Dams

A dam is a barrier that impounds water or

underground streams reservoirs
gravity dam: the force that holds the dam in place
against the push from the water is Earth's gravity
The water presses laterally (downstream) on the dam,
tending to overturn the dam by rotating about its toe (a
point at the bottom downstream side of the dam).

NRL

Normal Retention Level

crest

NRL = ROL

ROL = reservoir operating level

Bicaz Dam

Bicaz Dam, 127 meters high, built between 1950 and 1960 on Bistria River

Structure design
Determining sizes
functional how wide, tall, capacity, etc.
o general stability (structure + foundation)
structural
o stability of structure on ground
o stability of elements = strength

Structure
loads

o own weight + useful parts (gates, equipments, others)

o water (hydrostatic upstream & downstream & uplift,

hydrodynamic)
o earth/silt pressure
o waves
o ice thrust [pressure] (on walls and gates)
o thermal loads (erection, operation)
o water pressure in fissures / cracks
NO wind pressure
o earthquake

combinations

o normal
o accidental
o extraordinary

NRL = ROL

Structure design
stability of structure on ground
slip
rotate
stress at contact line (surface)
slip

H fV

NO

Mr sMs

rotate

stress at contact line (surface)

=






 0




Preliminary dimensioning
(1 - )H

unknowns: , 0,

third equation:
in case of empty reservoir
the tension in the blue
section must be below
admissible tension stress
in concrete


trial & error
(0 + )H