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P.W. Heinrichs and R. Fell

Ben Boyd Dam, a 29 m high earthfill embankment built in 1978, has had an unusual history. In 1979, a number of seeps developed during first filling with water 5 m below FSL indicating unexpectedly high pressures. Investigations concluded the coarse filter permeability was very low due to excess fines. Remedial works in 1982 included a drainage filter beyond the toe and a new stability berm above. New piezometers were installed, including several in the blanket filters in the existing dam. These later indicated up to 10.5 m head in isolated areas within the filter. Pump out tests partially lowered the water level in the standpipes but in 1995 the water level rose by 4 m back to its previous high level. All this during a period of relatively low rainfall. Stability analyses were carried out and further investigations in 1999 concluded that apart from general leakage from the foundation abutment into the filters, the rise in pressures was due to leakage from a riser hole from one of the nearby foundation piezometers. A potential for piping along the piezometer tubes within the dam was also identified.

This situation was managed without resort to costly capital works, because it was concluded that the pressures from the vertical riser were not a potential failure mode, and potential piping failure would be adequately handled by the existing chimney drain, intersecting the piezometer tubes trench. Any potential piping failure would also give warning signs which increased frequency of monitoring (now in place) would pick up in time to allow lowering of the storage.

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2000 Papers

2000 – Ben Boyd Dam: A Case Study in Incident Management
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P.W. Heinrichs and R. Fell

Ben Boyd Dam, a 29 m high earthfill embankment built in 1978, has had an unusual history. In 1979, a number of seeps developed during first filling with water 5 m below FSL indicating unexpectedly high pressures. Investigations concluded the coarse filter permeability was very low due to excess fines. Remedial works in 1982 included a drainage filter beyond the toe and a new stability berm above. New piezometers were installed, including several in the blanket filters in the existing dam. These later indicated up to 10.5 m head in isolated areas within the filter. Pump out tests partially lowered the water level in the standpipes but in 1995 the water level rose by 4 m back to its previous high level. All this during a period of relatively low rainfall. Stability analyses were carried out and further investigations in 1999 concluded that apart from general leakage from the foundation abutment into the filters, the rise in pressures was due to leakage from a riser hole from one of the nearby foundation piezometers. A potential for piping along the piezometer tubes within the dam was also identified.

This situation was managed without resort to costly capital works, because it was concluded that the pressures from the vertical riser were not a potential failure mode, and potential piping failure would be adequately handled by the existing chimney drain, intersecting the piezometer tubes trench. Any potential piping failure would also give warning signs which increased frequency of monitoring (now in place) would pick up in time to allow lowering of the storage.
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2001 Papers

2001 – Estimation of the Probability of Failure Embankment Dams by Internal Erosion and Piping Using Event Tree Method
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M.A. Foster, R. Fell, R. Davidson, C.F. Wan

The probability of failure of embankment dams by internal erosion and piping can be estimated using historic performance, and event tree methods. Event tree methods are preferred for all except preliminary assessments, because they can better model the characteristics of the dam. This paper provides guidance on how to estimate the conditional probabilities within the event tree based on an understanding of the process involved, the historic performance of dams, and experience in recent risk analyses. This includes methods for representing the reservoir water level; assessing the likelihood that piping initiates; assessing the likelihood that erosion will be controlled by the filters or transition zones; and assessing the likelihood of development of a pipe and breach. The paper will be useful for those carrying out risk analyses and will also have relevance to those who are assessing piping of dams using traditional methods.
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2002 Papers

2002 – Assessing The Likelihood Of Concentrated Leaks Leading To Failure In Concrete Faced Rockfill Dams
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P. H. Southcott, R. Herweynen and R. Fell

Hydro Tasmania is in the process of undertaking a Portfolio Risk Assessment of its 54 referable dams, of which 14 are concrete faced rockfill dams. One of the potential failure modes identified during the study so far is a concentrated leak developing in the face slab or joints of the slab, leading to failure of the dam. Current methodologies for assessment of piping failures through embankment dams are considered inadequate for this failure mode. This paper discusses an event tree methodology developed from the work of Foster and Fell (1999) and Foster et al (2001) to address this failure mode. The key aspect of this method is identifying the factors that influence the likelihood of initiating a concentrated leak through the perimetric, vertical and crest wall joints and through the face slab concrete. It is concluded that for the vast majority of well designed and constructed concrete faced rockfill dams that a concentrated leak leading to failure is very unlikely.
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2002 Papers

2002 – Experimental Investigation of the Rate of Piping Erosion of Soils in Embankment Dams
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C.F. Wan, R. Fell, M.A. Foster

This paper presents the findings of experimental investigation of the rate of piping erosion of soils conducted at the University of New South Wales.

Two tests, namely the Slot Erosion Test and the Hole Erosion Test, have been developed to study the erosion characteristics of a soil. The erosion characteristics are described by the Erosion Rate Index, which indicates the rate of erosion due to fluid traction, and the Critical Shear Stress, which represents the minimum shear stress when erosion starts. Results of the two laboratory erosion tests are strongly correlated. Values of the Erosion Rate Index span from 0 to 6, indicating that two soils can differ in their rates of erosion by up to 106 times. Coarse-grained soils, in general, are less erosion-resistant than fine-grained soils. The Erosion Rate Indices of coarse-grained cohesionless soils show good correlation with the fines and clay contents, and the degree of saturation of the soils, whereas the Erosion Rate Indices of fine-grained cohesive soils show moderately good correlation with the degree of saturation. The absence of smectites and vermiculites, and apparently the presence of cementing materials, such as iron oxides, improves the erosion resistance of a fine-grained soil.

The Hole Erosion Test is proposed as a simple index test for quantifying the rate of piping erosion in a soil, and for finding the approximate Critical Shear Stress corresponding to initiation of piping erosion. Knowledge of these erosion characteristics of the core soil of an embankment dam aids assessment of the likelihood of dam failure due to piping erosion in a risk assessment process.
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2003 Papers

2003 – CAIRN CURRAN DAM UPGRADE – INVESTIGATIONS AND GEOTECHNICAL MODELLING
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Cairn Curran Dam is a 44m high zoned earthfill embankment located near Bendigo in central
Victoria. The dam is owned and operated by Goulburn-Murray Water.

A risk assessment had identified that the junction between the embankment and spillway wall was a weakness in regard to the potential for piping. Initial geotechnical investigations indicated a softened zone adjacent to the foundation.
The conceptual upgrade design was to excavate the downstream slope and place filter material and a rockfill weighting berm. A 2-D slope stability analysis gave unacceptably low factors of safety for this excavation. The three dimensional nature of the embankment/spillway interface and excavation geometry was identified as an important factor in the upgrade design.

A detailed geotechnical assessment was undertaken and a geotechnical model developed that
accounted for potential softened zones adjacent to the spillway wall, along the foundation, and within the embankment.

A 3-D limit equilibrium slope stability program was utilised to analyse the 3-D factors of safety. The
program employed an extension of Bishop’s method of slices to a 3-D ‘method of columns’. A 3-D
finite element analysis was also undertaken to estimate likely deformations of the embankment and cut slope during construction.

The development of the geotechnical model and subsequent analysis allowed the upgrade works to be undertaken with confidence.
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2003 Papers

2003 – Cairn Curran Dam Upgrade – Investigations and Geotechnical Modelling
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A. Swindon, T. Griggs, R. Herweyne and R. Fell

Cairn Curran Dam is a 44m high zoned earthfill embankment located near Bendigo in central
Victoria. The dam is owned and operated by Goulburn-Murray Water.

A risk assessment had identified that the junction between the embankment and spillway wall was a
weakness in regard to the potential for piping. Initial geotechnical investigations indicated a softened
zone adjacent to the foundation.

The conceptual upgrade design was to excavate the downstream slope and place filter material and a rockfill weighting berm. A 2-D slope stability analysis gave unacceptably low factors of safety for this excavation. The three dimensional nature of the embankment/spillway interface and excavation
geometry was identified as an important factor in the upgrade design.

A detailed geotechnical assessment was undertaken and a geotechnical model developed that
accounted for potential softened zones adjacent to the spillway wall, along the foundation, and within
the embankment.

A 3-D limit equilibrium slope stability program was utilised to analyse the 3-D factors of safety. The
program employed an extension of Bishop’s method of slices to a 3-D ‘method of columns’. A 3-D
finite element analysis was also undertaken to estimate likely deformations of the embankment and cut slope during construction.

The development of the geotechnical model and subsequent analysis allowed the upgrade works to be undertaken with confidence.
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2006 Papers

2006 – Tullaroop Dam: Embankment Cracking And Risk Based Assessment Of Remedial Works
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G. Hunter, R. Fell, S. McGrath

The main embankment at Tullaroop Reservoir is a 42m high zoned earth and rockfill dam that was constructed in the late 1950s. The constructed embankment has a very broad, well compacted clay earthfill zone with dumped rockfill on the mid to lower upstream and downstream shoulders.

Over a two week period in April 2004 a diagonal crack of 60mm width and greater than 2m depth developed on the downstream shoulder of the main embankment. The crack was located on the left abutment and extended from the crest to the toe of the embankment. The diagonal crack terminated at the downstream edge of the crest. A continuous longitudinal crack extended along the downstream edge of the crest from the diagonal crack almost to the left abutment. Since April 2004 no further widening of the diagonal crack has been observed.

This paper presents the findings of a series of site investigations and analysis to understand the mechanism for formation of the diagonal crack, and the risk assessment process that culminated in the eventual construction of a full height filter buttress on the left abutment of the main embankment. Factors that influenced the cracking included the change in slope in the foundation profile, the temporary diversion channel on the left abutment, residual stresses in the dam abutment due to differential settlement during construction, a complex foundation geology and presence of shear surfaces in a Tertiary alluvial sequence that formed due to valley formation, an historic dry period and a prolonged period of drawdown. The presence of the crack and its assessed mechanism of formation presented a dam safety risk of piping through the embankment. The risk evaluation process was worked through with URS, Goulburn-Murray Water (G-MW), and G-MW’s expert panel, and eventuated in construction of the localised filter buttress in February – March 2006 to address the dam safety deficiency.
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