Abstract
Seepage control in earthfill dams is a major concern during different phases of dam construction and operation. More than 30% of earthfill dam failures occur due to uncontrolled flow in the dam body and foundation. Seepage control measures, designed and installed at suspected sites of uncontrolled flow, thus play a vital role in stabilizing earthfill dams. However, the actual efficiency of seepage control measures often falls short of expected performance due to soil heterogeneity and changes over time. Assessing the performance of seepage control measures based on monitoring and modeling is necessary to avoid abrupt failures in earthfill dams. In this study, we developed a novel method for quantifying the efficiency of seepage control measures in earthfill dams based on combined seepage modeling and monitoring data. We tested the method by applying it to assess the efficiency of seepage control components at the Doroudzan dam, Iran. The results revealed that the overall efficiency of the dam’s seepage control measures (depending on water level in the reservoir) was 51–70%, based on the magnitude of discharged flow. The efficiency of three major seepage control devices, the chimney drain, cutoff wall, and grouting diaphragm in the left abutment, was 76–82%, 68–74%, and 16–19%, respectively.
Highlights
Dams are essential infrastructure for water provision and have been serving human societies for 5000 years (ICOLD 2013)
Uncontrolled flow with high pore pressure in the dam body and foundation leads to internal erosion and piping, which is the reason for 30–50% of earth dam failures (Meehan et al 2019; Salari et al 2018)
The water level in NP11 and NP12 was 3.29 and 1.88 m higher than in NP2 and NP3, respectively, at normal water level in the reservoir (1676.5 masl) (Fig. 5 b2, b3). This indicates possible seepage of water back from the left abutment to the dam body, with the appearance of the two springs confirming the presence of uncontrolled flow in this area
Summary
Dams are essential infrastructure for water provision and have been serving human societies for 5000 years (ICOLD 2013). Dam failure and dam breaks can have catastrophic results. Overtopping, internal erosion, and seepage problems in dam walls and foundation are reported to have been the main mechanisms behind 111 previous dam failures (ICOLD 1995). Seepage is a fundamental process in earthfill dam engineering, occurring due to soil permeability and pore pressure in porous media (Hekmatzadeh et al 2018; Zhou et al 2015). Uncontrolled flow with high pore pressure in the dam body and foundation leads to internal erosion and piping, which is the reason for 30–50% of earth dam failures (Meehan et al 2019; Salari et al 2018). The Hyttejuvet dam in Norway (Ng and Small 1999), the Balderhead dam in the UK (Vaughan et al 1970), the Viddalsvatn dam in Norway (Vestad 1976), and the Teton dam in the US (Seed et al 1976) are some examples of earthfill dams that failed due to uncontrolled seepage and hydraulic fracturing
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