Tapetes impermeabilizantes a montante de barragens sobre aluviões permeáveis

Abstract

This work presents the principal solutions for of seepage control on pervious dam foundations. The Finite Elements Method (FEM) was used for the verification of blanket dimensioning methods. Various simulations were undertaken via FEM with the use of two fictitious dams. The blanket dimensioning methods were verified with respect to leakage, upward gradient, efective lenght and cross section. It was conclued that the triangular cross section is the most efficient and economically viable. Two distinct valley forms were also evaluated. One with widening at the upstream side of the dam and the other without. A blanket design method based on the results obtained in the simulation is proposed. An evaluation of a real situation was also done using data from an existing dam (the Carão dam) over a pervious foundation that uses the upstream blanket as a percolation control method. The dam data is compared with that presented by Bennett (effective lenght) and of the FEM.