[Illustration: FIG. 19.–GRAPHICAL INTERPRETATION OF STUDIES OF BOARD OF
EXPERTS ON THE ORIGINAL EARTH PORTION OF THE NEW CROTON DAM.]
The hydrostatic pressure per square foot at 90 ft. depth is, 62.5 × 90
= 5,625 lbs.
The dam, having a factor of safety of 10, must present a resistance of,
5,625 × 10 = 56,250 lbs., or 28 tons per square foot.
The theoretical width of bank corresponding to 90 ft. head and a factor
of 10 is shown by the dotted triangle (A-B-B) to be 450 ft., (B, Fig.
19) with slopes 2½ on 1.
To this must be added the width due to the height of crest above the
water surface in the reservoir and the width of crest.
The former would be, 2 (2½ × 10) = 50 ft., and the latter by
Trautwine’s rule, 2 + 2√100 = 22 ft., giving a total base width of 522
ft.
Let us now assume that the slope of saturation may be 35 ft. per 100
ft. We observe that this intersects the base 40 ft. within the outer
toe of the bank slope. If the plane of saturation was 33 ft. per 100,
it would just reach the outer toe. It would be advisable to enlarge
this section by adding a 10-ft. berm at the 50-ft. level, having a
slope not less than 3 on 1 for the up-stream face, and two 15-ft. berms
on the down-stream face, having slopes 2½ on 1. The additional width
of base due to these modifications in our profile amounts to 65 ft.,
giving a total base width of 587 ft., and increasing the factor of
safety from 10 to 13. It should be remembered that if the bank becomes
saturated this factor of safety may be reduced 50%, the coefficient of
moist clay being 0.50.
The loss of head due to a core wall of masonry, as designed for the
New Croton Dam, was assumed by the board of experts to be 21 ft., or
17% of the depth of water in full reservoir. It has been stated by
several authorities that the primary object of a masonry core wall is
to afford a water-tight cut-off to any water of percolation which may
reach it through the upper half of the embankment. It appears that
absolute water-tightness in the core wall is not obtained, although the
core walls of the Croton dams are said to be “the very best quality of
rubble masonry that can be made.”
Mr. W. W. Follett, who is reported to have had considerable experience
in building earth dams, and who has made some valuable suggestions
thereupon, is emphatic in saying,
that the junction of earth and masonry forms a weak point, that
either a puddle or masonry core in an earthen dam is an element
of weakness rather than strength.
He also thinks the usual manner of segregating and depositing
materials different in density and weight, and thus subject to
different amounts of settlement, as bad a form of construction as could
be devised.
Core walls may prevent “free passage of water” and “excessive seepage,”
but are nevertheless of doubtful expediency.
Earthwork Slips and Drainage.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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