Spillway Loads
Spillway Loads
(OP)
I am working on a spillway project for a pretty big dam. I am struggling with rationalizing some of the loads that will be present on the spillway channel bottom. The dam is clay (an "impervious" layer of soil covered by concrete slab), and I do not believe that we will have uplift due to unbalanced head despite the fact that we have a weir on top of the spillway set at normal water surface elevation. But, I do think there is potential for cavitation on the slab during storm events at the downstream face of the weir as water flows over. No way to calculate that though - at least not that I can find. Not really sure that there is a good way - I believe that cavitation is an abrasive force. I am also struggling to find a reference that quantifies uplift on the channel bottom due to water flowing over the slab. I can find equations for the tractive force, but nothing on uplift. Seems there would be some uplift, much like we have uplift on a roof as wind flows over the top. I have checked out "Design of Gravity Dams" and "Design of Small Dams"....no luck.
Any help would be appreciated!
Any help would be appreciated!






RE: Spillway Loads
RE: Spillway Loads
RE: Spillway Loads
Link
I found this
Link
Look 4.3 there.
I also read in another found item that uplift may exceed the head.
Hope this helps.
RE: Spillway Loads
ishvaaag - welcome back to Eng-Tips
RE: Spillway Loads
Highjacking or not, I second that welcome back.
RE: Spillway Loads
Get USACE HYDRAULIC DESIGN OF SPILLWAYS Engineer Manual No. 1110-2-1603 and
STRUCTURAL DESIGN AND EVALUATION OF OUTLET WORKS Engineer Manual No. 1110-2-2400
They should be on line.
RE: Spillway Loads