Rapid Reservoir Sedimentation of Four Historic Thin Arch Dams in Australia
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Volume 12, Issue 2
Abstract
Since the discovery of the Australian continent by Europeans, the development of the country has been closely linked with the development of water resources. At the end of the 19th century, several arch dams were built in New South Wales, four of which are described in this paper. The four dams (Moore Creek, Gap, Korrumbyn Creek, Quipolly) had similar features, i.e., water supply storage with thin concrete arch wall. Despite their technological sophistication at the time, they became fully silted very quickly, with each one being used for less than 25 years. Although their structural design was advanced, the design of the reservoir systems (dam, lake, and catchment) was a failure. The designers did not take into account correctly the soil erosion and sediment transport processes, and no soil conservation practice was considered. The experience gained from these failures may be of use today to prevent practicing engineers from making similar mistakes.
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Published In
Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Volume 12 • Issue 2 • May 1998
Pages: 85 - 92
Copyright
Copyright © 1998 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Published online: May 1, 1998
Published in print: May 1998
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