An alarm system for pore pressure measurements in the foundation ofconcrete dams : a case study of Storfinnforsen buttress dam

Abstract: Concrete buttress dams are relatively light structures and less demandingon foundations; because of that, they may have problems with upliftforces and horizontal joints in the area of the dam´s foundation maypresent a failure mode through sliding. The Storfinnforsen dam, thelargest concrete dam in Sweden, had its foundation studied recently andthe discovery of sub-horizontal joints in the bedrock led to the necessityof having the safety of the dam foundation to sliding assessed.The safety is dependent on the pore pressure, which can vary throughtime. The implementation of an alarm system to monitor and assess thevalues of the pore pressure is necessary to improve the dam´s operation.In this thesis, a new system on how to define alarm limits for measuredpore pressures is suggested.The proposed alarm system will monitor the pore pressure of the joint,calculate the safety factor against sliding, compare it to the alarm limits ofthe system (adopted from RIDAS) and present countermeasures to theproblem.The analysis and implementation of the alarm system on monolith 42 ofStorfinnforsen showed that it does not comply with the Swedishguidelines with respect to sliding stability, but the measured porepressures are low enough to allow the creation of an alarm system thatwill monitor the pore pressure continuously. Furthermore, thecharacteristics of the local geology exclude any quick development of porepressure allowing countermeasures to be applied.However, further research on the definition of alarm limits for this kindof problem is needed.