Failure of Dams due to Seepage Flow



Failure of Dams due to Seepage Flow

Introduction

The natural storage and abundance of water in the form of lakes and ponds is not always available. Hence, often reservoirs are constructed in order to obtain the optimal development of the water on the surface. There are a number of countries located in semi-arid and arid regions, including Jordan. In these regions, only a little rainfall is experienced to the winters and hence there exists an acute water deficit in the facts of life every day. Therefore, in all these regions dams are built that play an important part in supplementing all the other water supplies. However, there are many geotechnical, hydrogeological and geological problems and issues that are associated with these dams. Amongst the many, the most commonly and frequently observed is the seepage flow through these dams.

Discussion

It will be fair to say that the seepage flow is currently one of the major concerns for the construction sectors of many countries as it threatens storage purposes of the dams, causing unforeseen failure.

Background

Identification of the Problem

Water seepage is an inevitable problem in majority of the sites of the dams where the water that is impounded flows through the least resistance paths of the dam, besides flowing through its abutments and its foundations. In addition, conditions of the ground of the dam site and also the dam site's geological features majorly influence the formation of the seepage, amount and spread of the seepage and the following effects and consequences [1].

Statement of the Situation

The problem of the water seepage destroying the dams is currently troubling a number of countries. For example, the problem of seepage in Turkey at Kalecik Dam, the seepage in Iran through Karoon-1 Dam and the seepage problems in Jordan of the Kafrein dam, all indicate that the seepage flow problem is only causing more trouble for the dams built in different regions.

Causes of Seepage Flow Majority of the dams are located in geographical locations that contain beds of the soil around it. Hence, the water is in direct contact with the soil. If the water pressure on those soil deposit increases uniformly with the depth, then the hydrostatic conditions will occur and hence the water will not flow through the bed of soil [4]. If in such a scenario, the water table slopes or there exist a water table that is perched, then as ...