Drainage installations in the bodies of concrete dams

Abstract

1. Proper drainage in the bodies of concrete dams is a critical item that increases the reliability and longevity of these structures. 2. A drainage system should be reliable, be capable of being inspected, and permit periodic observations of the different sections for flow rates of the water that passes through it. 3. Drains located in horizontal construction joints are more effective than vertical drains, and technologically more adaptable to the construction conditions. 4. Due to the nonuniform and anisotropic permeability of concrete, seepage computations for the drainage in concrete dams are conditional and roughly approximate, particularly in cases where the computation will be performed in accordance with a pressure-free seepage scheme in a homogeneous medium.