Hydromechanical Evaluation of Flow Behavior in Rock Foundations of Concrete Gravity Dams

Gimenes, Evandro De Avila

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Description

Title

Hydromechanical Evaluation of Flow Behavior in Rock Foundations of Concrete Gravity Dams

Author(s)

Gimenes, Evandro De Avila

Issue Date

2000

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Gabriel Fernandez

Department of Study

Civil Engineering

Discipline

Civil Engineering

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

Geology

Language

eng

Abstract

The main concluding points of the study can be summarized as follows: (1) Present design uses a constant cohesion intercept along potential sliding surfaces, regardless of the magnitude of the effective normal stresses, to explain satisfactory structural behavior observed in concrete dams. The results obtained in this study indicate that adequate dam behavior might actually be the result of factors other than cohesion, such as the presence of 3-D rock wedges at the dam foundations, the arching of reservoir water loads into the abutments, the hydromechanical interaction along foundation joints and enhanced natural drainage. (2) For the dams analyzed in this study, estimated changes in rock joint permeability within dam foundations during reservoir filling are in the range of one to two orders of magnitude along the dam rock interface instead of the extreme permeability contrast assumed in current design guidelines (FERC, USBR), which assume open crack at full reservoir and closed at the tip of the crack. (3) The hydromechanical analyses carried out in this research indicate a gradual reduction in factors of safety during reservoir filling assuming that drains work beyond maximum operating elevations, instead of the rapid reduction obtained with design guidelines.

Graduation Semester

2000

Type of Resource

text

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