Seepage Analysis of an Earthen Dam: A Case Study of Tamta Dam

The construction of embankment dams is most common and popular due to the easy availability of material. The important point during the construction and after completion of an earthen embankment is the control of seepage through the dam body and foundation. Seepage control is necessary to prevent the downstream slope from sloughing, uplift pressures, piping phenomena, and loss of materials from the dam body to the outside of the dam body. The present study has been carried out on the Tamta earthen embankment which is located in Pathalgaon, Chhattisgarh. The existing dam has been selected for a case study because it has been recently approved for renovation work by Chhattisgarh Government due to leakage through Masonry and the RCC barrel. Hence, it is required to ensure the safety of the dam against seepage. A two-dimensional seepage analysis has been carried out using the computer-aided software SEEP/W to determine the seepage quantities. Results are presented for three conditions, i.e., maximum pool level, normal pool level, and minimum pool level.