Search for Optimal Composition and an Investigation of Special Material for the Near-Face Zone of a Dam with Reinforced Concrete Face

Abstract

Creation of a high-tech zone from stone concrete to serve as a transitional solid between the reinforced concrete face and the stone of the blockweight is proposed as a way of improving the stress state of the reinforced concrete face, increasing its reliability, and creating conditions by means of which repair activities may be performed without drawdown of the reservoir. Stone-concrete is a material with low content of cement (65 –70 kg/m³) produced by pouring a cement-sand solution of backfilling composed of crushed rock or gravelly-pebbly soil in a layer up to 0.5 m high. The optimal composition of the poured mixture for stone-concrete is selected from the need to achieve complete penetration through the pores of the backfilling, fill the pores, and create a conditionally “solid-cast” structure. The study presents data for the selection of the composition of the poured mixture for stone-concrete and provides tables and graphs of relationships by means of which the properties of the resulting material may be predicted as a function of its composition.