CE 111
Hydraulic Engineering
DAMS
Cornelio Q. Dizon
Assistant Professor
Institute of Civil Engineering
University of the Philippines
Buttress Dam
Buttress Dams
• A buttress dam consists of a sloping membrane that transmits the
water load to a series of buttresses at right angles to the axis of the
dam.
• There are several types of buttress dams, the most important
ones being the flat slab and the multiple arch.
• The water-supporting membrane in flat slab type is a series of flat
reinforced-concrete slabs, while in multiple arch type is a series of
arches that permit wider spacing of buttresses.
• Buttress dams usually require only one-third to one-half as much
concrete as gravity dams of similar height but are not necessarily
less expensive because of the increased formwork and reinforcing
steel involved.
• Since a buttress dam is less massive than a gravity dam, the
foundation pressures are less and a buttress dam may be used on
foundations that are too weak to support a gravity dam.
• If the foundation material is permeable, a cutoff wall extending to
rock may be desirable.
Buttress Dam
Shapes of Buttress Dam
• The upstream faces of buttress dams usually slope at about
45°, and with a full reservoir a large vertical component of
hydrostatic force is exerted on the dam. This assists in
stabilizing the dam against sliding and overturning.
• The height of a buttress dam can be increased by extending
the buttresses and slabs. Consequently, buttress dams are often
used where a future increase reservoir capacity is contemplated.
• Powerhouses and water-treatment plants have been placed
between the buttresses of dams with some saving in cost of
construction.
Forces on Buttress Dams:
• Buttress dams are subjected to the same forces as gravity and
arch dams.
• Because of the slope of the upstream face, ice pressures are not
usually important as the ice sheet tends to slide up the dam.
• Uplift pressures are relieved by the gaps between the buttresses.
The total uplift forces are usually quite small and can generally be
neglected except when a mat foundation is used.
Flat Slab and Buttress Dams:
• Buttress spacing varies with height of dam from about 15 ft (5m)
for dams under 50 ft (15m) high to 50 ft (15m) for dams more than
150 ft (50m) high.
• Closely spaced buttresses can be less massive and the slabs can
be thinner but more formwork is required.
• The best buttress spacing is that which gives minimum overall
cost. Actually, a curve of cost versus buttress spacing is usually
quite flat over a wide range of spacing.
• Concrete beams of diaphragms placed as stiffeners between
adjacent buttresses, or concrete braces may be used to resist
buckling of the buttresses.
• For wide buttress spacing such devices are un-economical, and
hollow buttresses are sometimes used to increase the effective
buttress width.
• A feature of the flat-slab dam is its articulation i.e. the slab is not
rigidly attached to the buttresses.
• The joint between the slab and buttress is filled with asphaltic
putty or some flexible joint compound which permits each slab to
act independently, and minor settlement of the foundation will not
seriously harm the structure.
• Flat-slab and buttress dams are particularly adapted to wide
valleys where a long dam is required and foundation materials are of
interior strength.
• By placing the buttresses on spread footings, the foundation
pressures can be much reduced.
• Flat-slab dams have been built on materials ranging from find
sand to solid rock.
• The maximum practical height is necessarily less on poor
foundations.
Design of Flat-Slab and Buttress Dams:
• The slab or water-supporting member is designed by assuming
that it consists of a series of parallel beams that act independently
of one another.
• Since slabs are not rigidly connected to the buttresses, they are
designed as simply supported beams by standard methods of
reinforced-concrete design.
• Beam thickness and amount of reinforcement required increase
with depth below the water surface, sine each beam is designed to
withstand the component of water load normal to it.
• Buttress design is based on simplifying assumptions, as a rigorous
analysis is quite difficult.
• A buttress is usually assumed to consist of a system of
independent columns.
• The load on each column is a combination structure load and
water load. The columns are assumed to be curved so as to avoid
eccentric loading. Buttresses are usually reinforced.
• After a trial design of slab and buttresses, foundation pressures
are calculated and buttress footings are designed.
• In some cases the base of the buttress will give adequate bearing
area, while in other instances a spread footing or mat foundation
may be required.
• Spread footings and mats are amply reinforced with steel to
improved their effectiveness in distributing the load.
• On very poor foundations a continuous slab may be provided
underneath the entire length of the dam.
• As a final step in design, the stability of the entire structure
against sliding and overturning is investigated.
• If the computed factors of safety are not sufficiently high, the
slope for the upstream face may be flattened.
Multiple Arch Dams:
• The multiple-arch dam is more rigid than the flat-slab type and
consequently, requires a better foundation.
• Circular arches of uniform thickness are most economical for short
spans (<40 ft, or 12 m), while greater economy may be secured by
using an arch of variable thickness for longer spans.
Buttress Dam
• The central angle of the arches is usually between 150° and
180°.
• A central angle of 180° eliminates horizontal thrusts between
adjoining arches and simplifies buttress design.
• Arches for a multiple-arch dam are designed in the same manner
as a single-arch dam, but cantilever action is commonly ignored.
• The multiple-arch design is most economical for high dams, where
the savings in concrete and steel are sufficient to offset the
increased cost of forms.
Construction of Buttress Dams:
• Removal of overburden down to a suitable foundation and
excavation of a trench for the cutoff wall are the first steps in the
construction of buttress dams.
• Great care must be taken in the construction of forms, handling of
concrete, and placing of reinforcing steel in order to develop fully
the strength and water tightness of the thin sections used in
buttress dams.
• Deck and buttresses are placed in lifts of 12 ft (3.5 m) or more,
the buttress construction being kept well in advance of the deck.
• Keyways are required in all construction joints.
• Since buttress dams require much less concrete than comparable
gravity dams, the time for construction is usually less and the
problem of water diversion somewhat simplified.
