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<br /> <br /> <br /> <br />25 <br /> Unprotected, erodible core material was <br />placed directly on a poorly treated, weathered, <br />jointed, and (in places) soluble foundation. <br /> The initial response of foundation grouting to <br />address seepage observed during first filling <br />sealed deeper foundation seepage pathways <br />and forced the seepage closer to the <br />embankment/foundation contact. Seepage <br />along this contact introduced an unfiltered exit <br />through the rock toe drain. <br />Study of the Quail Creek Dike failure shows the <br />importance of applying the correct design features <br />commensurate with foundation geology and the <br />importance of recognizing how geologic conditions can <br />affect seepage, internal erosion, and piping failure <br />modes. <br />TARRYALL DAM <br />Tarryall Dam is located in Central Colorado <br />downstream of the town of Jefferson. It was designed <br />in 1929 as a thin arch dam to be founded on rock. <br />Figure 17 – Downstream Face of Tarryall Dam from the Right <br />Abutment <br />The dam has a structural height of 70 feet and a <br />hydraulic height of 38 feet, meaning that the dam itself <br />extends 32 feet below the ground surface as shown on <br />Figure 17. Figure 17 also shows that while the left <br />abutment is a thin arch against jointed rock, the right <br />abutment arch section is supported by a large gravity <br />buttress. <br />As previously stated, the dam was intended to be a <br />thin arch structure supported by competent abutment <br />rock. Granitic igneous rocks outcrop on both <br />abutments and although moderately jointed, were <br />thought to be suitable for support of this type of dam. <br />However, during the excavation of the cutoff trench to <br />bedrock, the field engineers encountered unsuitable, <br />highly weathered and fractured rock in the right <br />abutment. Realizing this rock would not support an <br />arch, the design was modified to include a large <br />concrete gravity section to provide both increased <br />anchorage for the arch, and a gravity section to <br />prevent overturning or sliding of the dam on this <br />abutment. This configuration worked relatively well for <br />nearly 70 years, until cracking was observed in the arch <br />section monolith joint closest to the gravity buttress <br />section. In 2001, the reservoir was ordered lowered to <br />5 feet below the spillway to reduce the load on the <br />dam while additional studies were performed. In 2002 <br />the additional studies showed that in fact the dam was <br />unstable at high loading conditions and a zero-storage <br />restriction order was imposed, forcing the reservoir to <br />be fully drained until repairs could be made. <br />Repair designs focused on providing additional <br />anchorage of the right abutment arch and gravity <br />sections to better support that end of the dam against <br />movement and also to provide additional reaction <br />force for the remaining arch section. A series of eight, <br />multi-strand rock anchors were designed and installed <br />through both the arch section and gravity section to <br />depths up to 111 feet. The anchors secured the dam <br />on the abutment, providing the necessary resistance to <br />overtopping and sliding, and also provided additional <br />reaction for the remaining unanchored arch. <br /> <br />Figure 18 – Detail of Plan for Anchors through Right Abutment <br />Arch and Gravity Sections