Operating conditions of earth dams on undermined territories

Abstract

1. The operating conditions of a dam on undermined territories substantially differ from those under ordinary conditions (without undermining). This necessitates a special approach to the design and operation of such dams, since the use of the experience of conventional hydraulic engineering is not possible. 2. The occurrence of cracks in the foundation in the case of undermining unloads the soil mass adjacent to them. Further deformation of the mass occurs due to an increase in the size of the primary cracks (practically without the occurrence of new ones), which is the main characteristic of deformation of earth dams on undermined territories. 3. The use of nonsoil materials for watertight elements (WTE) of dams (asphaltic concrete, polymer films) cannot completely eliminate and cannot change the regular mechanism of cracking in their body, consequently disruption of the continuity of such elements is completely possible. Therefore the use of the indicated nonsoil materials as WTE, in principle, requires further investigation. 4. All the aforesaid brings to the forefront as the most promising direction of investigations the development of fundamentally new designs and technological measures to ensure reliability of earth dams on undermined territories.