Effect of weep hole and cut-off wall on hydraulic gradient and uplift pressure under a diversion dam

In hydraulic structures such as diversion or gravity dams constructed on a porous foundation, the difference in water levels between upstream and downstream results in water seepage through the porous soil under the dam. This seepage flow generates uplift pressure under the structure that may cause a crack on the concrete surface of the structure’s floor. In this condition, the exit gradient may exceed the critical value and cause the piping phenomenon. In this study, the effect of the weep hole and cut-off wall on the uplift pressure and the hydraulic gradient under a diversion dam was investigated experimentally and numerically. For this purpose, four weep holes (diameter = 1 cm) were embedded along the longitudinal axis of the stilling basin. The weep holes were examined in single and combined modes. The experiments were conducted in three upstream water heads of 10, 15, and 20 cm. The results showed that in terms of seepage losses, hydraulic gradient, and uplift pressure, the binary combinations of weep holes are better than the other modes. Among the binary combinations, the combination of the two closest weep holes to the dam toe (weep holes 1 and 2) had the most proper performance. In the supplementary experiments, a cut-off wall in two depths (10 and 15 cm) was placed at the dam heel in addition to the best modes of weep holes combination. Overall, the simultaneous use of cut-off wall (especially 15 cm) and weep holes improved the hydraulic condition of seepage phenomenon under the dam.