Asphalt concrete core of the Meijaran dam in

brief
Alireza Sharifi Soltani, Principal Geotechnical Engineer & Project Manager, BSc &
Siavash Litkouhi, Chairman, PhD
Soils Engineering Services Co
#135, Zhoubin Cul-de-Sac
North Dastour Street
Gheitarieh
Tehran 19317-64611
Iran
Email: sharifi@sesce.com / slitkouhi@sesce.com

Abstract

The lack of clay borrow sources at the Meijaran dam site, along with a high annual
precipitation rate in the area, led consulting engineers to replace the clay core with an
asphalt concrete core (ACC) at the rockfill dam. The steps taken for the project from
the start, i.e. the selection of suitable aggregate sources for the asphalt concrete (AC)
and the adjacent filter materials to the end, i.e. ACC placement in the dam body, are
briefly discussed. AC mix design parameters, which were finalized upon completion
of laboratory tests are presented, as well as the scope of trial placements conducted
for optimizing the hand - and machine - placement of the ACC. Proper results were
gained both in the final trial placement and in the dam body, in accordance with the
quality control program. The air void contents measured in the AC cores were all
below three percent. Construction of the dam took about 18 months which, when
compared with the placement of a clay core, is a very short length of time for dam
construction activities along the northern coastal region of Iran. The Yangtze Three
Gorges Technology & Economy Development Co (TGDC) supervised the whole
work.
Keywords: Asphalt concrete core, clay core, rockfill dam, Marshall test, air void content, trial placement, hand placement, machine placement, drilled core.

1. Introduction

For many years clay core has been conventionally used in embankment dams, as a
sealing element in the dam body. However, when there is a lack of clay borrow
sources at the dam site, or it is not available within an economically viable distance

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[5], it can be substituted with ACC. At some locations, despite the availability of clay
borrow sources, due to the rainy climate, the moisture content of the clay is equal or
even above the optimum moisture content, which creates problems in the construction
of the clay core.
In addition, ACC has been chosen as an alternative for the dam body watertightness
because of its deformability, erosive strength and resistance to ageing [5]. It is virtually impervious, offers jointless embankment core construction, and is workable and
compactable. The self-healing (self-sealing) ability of the ACC, provided due to its
viscoelastic, plastic and ductile properties (provided that the mix is properly
designed), could compensate for the problem of cracks developing in the core wall [4].
Good contact also exists between the ACC and the material of the embankment [6].
Compared to a clay core, the placement and compaction of ACC is much less susceptible to rainy conditions and, as opposed to earth materials, AC is man-made and its
controlled properties can be tailored to satisfy specific design requirements [2]. With
continuous vertical positioning of the core, the downstream drainage layer permits full
control of the seepage water by means of the drainage layer between the embankment
and core [5]. In the case of a vertical core, ACC is the smallest sealing area possible
for a dam structure [5].
Apart from the comprehensive quality control program used in the dam construction, which covers materials, AC production, placement and compaction, the dam
body compaction should also be tightly controlled. The thin ACC has to follow and
adjust to the movements and deformations imposed by the embankment as a whole.
These deformations must be accommodated by the AC without cracking or significant
shear dilation, which may lead to increased permeability. To reduce the probability of
core cracking due to excessive static and/or dynamic embankment deformations and
distortions, the embankments have to be well compacted [2]. Dam slopes as steep as
1:1.3 are reported for a well-compacted ACC embankment dam of good rockfill resting on bedrock [4].
For repair purposes, the grain composition of the upstream transition zone should be
designed to allow the sinking of boreholes for grouting purposes. Boring within the actual core wall, and direct sealing of the AC, is only purposeful in exceptional cases [5].
However, disregarding extreme earthquake movement, where the core may be partially
sheared off (for which lowering the reservoir level and executing repairs is needed) [2],
the design and construction of an ACC embankment dam should be tightly controlled as
the methods of ACC repair are costly.
With regard to all the points previously mentioned, ACC was evaluated to be a suitable sealing element in comparison with the clay core for the Meijaran dam. In addition, using this technology is very useful for dam construction technology in Iran, especially where lack of clay, or a rainy climate, causes problems in the construction of the
dam.

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2. A brief introduction to the Meijaran dam

The Meijaran dam is a 52m high rockfill dam which is located approximately 20km
southeast of Ramsar, a coastal city north of Iran, adjacent to the Caspian Sea. It has
been constructed on the Nesaroud River. Table 1 provides the main features of the
Meijaran dam, and Figures 1 and 2 show typical cross-sections of the dam body and
ACC, respectively. Grading of the transition and rockfill shell zones are shown in
Figures 3 and 4.
170.0
8.0 153.0

160.0
N.W.L. 148.0

150.0
140.0
130.0
120.0
110.0
100.0
90.0

1.0

10.3
112.0 6.0
1.0
0
: 2.
:

7
1- Asphalt concrete core
2- Filter
3- Transition

1 .0

: 1.

75

1.0

1
2
4

:1
.6

1.5

9
4- Rockfill shell
5- Protection layer
6- Toe drain

9
10
7- Upstream cofferdam
8- Concrete plinth
9- Bedrock

:1
1.0

.5

8.0 105.0
1.0
:1
.6
6

10- Grout curtain

Figure 1. A typical cross-section of the dam body together with compaction

specifications of the dam zones (all dimensions in metres)

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1.0 to 0.7
4.0 1.5 1.5 4.0

Flared asphalt concrete

Mastic

3.0

:
2.0

3.0

Variable length

3.0

1.0

2.0
:1.0

3.0

Concrete plinth
1.5 2.0 1.5
5.0

Figure 2. ACC cross-sections (all dimensions in metres)

Table 1. Main features of the Meijaran dam

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3/4

1.5
2
3
4

#4

3/8

#16
#10

#30

#100

#50

US sieve numbers/opening

#200

100
90

Percent passing (%)

80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
00.001
Clay

0.01

0.1

10

Medium Coarse
Sand

Fine

Silt

100

Coarse
Fine
Gravel

1000
Cobbles
Boulders

3/4

1.5
2
3
4

#4

3/8

#16
#10

#30

#50

US sieve numbers/opening

#100

100

#200

Figure 3. Grading tolerances of the transition zone

90

Percent passing (%)

80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
00.001

0.01

Clay

Silt

0.1

1
Fine

Medium Coarse
Sand

10

100

Coarse
Fine
Gravel

1000
Cobbles
Boulders

Figure 4. Grading tolerances of the rockfill shell zone

3. AC aggregates and filter test results

Prior to commencing laboratory tests, several aggregate sources (quarries) were selected,
and samples collected. The decision was made to extract both the aggregates for the AC
and the filter material (i.e. materials adjacent to the AC) from the same quarry. Table 2
shows the test results from the selected quarry.

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Table 2. Some of the test results of the selected quarry materials

3/4

1.5
2
3
4

#4

3/8

#16
#10

#30

#50

US sieve numbers/opening

#100

100

#200

Grading of the ACC, together with the filter material, are shown in Figures 5 to 7,
respectively.

90

Percent passing (%)

80

Fullers Curve
Tolerances

70
60
50
40
30
20
10
00.001

0.01

Clay

Silt

0.1

1
Fine

Medium Coarse
Sand

10

100

Coarse
Fine
Gravel

1000
Cobbles
Boulders

Figure 5. Grading tolerances of the ACC (Fullers Curve)

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3/4

1.5
2
3
4

#4

3/8

#16
#10

#30

#50

#100

US sieve numbers/opening

#200

100
90

Percent passing (%)

80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
00.001

0.01

Clay

Silt

0.1

10

Medium Coarse
Sand

Fine

100

Coarse
Fine
Gravel

1000
Cobbles
Boulders

3/4

1.5
2
3
4

#4

3/8

#16
#10

#30

#50

US sieve numbers/opening

#100

100

#200

Figure 6. Grading tolerances of the filter (upstream)

90

Percent passing (%)

80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
00.001

0.01

Clay

Silt

0.1

1
Fine

Medium Coarse
Sand

10

100

Fine
Coarse
Gravel

1000
Cobbles
Boulders

Figure 7. Grading tolerances of the filter (downstream)

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4. Bitumen test results

B60 type bitumen was used for the mix design. Table 3 represents some of the acceptable ranges specified for this type of bitumen. The B60 sample collected for use at the
Meijaran dam complied fully with the ranges specified below.

Table 3. Some of the acceptable ranges for B60 type bitumen

5. AC mix parameters

AC test samples containing various bitumen content were prepared, ranging from 5.5-7.0
percent, on which Marshall tests were performed. Table 4 presents the final bitumen
content and various other parameters of the AC laboratory samples.

Table 4. Final results of the AC laboratory test samples

Subsequent to finalizing the laboratory AC mix design, additional tests were performed
on the corresponding laboratory samples, the results of which are presented in Table 5.

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Table 5. Results of various other tests on the AC laboratory test samples

6. ACC design parameters

Tri-axial tests were performed on the AC and filter samples, and the results were analyzed for evaluating Duncan and Chang parameters [3]. The average values of several
test groups are shown in Table 6.

Table 6. ACC design parameters

7. Design of the dam body based on ACC parameters

The dam body was analyzed for both static and dynamic loading conditions. The seismic
analysis of a dam with ACC has not been extensively investigated in literature [1], and
doubts still exist regarding the behaviour of the dam body during an earthquake. In this
regard, analysis of the Meijaran dam body with ACC was an important phase of the project. Static and dynamic analysis of the dam body was performed by the projects consulting engineers, using the finite element method. The hyperbolic model provided by
Duncan and Chang [3] was used for the static analysis, for which the corresponding
parameters of the AC and filter are presented in Table 6. For dynamic analysis, the elastic and plastic strains were computed using the Mohr-Coulomb model. The shear modulus at small strains (Gmax) was selected as 100MPa. The magnitudes for DBL and MDL
were taken as 6.0 and 6.8 on the Richter Scale, respectively.

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According to the static analysis results the ratio of the existing shear stress to the shear
strength, both at the end of construction and impounding, was less than one, which
shows the stability of the dam body.
According to the dynamic analysis for the DBL condition, core settlement was about
1cm. The maximum horizontal displacement of the core was 4cm at three quarters of the
dam height. In this case the maximum displacement of the dam body was 13.6cm.
In the case of the MDL loading condition, the maximum displacement of the dam
body was 47.9cm at the upstream shell, and the core settlement at the crest was 8cm. The
maximum horizontal displacement of the core was 18cm at three quarters of the dam
height. In addition, the sum of the vertical stress at the core and its tensile strength was
more than the hydrostatic pressure in height. This implies that the sealing element of the
dam body (i.e. ACC) will remain stable at MDL, and that the dam free hydraulic head
loss is negligible. The final dam body dimensions are presented in Figure 1.

8. AC production at the site

Subsequent to completion of the laboratory tests, and finalization of the AC mix

design, the process was repeated once more at the site in order to control the mix
design for the AC produced by the asphalt concrete plant (ACP). This included checking the gradation of the AC aggregates as input and output of ACP, checking bitumen
and aggregate properties, and AC production. Marshall samples were prepared and the
required tests, as indicated in Tables 4 and 5, were performed. The results showed that
the AC produced by the ACP was suitable for commencing a trial placement.

9. Trial placement

Prior to ACC placement in the dam body, a trial placement was conducted for a) practicing the activities needed for preparing the dam axis for ACC placement, b) ACC continuous placement, c) optimizing the rolling passes, heat control and investigating the
simultaneous sequence of AC and filter compaction, and d) collecting drilled cores for
testing the properties of the AC, especially the air void content.
Trial placements were also required even during construction of the dam body where,
due to various reasons, the component materials of the AC (bitumen, aggregate, filler,
etc), or the placement method is changed.
During this project trial placements were conducted three times. Firstly, at the
beginning of the work, and prior to construction of the dam body, for simulation of
hand placement of the ACC in the dam body. Secondly, during construction of the
dam body when an ACC paver machine was imported and, lastly, when the original
quarry used for the ACC materials was changed due to the termination of extractable
volume, which was followed by a new mix of the original AC design.
However, for the main part of the work the hand placement method was applied. At
first the steel formworks were set up so that the centerline of the formwork rows (the
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upstream and downstream rows) were located at the dam axis. The filters were then
placed either side of the steel formworks (while the centerline was being simultaneously
controlled to remain at the dam axis).
After completion of the filter placement, the ACC placement began. The temperature
of the lower ACC layer was measured prior to placement, and if the layer temperature
was below 80C it was preheated using infrared heaters. Upon completion of the ACC
placement the formworks were extracted, and compaction of the filters and the ACC was
conducted.
Although it has been suggested that when compared to machine placement there is the
possibility of defects as a result of inadequate compaction, and a possible cooling of the
mix [5], using the hand placement method is inevitable especially against the foundation
and abutments, and the quality of the cores in these locations can be as high as for that
placed by a machine [4]. Plates 1a and 1b show the trial placement of ACC by a paver
machine.

Plate 1a. ACC trial placement by paver (front view)

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Plate 1b. ACC trial placement by paver (rear view)

Plate 2. A completed trial layer of ACC

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Upon completion of the trial placements optimized compaction passes, suitable

sequence of rolling, proper quality of compacted AC, as well as air void content less
than three percent (controlled from the bottom of the layer to the top by cutting the
drilled cores into pieces, each about 5cm in height), were achieved. Figure 1 presents the
compaction specifications of ACC and filter, along with other zones of the dam body.
The width of the trial placements (hand placed) were all 1-2m, and the compacted
thickness was approximately 0.2m. Plate 2 shows a completed layer of trial ACC.

10. ACC placement in the dam body

ACC placement in the dam body commenced after termination of the first trial placements, using the hand placement method. The first few layers were considered a trial
placement at the dam body. A special rolling sequence was practiced during this trial
placement, as the ACC was flared in both the vertical and horizontal sections (in order to
provide more efficient water tightness at the bottom and at the abutments, thus preventing leakage). Hence, a 2m wide AC had to be rolled, where the thickness at the abutments reached 3m. After placing the first two layers in the dam body, drilled cores were
collected at several locations, including both of the said layers, and also from upper parts
of the concrete plinth (both on the foundation and abutments). Plate 3 shows some of the
collected cores from the dam body.

Plate 3. Drilled cores collected from the ACC in the dam body

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The results from these drilled cores and the Marshall samples showed correct quality
of AC, suitable bitumen content and grading, and acceptable stability and flow values.
The air void contents were also less than three percent. Proper contact between the two
layers (caused by preheating, using electrical infrared heaters) was also gained. The
adhesion between the first layer, the mastic layer and the concrete were suitable, both at
the foundation and abutments. The results of all visual, physical and mechanical tests
conformed to the specifications. Plate 4 shows preheating of the ACC layers.

Plate 4. Preheating of the lower ACC layer

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The next layers were placed upon approval of the first two layers which had been laid
properly, and conforming to the specifications. The maximum placement rate of about
300ml/day was achieved, though care was taken to control the rate of heat loss in subsequent layer placements. Research has been carried out in Norway which aimed to
increase productivity rates for ACC, either by increasing the number of asphalt layers
placed per day and/or increasing the thickness of each layer [7]. According to the results
of this research, air void contents below three percent could also be obtained with a ACC
placement rate of four layers of 0.2m per day, or three layers of 0.3m per day. This
would be especially useful along deep valley sections where due to the short length of
each layer, and despite having a high productivity rate, activities would conventionally
be delayed due to heat loss in the lower layer. Plate 5 shows the hand placement of ACC
in the dam body.

Plate 5. Hand placement of ACC in the dam body (loader is transporting the asphalt concrete to
be placed, while the temperature of the ACC in the bucket is being controlled)

To collect qualified drilled cores, the ACC needs to be left to cool for 4-5 days. As
this method of coring and testing is still the most reliable for in situ air void content
measurements [7], the only way to compensate the time loss in this regard is to increase
the level of quality control for each step of the work. When there is no change in the

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conditions of the ACC (viz. component materials, bitumen, general conditions, compaction, etc.), the number of coring and cooling periods could be lowered. This could be
carried out after placement of enough layers where sufficient number of air void content
tests has confirmed the quality of work. Plate 6 shows the straight set of formworks in
the dam body.

Plate 6. Steel formworks set straight along the dam axis

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In the dam body the transition zone as well as the rockfill shell, was placed upon
completion of the ACC layer. To prevent water stoppage in the ACC location during
rainfall the level of the ACC, as well as the filters, was kept higher than the adjacent
fills by 1-1.5m.

11. Results of the ACC tests within the dam body

The test results on the drilled core samples were 100 percent qualified in unit weight, air
void content (<3 percent), and permeability (<10 E-7cm/sec), as well as for cohesion and
the angle of internal friction obtained by tri-axial tests.
The results of the Marshall tests performed on the samples collected from the ACP
output were 99.4 percent and 95 percent qualified for stability and flow values, respectively. The drilled cores collected near the edge of the ACC showed proper contact
between the AC layer, the mastic and the concrete at the abutments.
During dam construction, a sudden flood caused a rise in the reservoir water head to
el. +122m which, in turn, produced about 22m water head upstream (far below the finished ACC level at the time). This water head lasted for about two weeks as a result of a
problem with the hydro mechanical equipment, during which no leakage was registered
either at the abutments, or in the dam body.
To date the maximum reservoir free water elevation level has risen to 135m.
According to the consultant engineers report continued monitoring of the dam has
shown no problem with leakage, either at the abutments or the foundation, as well as
from a pore water pressure viewpoint.

12. Points to consider in ACC placement

Although using ACC in embankment dams is useful in climates similar to that of northern Iran, conducting such projects needs serious attention to details, e.g.:
a) The quality of bitumen produced by the refineries (which is not necessarily under the
contractors control). Unqualified bitumen loads, if delivered to the site, are not allowed
to be used. Hence, extra costs are imposed to the project both in budget and time.
b) An elaborate and systematic quality control program should be prepared and followed. This includes component materials, tests, and specifications, as well as AC production, transportation, unloading, compaction and protection.
c) As continuous and efficient placement by hand requires more manpower than
machine placement, the quality control program should be more restricted. During continuous hand placement in the dam body, sections of ACC are being dealt with simultaneously, while various other activities are being conducted at each of the remaining sections, e.g. one section is being cleaned for formwork installation, another is having the
formwork installed and the filter spread, in another section the AC is being unloaded and
the lower layer preheated, while in another rolling is underway. At the same time lorry
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loads of the filter are transported and unloaded around the axis, whilst the working team
contend with the traffic caused by the machinery engaged in the construction of the dam
body. To efficiently produce an ACC which meets all the specified requirements, an efficient and powerful management team is required to ensure that activities at the dam site,
as well as the quality control, are well organized.

13. Conclusions

Considering the merits of the asphalt concrete core in the construction of a dam body, it
should be considered an important alternative in dam construction technology in Iran.
Providing the mix design is properly conducted and the AC production, placement and
work quality are properly supervised and controlled, this sealing element in the dam
body will be both watertight and stable. However, when dealing with hand placement,
the sequence and continuity of activities, as well as the quality control, should be more
effectively conducted in comparison with machine placement. Where needed, this
method of construction [7] could be an alternative for increased productivity.
Enhancement of the quality control at each stage of the project, together with obtaining
sufficient qualified test records of the air void content, could be an alternative for
decreasing the number of coring periods, provided that none of the details of the works
(based on which the core void results are obtained) are changed.

14. Acknowledgements

The first author wishes to acknowledge Professor Kaare Heg for studying this paper
and giving valuable comments. The authors also wish to acknowledge the Mazandaran
Regional Water Co, Tehran Sahab Consulting Engineers, and the Kotra Construction Co
for their cooperation with the specialist contractor both during the project and whilst
preparing this paper.

References

[1] Ghanooni Mahabadi, S & Mahin Roosta, R, (2002), Seismic analysis and design of
asphaltic concrete core embankment dams, International Journal on Hydropower &
Dams, Vol 9, Issue 6, pp75-78.
[2] Heg, K, (1993), Asphalt concrete cores for embankment dams, Statkraft,
Veidekke and NGI, StikkaTrykk, 1993.
[3] Duncan, J M & Chang, C Y, (1970), Non-linear analysis of stress and strain in
soils, Journal of the Soil Mechanics & Foundations Division, ASCE, Vol 96, No SM5,
pp1629 - 1653.

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[4] Heg, K, (1998), Asphalt core embankment dams, International Journal of Dam
Engineering, Vol 9, Issue 3, pp110-132.
[5] International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD), (1992), Bituminous cores for
fill dams - state of the art, Bulletin 84.
[6] International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD), (1982), Bituminous cores for
earth and rockfill dams, Bulletin 42.
[7] Saxegaard, H, (2002), Asphalt core dams: increased productivity to improve speed
of construction, International Journal on Hydropower & Dams, Vol 9, Issue 6, pp7274.

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