Assessment of the Optimum Depth of Sealing Cutoff Walls in the Clay Core of Peygham-Chay Dam

Abstract

Seepage is one of the most substantial factors in the embankment dams design. The Cutoff wall method is the ideal construction solution for controlling flow through the foundation of earth dams. In this study, the cutoff wall method is investigated at the site of the Peygham-Chay dam (Study area). According to the dam site, in terms of its materials as well as their different permeability, water influx is a potential hazard at the site. For this purpose, SEEP/W program as the finite element approach was employed to estimate the seepage and design of the optimum depth of the sealing element. The results of numerical analyzes imply that the sealing component is not needed because of the low permeability in the primary 260 m at the left abutment of the dam. Also, the optimum depth of the cutoff wall is evaluated as 15 m at the rest of the dam axis.