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Abstract
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The first and most important step in designing a new dam is determining an appropriate type of dam to build, based on the unique site conditions. The optimal design of the dam is determined after consideration of technical, economic, environmental and social factors. For sites with poor foundations, trapezoid-shaped dams are good options because they typically have a much greater weight than conventional gravity dams and therefore do not require the high shear strength of bedrock to satisfy requirements for safety against sliding. Both faced symmetrical hardfill dams (FSHD) and concrete-faced rockfill dams (CFRD) have symmetrical trapezoid-shaped cross sections with an upstream concrete face slab that prevents water from penetrating into the dam body. In this article, the authors evaluate the properties of FSHD and CFRD. Static and dynamic analyses for both dam types were performed using finite element analysis software, and safety was evaluated for static and dynamic loads. Finally, both dam types are evaluated and compared technically and economically. The results show that FSHD and CFRD are safe against applied loads, but the deformation obtained in FSHDs is smaller than that for CFRDs. Also, FSHDs are more economical to build than CFRDs for sites with high flooding in the river.
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