DAM FAILURE

Objectives
Introduction
Briefly about Classification
Causes for failure of dams
Controlling Steps
Teton dam failure

Introduction
A dam is solid barrier constructed at
suitable location across river valley
The function of dams
To store the water
Koshi barrage
Can block the flow of water.
dam
Able to pass flood water through the
structure during floods

DA
M
Basically What kind of
structure it is?
Hydraulic Structure

FORCES Acting
Vertical static forces
Lateral force applied by water body
Dynamic forces
Wave action
Overflow of water
Earthquakes and tremors
Ice/freezing

CLASSIFICATION
Based on function
Storage dams
Diversion dams
Detention dams

Based on Hydraulic Design

Non overflow
Overflow

Based on Materials of Construction

Rigid dams
Non Rigid dams

Causes Of Failure
Spillway design error
Geological instability
Internal erosion
Poor maintenance
Personal errors

Taiwan Dam
Failure

Spillway
It is channel which allows a
controlled release of excess
water.
If the spillways become
blocked with debris, like silt,
mud or trees, or if the spillway
gates malfunction and water
cannot be released.
There is a danger that the
water level in the reservoir will
rise higher than the crest of the
dam and spill over. This is
known as "overtopping."
SOUTH FORK DAM

Spillway and leakage

Machchu Dam, Gujarat

Nanak Sagar Dam , Uttar

Pradesh

Spillway and leakage

Panshet dam , Maharashtra

Geological instability
Geological instability caused by changes to
water levels during filling or poor surveying

40%

of dam failure

Because of tectonic fault, this

disaster occured

Malpasset Dam

INTERNAL EROSIONS
Internal erosion
of soil particles
from within a
dam by water
that seeps
through the dam.
Gathrightdam Rock Fill Dam in
Virginia

Poor maintenance

Poor
maintenance
especially at
outlet pipes
Lawn Lake
Dam

Personal errors

Because of human
and technical
calculation errors, so
much of disaster
occur

Dale Dike dam

Teton Dam, Idaho June 5, 1976

Teton Dam, Idaho At Present day

Controlling Steps as per Engineering

Criteria
Site should be
Impermeable
Contain Stable , durability of rocks
Massive, Well-cemented.

Improving load bearing properties of

land

d
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Conclusion

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References
Elements of Water Resources Engineering by
K.N.Duggal
Geoscience video lecture by Dr.K.Vijay Kumar
www.wikipedia.org/Dam_failure
www.google.com/Top/Science/Technology/Structural_E
ngineering/Dams/Failures/
www.keepvid.com

Grand Coulee
Dam
Koshi Dam

Dam Timber
Crib

Takato
Dam