Geotechnical and Geology: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 22:34, 28 July 2023

Seepage analysis of embankment dam (Photo Source: Gannett Fleming).

“Information on foundation and reservoir conditions and on the natural materials available for construction is essential for the design of all dams. Investigations to gather such information are conducted in the field and in the laboratory, and analyses and reference work are performed in the office. For efficiency, these investigations must be properly planned. Subsurface explorations should not be started until all available geologic and soils data have been evaluated. The investigator should also be familiar with mapping, with logging and sampling methods, and with field and laboratory testing. Such a background and a knowledge of the capabilities and limitations of the various methods of subsurface exploration will lead to the selection of the most appropriate field methods and will save the time and effort that would otherwise be lost through ineffective procedures and duplication of effort”.^[1]

“Investigate site geologic and geotechnical conditions in a manner that adequately examines embankments, spillways, abutments, borrow areas, and foundations to enable adequate evaluation of all design conditions. Provide appropriate intensity and detail of these investigations for the class of dam, complexity of site geology, and the data needed for the dam design”.^[2]

“Geologic features may include faults, bedrock lows, discontinuities and voids, and groundwater”.^[3]

Types of Evaluations

Best Practices Resources

Technical Release 210-60: Earth Dams and Reservoirs, NRCS

Drilling and Invasive Activities at Dams and Levees (ER 1110-1-1807), USACE

National Engineering Handbook: Chapter 2 - Engineering Geologic Investigations, NRCS

National Engineering Handbook: Chapter 3 - Engineering Classification of Materials, NRCS

National Engineering Handbook: Chapter 4 - Engineering Classification of Rock Materials, NRCS

National Engineering Handbook: Chapter 5 - Engineering Geology Logging, Sampling, and Testing, NRCS

National Engineering Handbook: Chapter 30 - Groundwater Hydrology and Geology, NRCS

Engineering Guidelines for the Evaluation of Hydropower Projects: Chapter 4- Embankment Dams, FERC

Slope Stability (EM 1110-2-1902), USACE

Geophysical Exploration for Engineering and Environmental Investigations (EM 1110-1-1802), USACE

Engineering Guidelines for the Evaluation of Hydropower Projects: Chapter 5- Geotechnical Investigations and Studies, FERC

Design of Small Dams, USBR

Trainings

On-Demand Webinar: Findings of the Independent Forensic Investigation of the Failures of Edenville and Sanford Dams, Michigan

On-Demand Webinar: Introduction to Embankment Dams

On-Demand Webinar: Empirical Estimates of Permeability for Earth Dam Projects

Citations:

Revision ID: 7485
Revision Date: 07/28/2023

[USBR-1] Design of Small Dams, USBR, 1987

[NRCS-2] TR 210-60 Earth Dams and Reservoirs, NRCS, 2019

[USACE-3] Geophysical Exploration for Engineering and Environmental Investigations (EM 1110-1-1802), USACE, 1995

[1]

[2]

[3]

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 | [[Image:Geot1.png|700px|x700px|link=Outlet Configuration]]
 |-
-|style="text-align:center; font-size:90%;"| [[Seepage Analysis|Seepage analysis]] of embankment dam.
+|style="text-align:center; font-size:90%;"| [[Seepage Analysis|Seepage analysis]] of embankment dam (Photo Source: Gannett Fleming).
 |}
@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 “Investigate site geologic and geotechnical conditions in a manner that adequately examines embankments, [[spillways]], abutments, borrow areas, and foundations to enable adequate evaluation of all design conditions. Provide appropriate intensity and detail of these investigations for the class of dam, complexity of site geology, and the data needed for the dam design”.<ref name="NRCS">[[Technical Release 210-60: Earth Dams and Reservoirs | TR 210-60 Earth Dams and Reservoirs, NRCS, 2019]]</ref>
-“Geologic features may include faults, bedrock lows, discontinuities and voids, and groundwater”.<ref name="USACE">[[Geophysical Exploration for Engineering and Environmental Investigations (EM 1110-1-1802) | Geophysical Exploration for Engineering and Environmental Investigations, USACE, 1995]]</ref>
+“Geologic features may include faults, bedrock lows, discontinuities and voids, and groundwater”.<ref name="USACE">[[Geophysical Exploration for Engineering and Environmental Investigations (EM 1110-1-1802) | Geophysical Exploration for Engineering and Environmental Investigations (EM 1110-1-1802), USACE, 1995]]</ref>
 ==Types of Evaluations==
@@ Line 26: / Line 26: @@
 ==Best Practices Resources==
-{{Document Icon}} [[Engineering Guidelines for the Evaluation of Hydropower Projects: Chapter 4- Embankment Dams | Engineering Guidelines for the Evaluation of Hydropower Projects: Chapter 4- Embankment Dams (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)]]
+{{Document Icon}} [[Technical Release 210-60: Earth Dams and Reservoirs | Technical Release 210-60: Earth Dams and Reservoirs, NRCS]]
-{{Document Icon}} [[Engineering Guidelines for the Evaluation of Hydropower Projects: Chapter 5- Geotechnical Investigations and Studies | Engineering Guidelines for the Evaluation of Hydropower Projects: Chapter 5- Geotechnical Investigations and Studies (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)]]
+{{Document Icon}} [[Drilling and Invasive Activities at Dams and Levees (ER 1110-1-1807) | Drilling and Invasive Activities at Dams and Levees (ER 1110-1-1807), USACE]]
-{{Document Icon}} [[Design of Small Dams | Design of Small Dams (Bureau of Reclamation)]]
+{{Document Icon}} [[National Engineering Handbook: Chapter 2 - Engineering Geologic Investigations | National Engineering Handbook: Chapter 2 - Engineering Geologic Investigations, NRCS]]
-{{Document Icon}} [[Geophysical Exploration for Engineering and Environmental Investigations (EM 1110-1-1802) | Geophysical Exploration for Engineering and Environmental Investigations (EM 1110-1-1802) (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)]]
+{{Document Icon}} [[National Engineering Handbook: Chapter 3 - Engineering Classification of Earth Materials | National Engineering Handbook: Chapter 3 - Engineering Classification of Materials, NRCS]]
-{{Document Icon}} [[Technical Release 210-60: Earth Dams and Reservoirs | Technical Release 210-60: Earth Dams and Reservoirs (Natural Resources Conservation Service)]]
+{{Document Icon}} [[National Engineering Handbook: Chapter 4 - Engineering Classification of Rock Materials | National Engineering Handbook: Chapter 4 - Engineering Classification of Rock Materials, NRCS]]
-{{Document Icon}} [[TR-210-60 Earth Dams and Reservoirs | TR-210-60 Earth Dams and Reservoirs (NRCS, 2019)]]
+{{Document Icon}} [[National Engineering Handbook: Chapter 5 - Engineering Geology Logging, Sampling, and Testing | National Engineering Handbook: Chapter 5 - Engineering Geology Logging, Sampling, and Testing, NRCS]]
-{{Document Icon}} [[Drilling in Earth Embankment Dams and Levees (EM 1110-1-1807) | Drilling in Earth Embankment Dams and Levees (EM 1110-1-1807) (USACE, 2014)]]
+{{Document Icon}} [[National Engineering Handbook: Chapter 30 - Groundwater Hydrology and Geology | National Engineering Handbook: Chapter 30 - Groundwater Hydrology and Geology, NRCS]]
-{{Document Icon}} [[Guidelines for Drilling and Sampling in Embankment Dams | Guidelines for Drilling and Sampling in Embankment Dams (USBR, 2014)]]
+{{Document Icon}} [[Engineering Guidelines for the Evaluation of Hydropower Projects: Chapter 4- Embankment Dams | Engineering Guidelines for the Evaluation of Hydropower Projects: Chapter 4- Embankment Dams, FERC]]
-{{Document Icon}} [[National Engineering Handbook: Chapter 2 - Engineering Geologic Investigations | National Engineering Handbook: Chapter 2 - Engineering Geologic Investigations (NRCS, 2012)]]
+{{Document Icon}} [[Slope Stability (EM 1110-2-1902) | Slope Stability (EM 1110-2-1902), USACE]]
-{{Document Icon}} [[National Engineering Handbook: Chapter 3 - Engineering Classification of Materials | National Engineering Handbook: Chapter 3 - Engineering Classification of Materials (NRCS, 2012)]]
+{{Document Icon}} [[Geophysical Exploration for Engineering and Environmental Investigations (EM 1110-1-1802) | Geophysical Exploration for Engineering and Environmental Investigations (EM 1110-1-1802), USACE]]
-{{Document Icon}} [[National Engineering Handbook: Chapter 4 - Engineering Classification of Rock Materials | National Engineering Handbook: Chapter 4 - Engineering Classification of Rock Materials (NRCS, 2012)]]
+{{Document Icon}} [[Geophysical Exploration for Engineering and Environmental Investigations (EM 1110-1-1802) | Geophysical Exploration for Engineering and Environmental Investigations (EM 1110-1-1802), USACE]]
-{{Document Icon}} [[National Engineering Handbook: Chapter 5 - Engineering Geology Logging, Sampling, and Testing | National Engineering Handbook: Chapter 5 - Engineering Geology Logging, Sampling, and Testing (NRCS, 2012)]]
+{{Document Icon}} [[Engineering Guidelines for the Evaluation of Hydropower Projects: Chapter 5- Geotechnical Investigations and Studies | Engineering Guidelines for the Evaluation of Hydropower Projects: Chapter 5- Geotechnical Investigations and Studies, FERC]]
-{{Document Icon}} [[National Engineering Handbook: Chapter 30 - Groundwater Hydrology and Geology | National Engineering Handbook: Chapter 30 - Groundwater Hydrology and Geology (NRCS, 2010)]]
+{{Document Icon}} [[Design of Small Dams | Design of Small Dams, USBR]]
-{{Document Icon}} [[Slope Stability (EM 1110-2-1902) | Slope Stability (EM 1110-2-1902) (USACE, 2003)]]
-{{Document Icon}} [[Engineering Geology Field Manual 2nd Edition, Volume 2 | Engineering Geology Field Manual 2nd Edition, Volume 2 (USBR, 2001)]]
-{{Document Icon}} [[Earth Manual Part 1 | Earth Manual Part 1 (USBR, 1998)]]
-{{Document Icon}} [[Geophysical Exploration for Engineering and Environmental Investigations (EM 1110-1-1802) | Geophysical Exploration for Engineering and Environmental Investigations (EM 1110-1-1802) (USACE, 1995)]]
 ==Trainings==