Long-term dam safety monitoring of Punt dal Gall arch dam in Switzerland

doi:10.1007/s11709-012-0144-z

Front Struc Civil Eng

2012, Vol. 6

Issue (1) : 76-83 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11709-012-0144-z

CASE STUDY

Long-term dam safety monitoring of Punt dal Gall arch dam in Switzerland

M. WIELAND¹(

), G.F. KIRCHEN²

1. Poyry Energy Ltd., Hardturmstrasse 161, Zurich CH-8037, Switzerland; 2. Engadiner Kraftwerke AG, Zernez CH-7530, Switzerland

Download: PDF(1373 KB) HTML
Export: BibTeX | EndNote | Reference Manager | ProCite | RefWorks

Abstract

The 130 m high Punt dal Gall dam is located at the Swiss-Italian border in the South-eastern part of Switzerland and was completed in 1969. The dam is founded on highly folded and partially crushed dolomite and limestone formations. A grout curtain with an area of 120,000 m² was provided for controlling seepage. For the monitoring of the dam deformations five inverted pendulums were installed in the dam and three in the rock foundation of the right abutment outside of the dam. For a seasonal water level fluctuation in the reservoir of about 60 m the maximum amplitude of the radial displacement is 25 mm, which includes both the effects of the water load and temperature effects. Furthermore a comprehensive geodetic network was established, 57 joint meters were installed and cracks in the crest gallery are monitored by crack meters. There are also thermometers, piezometers and rocmeters. Springs at the left and right banks of the dam are monitored and chemical analyses of the seepage water and springs are performed regularly. The dam is equipped with strong motion instruments and several near-field earthquakes have been recorded in the past. The paper describes the long-term safety monitoring of this 42 years old arch dam. A short description of the Swiss practice in dam safety monitoring and emergency planning is also given.

Keywords dam safety concept arch dam dam instrumentation dam safety monitoring

Corresponding Author(s): WIELAND M.,Email:martin.wieland@poyry.com

Issue Date: 05 March 2012

Cite this article:

M. WIELAND,G.F. KIRCHEN. Long-term dam safety monitoring of Punt dal Gall arch dam in Switzerland[J]. Front Struc Civil Eng, 2012, 6(1): 76-83.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fsce/EN/10.1007/s11709-012-0144-z
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fsce/EN/Y2012/V6/I1/76

Fig.1 Layout of Punt dal Gall arch dam

Fig.2 Upstream face of dam with grout curtain

Fig.3 Views of downstream (left) and upstream (right) faces of the dam

Fig.4 Time histories of radial displacements at six elevations of inverted pendulum in block 17. The seasonal water level variation is shown in top figure

Fig.5 Uplift pressure measurements at five locations in block 14 (grout curtain is located between drillholes 1 and 2 (left))

Fig.6 Long-term uplift measurements in block 14 (Note: The top curve represents the seasonal variation of the reservoir water level)

Fig.7 Time history of the seepage water collected from three zones of the dam, i.e., Linke Seite (left), Mitte (middle) and Rechte Seite (right)

Fig.8 Long-term record of seepage water collected from three zones of the dam, i.e., Linke Seite (left), Mitte (middle) and Rechte Seite (right)

Fig.9 Crack opening displacement of crack in crest gallery in block 14 as function of time (x: opening displacement; y and z: tangential movements of crack surfaces)

Fig.10 Efflorescences in control galleries at crack (left) and at joint meter location (right)

Fig.11 Upstream (left) and downstream (right) view of spillway of Punt dal Gall dam

1	Gilg B. Punt dal Gall Arch Dam, Swiss Dam Technique, Swiss Association for Water Economy, Publication No. 42, Baden, Switzerland, 1970

[1]	Narjes SOLTANI, Mohammad ALEMBAGHERI, Mohammad Houshmand KHANEGHAHI. Risk-based probabilistic thermal-stress analysis of concrete arch dams[J]. Front. Struct. Civ. Eng., 2019, 13(5): 1007-1019.
[2]	Fengjie TAN, Tom LAHMER. Shape design of arch dams under load uncertainties with robust optimization[J]. Front. Struct. Civ. Eng., 2019, 13(4): 852-862.
[3]	M. Houshmand KHANEGHAHI, M. ALEMBAGHERI, N. SOLTANI. Reliability and variance-based sensitivity analysis of arch dams during construction and reservoir impoundment[J]. Front. Struct. Civ. Eng., 2019, 13(3): 526-541.
[4]	Zuoguang FU, Yunlong HE, Sheng SU. Key problems and solutions in arch dam heightening[J]. Front Arch Civil Eng Chin, 2011, 5(1): 98-104.
[5]	Franz PERNER, Pius OBERNHUBER, . Analysis of arch dam deformations[J]. Front. Struct. Civ. Eng., 2010, 4(1): 102-108.
[6]	Martin WIELAND, . Features of seismic hazard in large dam projects and strong motion monitoring of large dams[J]. Front. Struct. Civ. Eng., 2010, 4(1): 56-64.
[7]	Hong ZHONG , Gao LIN , Hongjun LI . Numerical simulation of damage in high arch dam due to earthquake[J]. Front. Struct. Civ. Eng., 2009, 3(3): 316-322.
[8]	JIN Feng, LUO Xiaoqing, ZHANG Chuhan, ZHANG Guoxin. Modelling autogenous expansion for magnesia concrete in arch dams[J]. Front. Struct. Civ. Eng., 2008, 2(3): 211-218.
[9]	LIN Gao, DU Jianguo, HU Zhiqiang. Earthquake analysis of arch and gravity dams including the effects of foundation inhomogeneity[J]. Front. Struct. Civ. Eng., 2007, 1(1): 41-50.

Viewed

Full text

Abstract

Cited

Shared

Discussed