Shear Zone Treatment at Dam Foundation Level

Foundation is a critical element for any dam. Understanding the foundation and the required treatment is critical to developing the final dam design. However, the design of the foundation does not end with the final design drawings for the Project. During construction foundation conditions need to be evaluated as excavation and construction proceeds to determine if foundation conditions are consistent with assumptions and expectations. Adjustments to the planned excavation or to the design of the dam, including changes in the grout curtain, dam geometry, and other features are often required during construction. This paper discusses the foundation conditions encountered during construction of concrete gravity dam and the associated treatments that were required. To ensure the safety of project, foundation was treated and design adjustments were made. A 2D analysis was carried out using ABAQUS Finite Element Method (FEM) software.