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Technical Manual: Conduits through Embankment Dams (FEMA 484)

Technical Manual: Conduits through Embankment Dams (FEMA 484)

Technical Manual: Conduits through Embankment Dams (FEMA 484)

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<strong>Conduits</strong> <strong>through</strong> <strong>Embankment</strong> <strong>Dams</strong>The differential settlement that helped to create stress conditions favorable tohydraulic fracture was probably associated with the presence of a channel <strong>through</strong>the embankment dam that had relatively steep side slopes and the presence of theprincipal spillway conduit in the vicinity. Internal erosion failures in similarembankment dams constructed by the NRCS in Oklahoma were often near principalspillway conduits. Differential settlement is a primary contributor to conditionsfavorable to hydraulic fracture.The failure of the embankment dam was observed as it occurred from an aerialsurvey of the site. Figure B-77 shows the failure of the embankment dam as itoccurred. Water in the reservoir had risen to about 1.6 feet below the crest of theembankment dam following about 19 inches of rainfall which had occurred overseveral days. Water had flowed over the crest of the auxiliary spillway, but had notovertopped the embankment dam. Water was observed to be flowing <strong>through</strong> atunnel developing in the embankment dam at about 40 feet to the side of the conduitlocation. Water entered the upstream slope of the embankment dam at about themaximum reservoir level in several locations and exited the downstream slope of theembankment dam <strong>through</strong> an erosion tunnel. Water exited the downstream slopeabout one-third of the way up from the toe of the embankment dam. The tunnelthat developed in the embankment dam eroded quickly and drained the pool toabout one-half of the embankment height.Figure B-77.—Aerial view showing the failure of Upper Red Rock Site 20 Dam.B-106

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