Embankment Spillways

摘要

This article is the third of a series sharing practical information and insights about civil design and engineering. The very name "Embankment Spillways" will seem to many dam engineers like a contradiction in terms. Spillways are almost always sited on natural ground adjacent to any embankment, sometimes at considerable cost. There are perhaps two reasons for this. First is the matter of crossing design disciplines. Embankment dams tend to be designed by geotechnical engineers, while spillways tend to be designed by hydraulic structures engineers. It is one thing to put a clear interface between the two, such as a lateral retaining wall. It is completely different to incorporate the two into a single concept. Second, embankments settle with time and are inherently crodible. Most dam engineers prefer a spillway on an entirely separate foundation, where settlement is limited or non-existent and where any leakage cannot directly affect the main dam embankment.