
embankment in 2006 could be started easily. At the moment the
excavation of plinth in valley bottom and low elevation portion of right
bank would generate a major problem of stability for the existing
Chalus road, but after relocation of this road it will be a major priority
to complete the plinth in this zone as well as the left bank.
At the downstream part of the dam, the embankment is scheduled to
reach elevation 2361 m asl in December, before winter, and also the
plinth in the upstream part should be finished. At the start of April
2006, rockfill will continue as a major activity and the remaining part
of construction of the plinth on right bank will be followed at the same
time, as required by the critical path.
The total volume of rockfill up to elevation 2361 m asl, which is the
first elevation of instrumentation, is estimated to be about 650,000 m3.
Approximately 100,000 m3 of this volume is planned to be completed in
2005. The daily progress for this part is planned to be approximately
2000 m3/day.
In addition, the random fill part of the stabilising fill will be performed
continuously. The main material for embankment of this part is the
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material from dam abutment, spillway foundation, and headrace tunnel
excavations.
With regard to the drainage works, the excavation of the access to
drainage gallery in the right abutment will be started at middle of May
with a daily progress of 1m per day. The outdoor grouting works from
the plinth will start at the beginning of good weather on April of 2006.
Once the hydraulic model tests are completed, the construction works
at the spillway will start. All the concrete works of the structure; from
the intake down to the stilling basin at elevation 2370 m asl will be
executed during 2006 and 2007.
1.3.3 Year 2006

This year will be dedicated primarily to the rockfill of the main dam.
After terminating the embankment to elevation 2361 m asl in the
downstream part, and concreting of plinth at valley bottom and lower
elevations of both abutments in 2005, the execution of the rockfill will
be performed with a daily progress of 5000 m3/day. It is foreseen that
by the end of year 2006, the elevation of rock fill will be about 2378 m
asl. The volume of rock fill will be more than 1,000,000 m3. At the same
time, the embankment of random fill of stabilizing fill is going on
continuously.
At the levels of the dam instrumentation (base, 2361 m, 2378 m and
2395 m, respectively) time is provided for the installation works of the
instruments. It is foreseen that this activity can be completed by one
week (7 days) for each elevation.
In August the remaining part of plinth at higher elevations of right
abutment will be completed. The outdoor grouting can be started in
June, when the first phase of the rockfill is finished and there is no
interference is there between these two activities. The curtain grouting
works will continue during the whole year.
In the middle of August, after finishing the concrete works of the plinth
on right abutment, and the embankment of the dam having reached a
level of approximately 2350 m asl, the works for preparing the
perimeter joints and construction of the starter slabs will begin and are
scheduled to finish by the end of year, before winter.
Since the existing drainage gallery design is no longer suitable after
the rotation of the axis of the upper dam, excavation of a new drainage
gallery is foreseen. This activity should be started immediately after
completion of excavation of access gallery, at the end of July 2006. At
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the same time, the concrete works for the invert of the access gallery
should be started, and should be completed by the middle of December
2006, before winter. After this, grouting works for stabilizing of tunnel
can start and progress during the winter.
One of the major activities in 2006 is inside the diversion tunnel. The
installation of the steel lining at the upstream side of the gate chamber
can be started in July, during the dry season. The complete method
statement will be submitted at a later date, but in summary in the dry
season the river water inside the diversion tunnel can be led through a
temporary by-pass pipe so the installation of the 150 m pipe steel
lining can be started. It is important to note that the operations inside
the diversion tunnel can only be done during dry seasons of 2006 and
2007. These activities include:
• Installation of steel lining
• Construction of gate chamber
• Operation from gate chamber to end of tunnel
• Construction of outlet structure
• Completion works
There is a danger of flooding during the wet season of 2007 and by-
pass pipes probably will not have enough capacity for this flood.
Commencement of activities for construction of the gate chamber and
other parts from gate chamber to outlet structure is risky, and it is
preferable to start the execution of works of this part in the latest dry
season, when the risk of flooding in the next wet season no longer
exists. The result of this is that installation of the steel lining can be
started earlier than last dry season. It is foreseen to start this activity
on July 2006 and complete it by the middle of October, and
simultaneously fill the space between the pipe and concrete lining of
tunnel. Contact grouting can be started afterwards and continue during
the winter.
1.3.4 Year 2007

During the first half of 2007 most of activities at the upper dam site
will be finished, including:
• Rockfill up to elevation 2395 m asl
• Downstream stabilizing fill
• Perimeter joint and starter slabs
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• Drainage galleries
• Drilling works for all the galleries
• Lining of main drainage gallery
• Lining of access gallery to drainage gallery
• Upper part and middle part of spillway
By starting the second half, which is the start of dry season in 2007,
two important activities should be undertaken in parallel:
• The last phase of rockfill of dam body up to elevation 2409.5 m asl
• Start of pre-requisite activities relevant to concrete face.
The latter activity should be started at this time; if the start of
activities for the concrete face has to wait for completion of the dam
body up to crest elevation, then the concrete face should be started at
latest at the beginning of September, when there is only 3 or 4 months
to the winter.
For this reason, preliminary activities of rockfilling should not have any
delay from 1st July onwards. This can be accomplished in two ways:
• Dividing of the last phase of rock fill along the crest to left and
right parts, completing of rockfill at one part and then preparation for
concrete face, including installation of rebar and vertical joint water
stops at the same time of rockfilling of the other part, then the same
facing on the first part with slipform while preparation of second part.
• Starting of face concreting by individual modular panel forms at
lower elevations, while rockfill operations is continuing on higher
elevations.
The main requirement is to start the concrete face sooner than
September, and finish it before winter. In this way the complementary
works can be done on early spring of year 2008, and impounding can
be started in wet season, which is of great importance. Hence if there
be any delay, there are 3 months during the winter to come on time
schedule by some additional expense because of problems of winter.
But on the other hand as it is mentioned before, if all activities of
concrete face wait for completion of the dam up to crest elevation,
then the end of activities and start of impounding will be on dry
season, without any float or time factor of safety.
Once the concrete face is finished, approximately in December, the
crest of the dam will be finalized by constructing the parapet wall and
filling the last two meters of the embankment up to the final crest
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elevation 2411.50 m asl. In parallel to the works on the dam crest, the
upstream earth fill with materials 1A and 1B will be placed against the
concrete face up to elevation 2377 m asl.
Before the winter of 2007, the lower part of the spillway will be
constructed down to the riverbed. In addition, during second half of
2007, works in the reservoir such as slope protection will be performed
and the bed load retention dam will be constructed.
The works in the diversion tunnel for the conversion to the later low-
level outlet will most probably be executed between June and
December 2007.
It is scheduled to start impounding the upper reservoir on 6th May
2008.
1.4 EXCAVATION WORKS

1.4.1 Excavation Left Abutment for Dam and
Spillway
The highest point where the excavation at the left abutment starts is
located above the bend of the approach channel to the spillway ogee.
The excavation of this slope will be performed with a bench height of 8
m, slope of 1:1 and berms of 4 m width. These values may be adapted
during excavation according to the rock conditions encountered.
Temporary access roads will be constructed to allow the excavation
equipment such as backhoes and loaders, trucks and drilling
equipment to access the work front.
Slope support measures such as rock bolts and anchors; wire mesh and
shotcrete will be applied during the excavation according to the
assessment of the Contractor’s geologist and the Engineer. Where
systematic support is deemed necessary along the upper part of the
benches, works will be carried out from a temporary intermediate berm
in order to secure easy and safe access.
The lowest berm of this excavation at the level of the dam crest,
elevation 2411.50 m asl will be sufficiently wide to give the room
necessary for the permanent access road to the intake gate shaft.
Once the dam crest elevation is reached, excavation works may
continue simultaneously at the upper part of the spillway down to
elevation 2370 m asl, which corresponds to the final elevation of the
stabilizing fill and the upstream part of the dam and particularly the
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plinth. For the lower part of the spillway excavation the slope may be
steepened in case the rock conditions allow and in accordance with the
construction drawings, to some 5:1 slope and even steeper where the
wall will be concreted directly against the rock surface. For these
excavations, pre-splitting will also be considered in order to produce a
neat finish and minimize over break.
All excavated material will be placed in stabilizing fill, according to
specifications. Rocky material is preferred to be placed closer to the
downstream slope, and overburden material within the random fill
zone.
It should be noted that actually the main access road to the left bank
connects the area of the power intake with the upper levels of the left
bank towards quarry No.1 and the so called surge tank road. As soon as
the left bank excavation starts, this existing road will be exposed to
rock fall and as the excavation progresses further downstream will
even be removed. Therefore, the left bank roads will be relocated to
give access to the bottom of the valley from both the upstream and
downstream sides (see also Chapter 2.1).
Since the works should be started from highest elevation and
developed to lower parts, the start of excavation activities of left
abutment depends on the completion of access road, which comes
down from the Chalus road and passes over the cofferdam and
connects to the intake tower area at elevation 2412.50 m asl. This road
will be used as the main access road from state road to the site, and
rock fall will not cause any interruption in the traffic.
1.4.2 Excavation of the upstream part of the Main Dam

The upstream part of the dam shall be founded on moderately
weathered rock or better which means that all overburden must be
excavated and removed. This excavation work will be done starting
from the dam crest level on both abutments downwards on a
descending platform created with the excavated material. This
platform will facilitate the work and also permits the simultaneous rock
excavation for the plinth.
Any required foundation treatment, such as shotcrete, will also be
executed following the descending platform. The excavated materials,
progressively shovelled down, will be loaded and transported to
disposal from intermediate height accesses. The necessity of protection
for stripped rock should be determined at the site, after inspection of
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rock type but based on available data, it is expected that systematic
support measures may be needed to protect the stripped rock surface.
Commencement of works for excavation of the overburden material
requires previous completion of spillway excavation at least up to the
level of its inlet platform. Then the stripping works at the left bank
from the elevations below the intake access road will be started and
continued downwards. The lower limit of this excavation is the
temporary access road, shown in the Fig. 1. This road is the hauling
road for transportation of excavated material of the elevations above.
Fig. 1: General view of left bank of upper dam

It is of great importance that this road must be operative up to the
time of completion of excavation as well as transportation of material
from elevations higher than this road. It means that any excavation
below the elevation of this road, which results in destroying it, must
not be started before the completion of the transportation of all
excavated material from the higher elevation. After this, there is no
reason to stop excavation below the road path No.2 and the excavation
can be continued down to lower elevation of left bank but not in the
valley bottom. The valley bottom should not be excavated before
relocation of the Chalus road because as mentioned before, there is the
potential of instability of the right bank due to the excavation of the
riverbed. This fact was observed during some test pit operations (See
Fig.2 & 3).
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The overburden excavation for Plinth at the left bank and strip zone
will be limited to the excavated portal area of the headrace tunnels.
The works will progress in a downwards direction, thus allowing
evaluation of the rock in undisturbed conditions, as well as reliable
estimation of the depth of the rock excavation for Plinth and for the
materials 2A, 2AA and 2B.
The excavation will be carried out by means of bulldozers and finished
by backhoe. The excavated material will be loaded on trucks and
transported to authorized spoil areas, which is assumed to be the as
the random fill area of the stabilizing fill.
While the rock surface is being exposed, a final cleaning by means of
compressed air and of other suitable hand tools will be carefully
performed to bring into evidence any weak seam or shear zone, in
order to make the geotechnical assessment of the rock condition. This
evaluation is necessary for the definition of final dimensions and shape
of the trench for the plinth.
Site investigations as well as construction drawings indicate that a
large portion of the left bank of upper dam has a very thin layer of
overburden material, especially in downstream part.
Steep slopes and very thin superficial material indicate that in the
downstream part of left bank the excavation work is limited only to
shallow excavation, and in some areas only cleaning works. Before
rockfill operation of each layer, one excavator will strip and clean the
available area.
In the upstream part of the dam foundation, especially in the vicinity of
the plinth, the depth of overburden is much greater, up to 15 meters,
so the excavation works will focus on this part. Note that excavation of
the bottom of the valley down to 15 meters will cause instability of the
right bank and will endanger the existing Chalus road, so the
excavation of the valley bottom is forbidden in this stage.
Prior to the placement of zone 3A, seams and other defects in the
foundation will be excavated and solidly filled or covered with zone
2AA, 2A, 2B and/or filter material. Over the remainder of the rockfill
foundation, where the foundation rock in local areas is other than
moderately weathered or better rock, such rock will be covered with
0.5 m thick layer of zone 2B and/or filter material.
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1.4.3 Excavation of the downstream part of the Main Dam
The downstream part of the dam is not necessary to be founded on
rock. The general criterion is that the foundation shall consist of
material with adequate deformation and shear strength characteristics.
In practise this means that all topsoil, organic and clay material has to
be removed. In the case of alluvial and colluvial overburden material
removal must take place to reach layers with an estimated SPT value of
at least 15, or equivalent characteristics. Generally it is an accepted
practice that the alluvial material can be left in place at the riverbed,
except in a limited part near the plinth. These layers of coarse material
usually have high modules of compressibility that some times may be
more than modulus of compressibility of rockfill material. In this
condition usually settlement is not a major problem. But sandy
material area, in which the risk of liquefaction is high, is the exception
and in the upper and lower dams the risk of liquefaction is not possible.
At the upper dam site, it was expected to find granular or non-PI
material in the riverbed in a few meters depth. Some test pits in the
riverbed in different depths, for which the sieve test curves attached,
confirmed existence of this material at this depth. General specification
of this material shows non-PI with the classification GP/GW. The
percentage of fine material is less than 10% that is a good and suitable
bed for rock filling on down stream part of the upper dam. Sampling
from depths about 1.5m below the riverbed has been done and the
results were similar to the previous samples.
The necessary excavation will start in the bottom of the valley. In
parallel with the rising rock fill embankment in the downstream part of
the dam, which will be used as a platform, the necessary overburden
material to be removed at both valley flanks will be excavated with a
loader and/or backhoe and transported by trucks to the stabilizing fill
and/or deposit area. In cases the material to be removed would reach
too far into the slope and therefore endanger the local slope stability
and consequently the equipment and personnel in charge of these
works, excavation would locally start from a higher point.
The borders of the excavation area should be well defined based on
existing condition. Excavation in the left abutment is in the form of
stripping that can be limited to rock outcrops, but in the right
abutment the case is completely different. In this abutment, the main
problem is that excavation is not possible because of risk of slide of the
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Chalus road. Collapse, slide and instability will certainly occur in this
case as shown in Fig No. 2.
Material in the right abutment may include organic material or
weathered rocks, slope wash, topsoil or crushed material which was
produced during the construction of Chalus road. It is not possible to
start any excavation before relocation of the Chalus road.
One of the main problems is seepage of underground water to
excavation area, while operations are going on. Seepage has two main
resources:
• Right and left abutments
• Up streamside of the working area.
Underground water and also above-ground water, which penetrates
the whole area and is drained into the excavated area, is the source of
seepage from the abutments. Unfortunately at this stage there is no
chance to prevent this penetrated water. The only practical way is to
conduit the penetrated water into sumps and then pump the water
from the sump behind the cofferdam into the diversion tunnel.
Fig.2: Sliding in the right abutment of upper dam while excavating.

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1.4.4 Excavation of the Right Abutment
The general view of right bank of upper dam is shown in Fig. 3 and 4.
Once the old Chalus road has been relocated, the same procedure for
dam excavation in the left bank will be executed on the right
abutment, followed finally by the excavation works in the bottom of
the valley.
Due to a delay in relocation of the old Chalus Road caused by other
parties, and considering the critical time nature of subsequent valley
bottom and plinth construction activities, it has been decided to
separate right bank excavation into three major sub-divisions:
Fig. 3- General view of right bank of upper dam
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Fig. 4- General view of right bank of upper dam
• 1st phase: excavation before relocation of Chalus road, mainly
between new and old road
• 2nd phase: construction of new access road from existing state
road to the job site
• 3rd phase: excavation after relocation of Chalus road, mostly
below the road
It is desirable to start the 1st phase as soon as possible, before the
opening of new road. However based on the latest construction
drawings, it seems that new road should be supported against any
probable collapse or sliding during and after excavation of right bank.
It should be mentioned that sliding in this area is a serious problem. It
is noted on some documents which have been prepared before this
tender, that some parts of the Chalus road in the vicinity of the Duna
sliding mass, sliding and settlement of the Chalus road has been a
problem for many years and every time after this settlement the
surface of state road has been repaired by some layers of asphalt. The
thickness of asphalt is up to 1m in some areas. This problem has been
observed during hard winter of 2005, as well as after disposing some
material from excavation of new road near the old Chalus road, as
shown on Fig.5. The surface of road has serious cracks and settled
about 30 centimetres.
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Fig. 5: Deep cracks on the surface of the road due to disposal of excavated
material on top of the adjacent hill
The overburden stripping operation on the right bank needs to have
reliable information about the depth of rock and depth of over burden.
At the moment, the construction drawings indicate that 3 possible
situations may occur:
1- The depth of bedrock is less than 2 meters. In this case no
retaining wall is needed
2- The depth of bedrock is more than 2 meters but less than 6
meters. In this case a gabion retaining wall should be constructed.
3- The depth of bedrock is more than 6 meters. In this case a
reinforced retaining wall should be constructed.
Unexpectedly as some parts of the road, the depth of bedrock is more
than ten metres for stretches up to forty metres. In this area some
other solutions must be found before October 2005, when the wet
season starts and there will be danger of instability of high
excavations. (See fig.6)
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Fig.6: Right bank of upper dam- against the gully, beneath the new road, where
the depth of bedrock is more than 10 meters
Excavated material can be transported from two elevations:

• Firstly, from the road at an approximate crest elevation of 2411 m
asl, which is the same elevation that is visible on Fig.6.
• Secondly, from the existing Chalus road, at the same elevation
visible on Fig.5.
The danger of rock fall over the existing road is serious and to
eliminate this danger one 4 m wide berm with a supporting dyke is
envisaged. When the bulldozers are working in this area, the traffic will
be stopped in co-operation with the road-police.
After the relocation of the road, when the excavation of the right bank
is going to start at an elevation below the road the only access road to
the site will be cut because it crosses the alignment of the plinth. Thus
it is necessary to create another access road to the job site. The
situation is shown on Fig.7. This phase of activities, called phase 2,
must be done after relocation of road. The reason is that construction
of new road requires deep excavations just near the road with heavy
traffic.
19
Fig. 7: Situation of access road to the site during excavation of right bank of
upper dam
The 3rd phase is related to the completion of the right bank excavation,
and will be done after the phase 2. The main principles for excavation
is just similar to left bank but the depths of over burden are estimated
to be greater than for the right bank.
It is noted that some excavated material has been disposed by other
parties in the vicinity of the new road, just above old road that was the
source of slide of Fig. 5. These materials are on the downstream part of
the dam, near the toe. They have been deposited without any
compaction, and have a significant failure potential. For these reason
these materials should be removed.
The estimated volume of excavation is as below:
• Left bank 100,000 m3
• 1st phase of right bank 100,000 m3
• 2nd phase of right bank 20,000 m3
• 3rd phase of right bank 150,000 m3
• Bottom of valley 80,000 m3
• Reservoir 80,000 m3
20
• Upper part of spillway 100,000 m3
• Middle part and lower part of spillway 45,000 m3
TOTAL ESTIMATED VOLUME
OF EXCAVATION 675,000 m3
1.4.5 Excavation of the Plinth

According to the technical specifications, the plinth and the transition
zones 2AA, 2A and 2B will be founded on sound to slightly weathered
rock
Depending on the local topography and the way the weathered zones
penetrate into the foundation, high concrete blocks may be required
under the plinth foundation level as defined in the construction
drawings, for which complex stability conditions may be encountered
when the height is greater than 3 to 4 m.
The trench for the plinth will be excavated with a 3:1 (v:h) slope from
the u/s rock surface. The width of the trench includes from the u/s toe
of the slope a 5 m wide area that serves as a working platform and
allows excavation locally to deeper levels as required, the 4 m of the
external plinth and the necessary width to found the transition zones
2AA, 2A and 2B. The slope of the trench towards d/s will be excavated
with a 1:1.6 (v:h) slope, which means parallel to the concrete face.
As described above, the plinth excavations are executed
simultaneously to the upstream part dam excavation, starting from the
dam crest level, in order to take advantage of the excavated materials
descending platform.
Controlled blasting techniques will be required to limit disturbance of
the sub-lying rock foundation. The final layer with minimum thickness
of 30 centimetres will be removed by an impact hammer technique. In
case of a steep slope foundation, the pre-splitting technique will be
applied.
If the plinth is accessible after stripping and removal of overburden,
then it is possible to check the actual contour lines of the rock surface,
and the project level of plinth can be confirmed or modified.
The excavated plinth and transition zones will be cleaned with an air
jet and slush grouted. Weak seams and shear zones will be removed
and cleaned with a high air/water pressure jet and backfilled with
slush grout or dental concrete. In case this zone is closely jointed, it
will be covered with a concrete layer of at least 10 cm.
21
The definition of a working procedure for the rock excavation for the
plinth will have to consider the differences in conditions and quality of
the rock on the abutments, which will require the implementation of
working procedures with some differences in equipment, materials and
manpower demand.
The plinth should be excavated concurrently with the stripping.
Otherwise, there will be difficulties accessing the working area for
transportation of materials, rebars, formworks and concrete at the
time of construction of the plinth.
1.4.6 Working procedure – Access roads

As mentioned above, the excavation works are mostly concentrated on
upstream part and will be developed from higher elevations towards
valley bottom. The depth of excavation depends on the depth of over
burden.
Much of the excavation required takes place on the steep hill surface,
and the process of transporting excavated material to the disposal area
is now not a simple process of connecting two arbitrary points with a
road.
Excavation on the steep surface is not a linear operation where
excavation proceeds along the road axis, but is an operation where the
excavation proceeds generally perpendicular to the road, down the
slope. The road starting point must, however remain fixed and this
means the road becomes steeper.
The road has a maximum allowable steepness, and in addition
topographical restraints and a fixed origin mean the road network
cannot extend over the whole hill surface. This means that excavated
material must be double handled down the slope to reach the nearest
access road.
Double handling is in many cases a necessity and affects estimates of
machinery numbers, costs and activity durations. It is planned to have
access roads for transportation every 25m of height.
The access roads to the working area on the left bank are shown in Fig.
8. There are three main access roads for hauling of material:
1. Access road from the Chalus road to the Intake area to access to
the upper elevation, which is called “Road No. 1”.
2. Old access road from the headrace tunnels area to access to the
intermediate elevations of left bank, which is called “Road No. 2”.
22
3. Access Road from the headrace tunnels area to the bottom of the
valley, which is called “Road No. 3”.
Since the works should be started from the highest elevation and
developed to the lower parts, the start of excavation of the left
abutment will be from the above-mentioned access road No.1. The
road No.2 is subjected to rock fall because of excavation at higher
elevations above this road. Road No.2 will be used for hauling of
material which has been excavated from higher elevations, and after
completion of activities on this area; the excavation front will be
extended downwards to the bottom of valley.
Some additional access roads will be needed too.
4. Since the stripped zone on the upstream side of the plinth needs
to be supported, there will be one or more access roads to this area
and these roads should be adjusted as much as possible with the
situation during the progress. It is important to support an excavated
strip on a linear pattern horizontally, (like a berm) and after finishing a
berm, the machinery can continue to excavate another horizontal line
and supporting too and this pattern can be followed continuously down
to the bottom of the valley. These roads are called “Road No. 4”.
5. The road that connects to the downstream side of the dam is a
major branch from the Surge Tank road and connects this road to the
bottom of the valley on the downstream side. It can be developed with
some branches to have access to the body of the dam on different
elevations during rock filling operation.
6. Besides working on the plinth, the installation of rebar and
formwork, concreting and grouting works for the grout curtain from
the plinth, all need access roads to form a new road network. This
network is shown on Fig. 8.
The roads on the valley bottom and right bank are shown in Fig. 9. In
this area there will be:
7. Road No.7 for access to crest of dam on right bank
8. Road No. 8 for access to the different elevations of plinth area
during excavation and construction and grouting works.
Additional roads maybe considered during construction, according to
the situation.
23
Fig. 8 : Access Roads on the left abutment
24
Fig. 9: Access Roads on the right abutment
1.4.7 Time schedule

The volumes of excavation have been estimated. Assuming that the
daily excavation capacity for each set of machinery, including one
bulldozer D155A or an excavator with similar power, is approximately
600 m³ in this side hill and 700 m³ in the bottom of the valley (flat
area), and 10% extra time for unforeseeable problems, and
considering 2 shifts work each with 10 hours working time, then the
duration of each activity can be calculated.
Location volume
estimated duration
(m³)
(days)
• Left bank 100,000 m3
140
25
• 1st phase of right bank 100,000 m3
90
• 2nd phase of right bank 20,000 m3
20
• 3rd phase of right bank 150,000 m3
150
• Bottom of valley u/s 120,000 m3
45
• Bottom of valley d/s 20,000 m3
30
• Reservoir 80,000 m3
88
• Upper part of spillway 60,000 m3
90
• Middle part and lower part of spillway 125,000 m3
30
TOTAL ESTIMATED VOLUME
OF EXCAVATION 775,000 m3
The machinery resources needed for performing of each of these
activities have been calculated based on assumptions about the
performance of bulldozers as 500 m3 per shift, and 0.5 hour for each
cycle of travel for each truck. The results are on attached tables and
are considered in the PRIMAVERA file of time schedule.
1.5 TRIAL EMBANKMENT TESTS

Prior to starting with the rockfill embankment, a trial embankment test
will be performed in order to determine the optimal layer thickness and
number of passes with the compaction equipment available. The tests
for the 3A rockfill material from quarry No.1 will be carried out at the
location of the stabilizing fill or other suitable area, the other materials
will be tested at an available area close to the quarry and processing
plant.
A typical arrangement for the rockfill trial embankment tests consists
of 4 test sections, 8 by 16 m each, separated by buffer zones of 4 m
width. The following table gives the characteristics of each of the
sections to be tested:
26
Section Water Layer Roller Number of
added thickness passes lifts
1 200 l/m3 80 cm 4 4
2 200 l/m3 80 cm 6 4
3 200 l/m3 100 cm 4 4
4 200 l/m3 100 cm 6 4
After compaction of the sections according to the described procedure,

the following tests will be performed:
− Settlement: surface measurement with precision survey
− In-situ density: by means of the water balloon volumetric method
− Grain size distribution: excavation of a test pit and sieve analysis
− Permeability: water absorption test.
All results will be summarized in a report with a recommendation for
the embankment works and submitted for approval to the Engineer.
For further details refer to document SBP PM 2/AT-PM/l/60400,
submitted on 14 June 2004.
1.6 EMBANKMENT OF MAIN DAM AND STABILIZING FILL

1.6.1 General Procedure
As soon as the excavation allows, embankment will start in the
downstream part of the dam in order to decrease the peak month
production rates and to produce the settlements in this part, which is
not founded on rock, as early as possible during construction. The fill in
the downstream part of the dam will be done in stages corresponding
to the levels of instrumentation and will reach elevation 2340 m asl.
However, it is not certain if this work can start before the Chalus road
is relocated, so this activity has been divided in two separate phases on
left and right bank. The left bank can be started before relocation of
Chalus road. The depth of superficial and loose material is not great in
left bank, especially on the downstream part, and in this way rock
filling will be started only after excavation in the valley bottom down
to alluvium and colluvium, removing loose material and rock filling.
27
Deep excavation in the right bank is forbidden because of the danger of
instability of the road, so after the traffic is diverted from the existing
road there will be two strategic activities:
1. Starting the 2nd and 3rd phase of excavation of the right bank
2. Starting the excavation of the plinth at the bottom of the
valley
While the excavation and construction of the plinth in the bottom of
the valley and low levels of both abutments is going on, excavation on
right bank will continue in parallel and rock fill of downstream on the
right side will be done subsequently. The upstream embankment will
start after constructing the plinth in the bottom of the valley and will
be done in the same stages as the downstream part. From elevation
2340 m asl embankment in both the upstream and downstream parts
will continue to elevation 2361 m asl, which is the first elevation of
instrumentation above the foundation. So the upstream and
downstream parts of the dam will be placed together from elevation
2340 m asl.
All materials will be placed according to the zoning of the dam shown
on the drawings or as adjusted based on material availability, filled and
compacted as indicated in the specifications and determined from the
trial embankment tests. Temporary haul roads within the rockfill
embankment will be built with slopes of maximum gradient of 13%.
According to the technical specifications, section 6.1.3.1, approach or
construction ramps on the faces of the embankment will be removed
and ramps and haul roads inside the embankment will be thoroughly
scarified and re-compacted before placing new lifts of fill material on
top of them. No ramps will be built in the transition zones 2A and 2B,
which will be constructed in horizontal layers from abutment to
abutment.
The following sub-chapters detail the procedure for each of the fill
materials in the embankment, approximately in the order of their first
use.
1.6.2 Stabilizing Fill Embankment Zone 3A

In general, the stabilizing fill is placed along the river valley between
the downstream toe of the main dam and the outlet of the diversion /
bottom outlet tunnel. Together with the drainage gallery it will ensure
the stability of the right bank abutment downstream of the dam.
28
The rockfill zone 3A will be placed along the bottom of the valley to a
thickness of 6 meters in order to serve as drainage layer. The material
will be delivered from quarry No.1 with 35-ton dump trucks, spread by
bulldozer to reach lift thickness of 80 centimetres and compacted with
a 10-ton vibratory roller.
3A material will be dumped over the previous layer and bulldozer is
used to push and spread this material (See fig. 10). This causes coarse
material to go to the bottom of layer and fine material to come to the
top and this natural segregation makes a layer with higher amount of
horizontal permeability in each layer that results in more permeability
for the body of dam. (See fig. 10)
Water required for sluicing can be obtained from the river after the
outlet of the diversion tunnel, and pumped into the location under high
pressure. Compaction with 4 passes of the ten ton roller will then take
place.
Fig. 10: Orientation of machinery in rockfill operation
1.6.3 Stabilizing Fill Embankment Zone 3D

On top of the 3A material along the bottom of the valley, a transition
layer will be incorporated before random material fill, which will be
used for the rest of the stabilizing fill. The procedure for placing and
compacting the material is the same as for material 3A, with lift
heights up to 1.2 meters and compaction consisting of 4 passes of the
10-ton vibratory roller.
29
1.6.4 Stabilizing Fill Embankment Zone 3A beneath
spillway channel-middle part
Due to the changed spillway design, which does not anymore include a
concrete chute over the stabilizing fill, but rather a channel protected
by shotcrete and riprap it could be possible to construct the whole of
the stabilizing fill with non-rock fill material. However, since during
detail design the necessity arose to place 3A material below the
spillway channel, that material would be placed according to the
corresponding specifications. In addition, in order to minimize the
unfavourable post construction settlements below the spillway
channel, (which crosses the stabilizing fill almost horizontally at
elevation 2370 m asl and on the downstream slope towards the river)
the following general measures may be adopted in the detail design
and indicated correspondingly on the construction drawings:
• The best quality disposal material 3A, preferably from quarry No.1
will be placed beneath the spillway channel
• The uppermost 5 meters beneath the spillway channel will be
placed in layers of maximum 1.0 meter in order to obtain best
compaction.
1.6.5 Stabilizing Fill Embankment Random-fill Zone

The stabilizing fill embankment will be levelled and trimmed to
reasonably regular lines and slopes. The finished outer slopes in the
cross-section will be at least 1:2.3 (h:v) and at the spillway channel
according to the drawings. Permanent drain gutters and/or other slope
protection measures will be introduced as required to ensure that
surface run-off will not erode the surfaces of the embankment.
For more detail see Appendix 3.
1.6.6 Main Dam Embankment Zone 3A

After stripping the topsoil and excavating the downstream dam
foundation area to a depth where the materials satisfy the design
criteria, the 3A material is the first to be placed in the bottom of the
valley. The same material will be used for the embankment of the
whole upstream part of the dam.
The 3A material consists of good quality dense material, able to carry
the main part of the water load and, properly compacted, producing
minimal settlements. The maximum grain size is 900 mm. According to
30
the technical specifications, the grain size will be between 40 and 60%
passing a 100 mm sieve, between 15 and 30% passing a 20 mm sieve,
less than 15% passing a 5 mm sieve and less than 4% passing a 0.1
mm sieve.
The material will be produced in quarry No.1 and delivered to the dam
site with 35 ton dump trucks, spread by bulldozer to reach lift
thickness of 1.0 meter and compacted with a 15 ton vibratory roller
with at least 4 passes or as determined by the trial embankment tests.
On the upstream border of the embankment, within 5 meters adjacent
to the coarse transition zone 2B, the material will be placed in layers of
maximum 0.5 m after compaction with a corresponding maximum
grain size which allows proper compaction, in order to ensure that
large rock fragments are not placed immediately adjacent to the coarse
transition zone, thus contributing to smaller displacements in the
upstream part of the dam. Furthermore, only sound rock fragments of
best quality available in the quarry will be placed in the uppermost 20
m below the dam crest in order to assure best compaction possible
which contributes to less deformation of the crest area during
earthquake shaking. If necessary, the required volume of this best
quality 3A material will be stockpiled during quarry operation.
1.6.7 Main Dam Embankment Zone 3B

Zone 3B material is used in the downstream part of the dam up to level
2390 m asl, from which up to the crest only 3A material will be used.
According to the technical specifications, the grain size distribution of
3B material shall be the same as for 3A but it is allowed to be placed in
greater lifts of 1.5 meters to accommodate the oversize rock from the
quarry. The oversize rock, which shall not be greater than the lift
thickness, shall be permitted up to 10% in this zone. However, at least
for the higher zones of the dam where the upstream and downstream
parts of the dam embankment will be placed together, it might be more
convenient to adopt a single lift thickness of 1.0 m for both zones, 3A
and 3B.
The general procedure for placing and compacting the material is the
same as for zone 3A described above. As for the rockfill 3A, where the
best quality will be placed toward the boundary with zone 2B and in
the crest zone, the best quality 3B material will be placed toward the
downstream slope of the dam.
31
1.6.8 Main Dam Embankment Zone 3C
Zone 3C or random rockfill zone is located at the downstream part of
the dam, between zones 3A and 3B. It consists either of rockfill 3A or
3B, depending on the actual quarry operation and results. In case that
the quarry would produce larger amount of fines than allowed in zones
3A and 3B, the permitted amount of grain size 20 mm will be increased
to 40%.
The procedure for building the embankment in zone 3C is the same as
for 3A and 3B described above. The layer thickness may vary between
1.0 and 1.5 meters.
1.6.9 Main Dam Embankment Zone 2AA

The fine transition zone 2AA will be placed just downstream of the
plinth and perimeter joint to provide continuous support for the lower
part of the concrete face and to reduce seepage through the dam when
leakage develops due to defects in the joint waterstops or slabs. This
transition zone has a horizontal width of 1.0 m at the top, located 1.5
m over the base of the plinth and u/s and downstream slopes of 1:1.6
(v:h).
The fine transition material will consist of processed, crushed rock with
a maximum size of 40 mm, between 70 and 90% passing a 20 mm
sieve, between 35 and 60% passing a 5 mm sieve and between 5 and
10% passing a 0.1 mm sieve. The grading of this fine transition
material will be carefully controlled at regular intervals throughout the
construction in accordance with BS 1377 or ASTM 422 (grain size
distribution) and as required in the technical specifications.
The fine transition material will be selected from moderately
weathered to fresh rock for processing. The suitability of the material
will be tested in accordance with the relevant standards.
The selected, processed and tested material with a total required
quantity of some 1850 m3 will be stockpiled and later brought to the
embankment area when needed. It will be placed in layers of 0.2m and
compacted with mechanic rammers or vibrating plate compactors.
Particular attention and care will be taken to prevent damage of the
waterstops embedded in the concrete. The upstream slope of zone 2AA
will be compacted and protected as for zone 2A.
32
1.6.10 Main Dam Embankment Zone 2A
The semi pervious transition zone 2A will be placed beneath the
upstream concrete face to provide a continuous support for the
concrete face slabs and to reduce the seepage through the dam when
leakage develops due to defects in the joint waterstops or slabs. The
constant horizontal width of this zone is 4.0 meters according to the
technical specifications, but will be reduced to 3.0 meters due to the
use of an extruded lean concrete berm below the face slab (see below).
The semi pervious transition material 2A consists of processed, crushed
rock with a maximum size of 80 mm, between 55 and 75% passing a
20 mm sieve, between 30 and 45% passing a 5 mm sieve and between
3 and 7% passing a 0.1 mm sieve. The grading of this semi pervious
transition material will be carefully controlled at regular intervals
throughout the construction in accordance with BS 1377 or ASTM 422
(grain size distribution) and as required in the technical specifications.
The semi pervious transition material will be selected from moderately
weathered to fresh rock for processing. The suitability of the material
will be tested in accordance with the relevant standards.
The total quantity of 2A material for the upper dam is some 65,000 m3.
It will be placed in layers of 0.4 m at the correct moisture content and
compacted by at least 4 passes of a 10 ton vibrating roller, together
with the 2B material and in accordance with the results of the trial
embankment tests. The surface of each layer will be wetted during
compaction by spraying with water. The main procedure for regulation
and protection of surface of embankment is construction of an
extruded lean concrete berm along the upstream edge of the
embankment before placing the transition material. The 0.40 m high
curb section has the external face inclined at the dam face upstream
slope of 1:1.6 (v:h) and a semi vertical internal face to act as a lateral
support for the 2AA and 2A materials to be compacted. A 10 to 12 cm
wide crest allows for a minimum overlapping of the curb at successive
layers.
Typically, a mix of 75 kg/m3 cement content, 1.9 mm maximum size
aggregate, 50% of sand and 125 l/m3 of water can be extruded at a
rate of some 40 to 60 m/hour. Some hours after the curb has been laid
out; the transition material can be placed and compacted with the
vibratory roller. Contained laterally, the material will need compaction
only horizontally to the required specifications by the vibratory roller.
33
Compared with the “traditional” methods of surface protection by
shotcrete or similar materials, this so-called “Ita method” has the
following main advantages:
- Safer execution and easier access for workers,
- Less vulnerability to erosion due to heavy rain and
consequent repair works,
- Constructions of the fine transition zone and of the slab are
facilitated and the width of the semi pervious transition zone 2A can be
reduced to 3.0 meters,
- Provision of a planar upstream surface with possible
consequent saving in the facing concrete,
- Elimination of any interference between the plinth grouting
works and simultaneous embankment works above,
- Adequate protection against excessive infiltration through
the rockfill embankment in case of eventual unforeseen floods during
the construction period.
1.6.11 Main Dam Embankment Zone 2B

The coarse transition zone 2B with a constant horizontal width of 4.0
meters is located beneath the semi pervious transition zone 2A and will
act as a filter layer and prevent movement of the fine transition
material into the main rockfill.
The coarse transition material will be well graded with a maximum size
of 300 mm, between 65 and 80% passing a 100 mm sieve, between 35
and 45% passing a 20 mm sieve, between 17 and 27 % passing a 5
mm sieve and less than 4% passing a 0.1 mm sieve. The grading tests
in accordance with BS 1377 or ASTM 422 will be performed at site and
the test frequency will be as required in the technical specifications.
The coarse transition material will be selected from moderately
weathered to fresh sound rock. If suitable material with the desired
gradation is not available in sufficient quantity (total approximately
85,000 m3) from quarry No.1, some processing may be necessary.
As for zone 2A, the 2B type material will be placed in 0.40 m thick
layers to an approximately horizontal surface in such a way as to
prevent segregation of the particles and will be subsequently
compacted with at least 4 passes of a 10 ton vibratory roller, and in
accordance with the results of the trial embankment tests.
34
The two upstream transition zones 2A and 2B, both placed together in
0.40 m lifts, must follow the progress of the rockfill material rising
(zone 3A) and the extruded lean concrete berm rising on the upstream
edge.
1.6.12 Main Dam Embankment Zones 1A and 1B

After finishing the concrete face slab and the grouting works from the
plinth, the upstream impervious earth fill zone 1A will be placed
against the lower part of the concrete face, below elevation 2377 m asl
or somewhat lower, as agreed. The purpose of this zone is to provide
additional protection against leakage. When leakage develops trough
faulty waterstops in the face joints or cracks in the concrete face, silty
particles from the 1A material are washed into the opening but would
be retained by the semi pervious transition material 2A.
The earth fill for zone 1A consists of a selected impervious mixture of
soil. The soil will be well graded and at least 50% will pass through a
4.75 mm sieve. The plasticity index will not be less than 10%. Rock
fragments or lumps of clay having a maximum size greater than 25 mm
are not permitted and will be removed or broken down. After
appropriate tests, the material will be obtained from selected
overburden excavations. For zone 1B, random earth fill will be applied.
The upstream slope for zone 1A is 1:1.6 (v:h) which means parallel to
the concrete face slab. The constant horizontal width is 2.0 m. At the
toe of the slab, the zone 1A will cover the plinth at a height of 2.0 m as
shown on the drawings. The foundation conditions for zone 1A are the
same as for the plinth. The random earth fill zone 1B will have a width
at its top (el. 2377 m asl) of 2.0 m and an upstream slope of 1:2.5
(v:h).
The earth fill for zone 1A and 1B will be placed together in continuous,
approximately horizontal layers of maximum 0.3 m height and
compacted to over 95% of the maximum dry density. Routing control
tests will be performed periodically in accordance with BS 1377 or
ASTM 422. The earth fill will be preferably compacted to a uniform
density, free from laminations, lenses or other discontinuities. If the
surface of zones 1A and 1B is left exposed for any length of time,
drying of the underlying soil will be prevented by periodic watering or
covering.
35
1.6.13 Equipment for Rockfill Materials Placement
The 3A material will be delivered from quarry No.1 with 35-ton dump
trucks, spread by bulldozer to reach lift thickness of 100 centimetres
and compacted with a 15-ton vibratory roller.
As for layer 3A in the stabilizing fill area, the 3A main dam
embankment material will be dumped over the previous layer and
bulldozer will be used to push and spread this material (See Fig. 10).
The daily performance of each bulldozer is assumed 1800 m3 per day.
The machinery for spreading of 5000 m3 rock fill material per day, and
the duration of transportation of this material from quarry No.1 is
calculated in the attached sheets and are considered in the
PRIMAVERA time schedule.
1.7 PLINTH CONSTRUCTION

After excavation and foundation treatment works (see appendix 4), the
plinth construction will start in the lowest part at the bottom of the
valley.
The objective of the plinth is to provide a positive cutoff between the
concrete face and the foundation and to give a support for the concrete
slab. In addition, the plinth acts as a grout cap for the grout curtain.
1.7.1 Plinth Concrete Works

The width of the plinth will be some 4.5 m and the height 0.6 m in
general. To provide a resistance against uplift during grouting
operations, anchor bars will be installed in the foundation rock and tied
to the concrete reinforcement prior to the concrete placement. For this
purpose, 4 rows of fully grouted steel anchor bars (3 in external slab
and 1 in internal slab) with a diameter of 28 mm and 5 m length inside
the rock will be inserted at a spacing of 1.5 m. For the purpose of the
grout curtain, 3 rows of plastic pipes will be provided in the plinth.
Additional plastic pipes will be provided for contact grouting if
necessary, depending on the specific geological conditions actually
encountered.
The foundation area for the plinth will be excavated down to slightly
weathered to sound bedrock where possible. Generally, the excavated
surface of plinth area should be just on the elevations shown on
construction drawings. Since the plinth is excavated inside the rock,
36
controlled blasting and hand operating in the last layers of excavation
is necessary and since the final surface should be very exact with a
tolerance of 10 centimetres maximum, and since the surface should be
clean, a layer of levelling concrete is foreseen beneath the plinth to
achieve the required accuracy. The levelling concrete is of class C20/38
which differs from the plinth concrete which is of class C25/38.
Based on design criteria and construction drawings, embankment
layers 1A and 1B will cover the plinth and concrete slab up to minimum
water level. However, from this elevation on, the u/s side of excavation
for plinth is subjected to fluctuation and weathering. This the same
problem for stripped rock of two banks and reservoir, so regarding to
type of rock, it might be necessary to protect the u/s excavated wall
with the same protection detail of stripping zone.
When a fault crosses the plinth the condition is slightly different. Open
joints in otherwise sound rock will be hand grouted with cement or
mortar slurry. In case fill concrete will be used in depressions under
the plinth, a reinforcement layer will be provided to prevent surface
cracking. Immediately before placing concrete in the plinth, a final
clean up of the rock surface against which the concrete is to be placed
will be made by barring, wedging and picking to remove all loose,
shattered, disintegrated and objectionable materials. All water will be
removed from depressions.
The reinforcement bars will be placed according to the detail design
drawings. As a general rule, a single layer of FE 415/500 steel
reinforcement with 0.3% of the plinth section (excluding over break)
will be placed some 100 to 150 mm from the surface. An additional
layer of reinforcement will be placed across abrupt steps in the
foundation to avoid cracking of the plinth. Thicker plinth using grouted
anchor bars for stability reason will generally require two layers of
reinforcement.
The final foundation surface will be cleaned by jet air. Conventional
concrete in permanent contact with water will be placed, according to
the technical specifications (concrete C25/38 type 2 or type 2-F).
The construction joints between the plinth blocks will be provided with
a waterstop. However, at the detailed planning stage it may also be
decided to carry the reinforcement through all elements of the plinth
and, in this case, eliminate the waterstops. In this case the classic
preparatory works for the surface of the old concrete will be
completed.
37
1.7.2 Access roads to the plinth area
Access roads will be needed for transportation of:
• Excavation machinery
• Drill rigs for pre-splitting (if needed) or rockbolting
• Rebar
• Formwork
• Concrete
• Grouting machinery
All these roads should be constructed on a rocky stripped surface
during the excavation and stripping phase of the abutments, otherwise
it will be very difficult to construct new roads on the steep stripped
areas because of the problem of manoeuvring machinery. Access roads
should be designed before completion of stripping.
For more detailed information about concreting of plinth see appendix
4.
1.7.3 Perimeter Joint

The greatest joint movements are expected along the perimeter joint,
between concrete plinth and concrete face slab, thus requiring a
thoroughly designed and executed watertight system. The following
will be installed for the perimeter joint at different times during
construction:
a) Before concreting the plinth: A W-shaped copper waterstop of 1.5
mm thickness will be cast into the plinth on the downstream face at
the underside of the face slabs. In areas more than 60 m below the
dam crest, where the concrete face slab is thicker, an additional PVC
waterstop will be cast in the plinth in the centre of the face slab.
b) After concreting the plinth: A 6 mm bituminous felt strip or PVC
band will be attached to the copper waterstop where it will be in future
contact with the mortar pad. Before placing the 2AA material, the
waterstops in the plinth will be protected against damages during the
embankment and curtain grouting works by means of a temporary
timber guard.
c) Before concreting the face slab: The temporary timber guard will
be removed and a mortar pad will be placed at the base of the slab to
give a secure support to the copper waterstop. This pad will be made
38
either of a sand asphalt mixture or a crushed aggregate asphalt
mixture, carefully placed and compacted. In the V-shaped upper part of
the copper waterstop a 12 mm Neoprene rod will be glued and the rest
of the “V” filled with Neoprene foam filler. After this, and in order to
guarantee the minimum space between the concrete plinth and the
concrete face slab of 1.5 cm or as indicated on the drawings, temporary
filler material such as bituminous fibre sheet or plywood compressive
filler will be applied as formwork for the slab. Prior to concreting the
face slab the engineer will be required to inspect and approve the
arrangement.
d) After concreting the face slab: The temporary filler will be
removed mechanically or by air jet and the concrete cleaned and dried.
At this stage the engineer will be required to check the condition of the
concrete surfaces. The surface sealing system will then be installed
which consists of a sealing material in the joint protected by a rubber
membrane. The sealing material will be a bituminous fibre preformed
joint filler, according to ASTM D1751. On top of the joint a Neoprene
rod will be placed, covered by the mastic of bitumen graded sand
mixture. Tests for other projects showed better properties under high
hydraulic gradients for this material than IGAS type mastic. The upper
rubber band (e.g. 3 mm Hypalon membrane) will be tensioned whilst
fixing is taking place, and pressure will be applied until the mastic
appears around the edge of the rubber band. Fixation to the concrete
will be done with bolted steel strips and epoxy resin will be applied
before tensioning the bolts in order to guarantee a tight connection.
At this point the engineer will be required to inspect and approve the
joint. At the deeper central part of the valley, below elevation 2377 m
asl, a cover of fly ash will be placed on the joint and then covered by
the 1A impervious earthfill material. Initially, the earthfill will placed to
a height of 1 meter to protect the joint from any damage. The
remainder of the backfilling with 1A and 1B material will be carried out
according to the construction schedule.
1.8 CONCRETE FACING

According to the technical specifications the thickness of the face slab
shall be T = 0.3 + 0.002 H for H < 100 m and T = 0.005 H for H > 100
m. This means that the thickness varies between some 45 cm at the
plinth in the central part of the valley and decreases to 30 cm at the
39
crest. The concrete slabs will be placed in 12 m width with waterstops
at the vertical joints.
Conventional concrete in permanent contact with water (concrete
C25/38) has been specified for the concrete facing slabs. However, it
should be noted that for the concrete slab, impermeability and
durability are most important whereas high strength is not required, as
more cement means more heat of hydration and more shrinkage.
Target strength for the concrete of between 20 and 25 MPa at 28 days
is normal for this type of construction. Tests will be performed prior to
start concreting works, but an initial concrete mix may use low heat
alkali Portland cement with some 15% puzzolan as cement
replacement. The w:c ratio shall be kept below 0.5, and workability will
be achieved by using plasticizers in order to result a working slump of
6 to 9 cm.
The S400 steel reinforcement will be applied to 0.4% of the design
concrete cross section for vertical bars and 0.3% for horizontal bars,
except within 20 m of the perimeter and near the change of the plinth
slope, where 0.4% reinforcement in both directions is specified. The
reinforcement will be placed with a cover of 100 to 150 mm. For areas
near the perimeter joint in the starter slabs, two layers of
reinforcement with the same steel ratio will be used to improve the
bending and torsional strength of the slabs.
1.8.1 Starter Slabs

After finishing the concrete works of the plinth and the embankment of
the dam reaching a level of about 2361 m asl and plinth is complete in
abutments, the works for preparing the perimeter joints and
construction of the starter slabs will begin.
The reinforcement of the triangular or trapezoidal starter slabs will be
placed in situ and the slabs concreted in an odd – even sequence with
the preventions mentioned previously for the perimeter joint. The
concrete in the order of 60 to 100 m3 for each starter slab element of
12 m width at its top will be conveyed to the form trough half drum
chutes from the dam embankment at elevation 2365 m asl or pumped
from the plinth area, depending on the location of the starter slab
element.
40
1.8.2 Concrete Face Slab
Once the starter slabs have been finished and the dam embankment
has reached elevation 2409.50 m asl which corresponds to the level of
the parapet wall foundation at the crest, the installations for the
execution of the concrete face slab will start.
The width of the embankment at the mentioned elevation will be 16 m.
The installations for the face slab at this platform include among others
the following:
− Transfer trolleys for slipform and reinforcement installation with
crest anchors (dead-man) and corresponding winches,
− Hopper and half drum chutes for concrete conveyance,
− Crane for handling of reinforcement panels and other material,
− Reflectors for the night shift illumination.
The face slab concrete will be placed by slipforming (as an alternative,
a road paving machine could also be considered). Prior to setting any
slipform rails, the entire upstream face will be surveyed to determine
the variation in the face profile from design lines and levels. Slipform
rails and side forms will be fixed to the embankment face in such a
manner that they can be accurately aligned and do not become
dislodged or misaligned during the construction of the face slabs. The
fixation of the slipform rails will take into consideration the variable
thickness of the concrete face. As for the starter slabs, a bond
prevention agent will be painted over the curb elements before
placement of the face slab to prevent adhesion between the two
concretes.
Reinforcement will be held in place using stools, which will be installed
as the slipform progresses. Once the slipform has completed a section,
it will be jacked up and lowered down the rails and moved to its next
location from the toe of the dam. The slipform will be of standard
design for concrete faced rockfill dams, heavy enough to withstand the
uplift force of the wet concrete with vibrators in use. Two winches will
be utilized for moving the slipform, with each having the capacity to lift
the structure on its own. The platform will be slung such that in the
event of a failure of either winch the structure will still be in service.
Two separate cables, each capable of carrying the structure will be
used, and each will be rated much higher than the load.
Concrete will be piped down from the crest of the dam to a hopper.
From the hopper flexible hose into the form will place the concrete.
41
Two hoppers will be used, allowing a continual flow of concrete to the
form. It is anticipated that the slipform will move at an average speed
of some 3 m per hour, i.e. typically 10 to 15 m3/hour. The sliding of one
slab will precede without interruption to its conclusion in day and night
shift, thus avoiding any horizontal joints. For concreting the longest
slab of some 140 m, some 40 hours will be required to finish the slab.
The concrete will be vibrated to ensure that the form is full and that no
honeycombing occurs. A finishing platform will be part of the slipform,
and curing will be carried out from the downstream part of this
platform. Water will be supplied to the platform by pumping for the
lower reaches and from the crest for higher levels.
Only trained operators will be allowed on the slipform platform and
each person will be provided with safety equipment. Communication
will be provided to/from the slipform by walky-talkies from the dam
crest. Operation of the winches will be carried out from the slipform
platform.
During the concreting of one slab, reinforcement placing works will be
done simultaneously for adjacent slabs. The reinforcements will be pre-
erected in large panels, which are trolleyed to their final location on
the slope.
Prior to starting the works on the face slab, a detailed method
statement including safety measures for all the involved operations will
be delivered to the engineer.
1.8.3 Joints
• Perimeter joints: This type of joint between plinth and concrete
facing slab is described in detail in appendix 4.
• Vertical Joints: The horizontal face slab reinforcement will be
interrupted at all vertical contraction joints. The joints will be sealed
with a bottom copper waterstop that is supported by a 6 mm thick
bituminous felt strip or PVC band and asphaltic mortar pad. It should
be mentioned that during detail design an alternative with continuous
reinforcement may be considered.
• Vertical Joints below minimum waterlevel: For joints near the
abutments and for the central joints below the minimum operation
level a similar joint system as for the perimeter joint will be applied.
• Horizontal construction joints: No horizontal construction joints
are foreseen in the face slab since the concreting will be done for each
42
panel continuously up to the crest. At the construction joint between
the starter slabs and the face slab the reinforcement will go through
and the old concrete will be thoroughly treated before placing new
concrete on top.
1.9 DAM CREST

As mentioned above, the dam embankment will continue until reaching
elevation 2409.50 m asl where the 16 m wide platform will be used for
the concreting of the face slab. Once the face slab is finished part-by-
part the parapet wall will be continuously constructed. At the end the
last 2 m of the embankment until the final crest elevation of 2411.50 m
asl will be placed and compacted.
It is envisaged that the embankment dam will settle due to the first
impounding and reservoir operation in a long-term period as well as
due to earthquake shaking. For these reasons the crest shall be given a
sufficient camber to allow the post construction settlement of the
embankment without reduction of the fixed freeboard.
1.9.1 Parapet Wall

A 3m height parapet wall will be constructed on the upstream edge of
the embankment at elevation 2409.50 m asl. Although the construction
drawings indicate that this parapet wall will be constructed by an in-
situ concrete method, it is possible to use a pre-cast concrete method
too. The pre-cast method has been selected as the most feasible choice
of construction method of parapet wall but for the moment the
drawings are based on in-situ concrete and if the further studies lead
to pre-cast method then suitable details will be submitted. The
elevation of the dam crest will be 1.0 m below the top of the parapet
wall. The transverse vertical joints of the parapet wall must be soft to
allow for settlements and temperature variations. The horizontal
contraction joint at the junction of the top of the face slab and the base
of the parapet wall has a vertical face. Waterproofing at the top is by
IGAS joint sealant and with IGAS primer or equivalent. The joint is
filled with pre-moulded filler. The base is supported by a mortar pad.
43
1.9.2 Finishing Works
The final crest at elevation 2410.15 m asl will be 12 m wide. It will be
provided with a pavement constructed in accordance with highway
practise. The crest will be drained with a gentle slope
44

Upper Dam and Appurtenant Structures: Method Statement Contract A

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Upper Dam and Appurtenant Structures: Method Statement Contract A

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Method Statement

1 UPPER DAM SITE

1.3.1 Year 2004

1.3.2 Year 2005

1.3.3 Year 2006

1.3.4 Year 2007

1.4 EXCAVATION WORKS

1.4.2 Excavation of the upstream part of the Main Dam

Fig. 1: General view of left bank of upper dam

Fig.2: Sliding in the right abutment of upper dam while excavating.

Fig. 3- General view of right bank of upper dam

Excavated material can be transported from two elevations:

1.4.5 Excavation of the Plinth

1.4.6 Working procedure – Access roads

1.4.7 Time schedule

1.5 TRIAL EMBANKMENT TESTS

After compaction of the sections according to the described procedure,

1.6 EMBANKMENT OF MAIN DAM AND STABILIZING FILL

1.6.2 Stabilizing Fill Embankment Zone 3A

Fig. 10: Orientation of machinery in rockfill operation

1.6.3 Stabilizing Fill Embankment Zone 3D

1.6.5 Stabilizing Fill Embankment Random-fill Zone

1.6.6 Main Dam Embankment Zone 3A

1.6.7 Main Dam Embankment Zone 3B

1.6.9 Main Dam Embankment Zone 2AA

1.6.11 Main Dam Embankment Zone 2B

1.6.12 Main Dam Embankment Zones 1A and 1B

1.7 PLINTH CONSTRUCTION

1.7.1 Plinth Concrete Works

1.7.3 Perimeter Joint

1.8 CONCRETE FACING

1.8.1 Starter Slabs

1.9 DAM CREST

1.9.1 Parapet Wall

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