Advances in Rockfill Structures

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Series E: Applied Sciences - Vol. 200

Advances in

Rockfill Structures

edited by

E. Maranha das Neves

Geotechnical Department,
National Laboratory of Civil Engineering,
Lisbon, Portugal

"
Iit.AI

SPRINGER-SCIENCE+BUSINESS MEDIA, B.V.

Based on the NATO Advanced Study Institute on

Advances in Rockfill Structures
Lisbon, Portugal
18-29 June 1990
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
NATCl Advanced Study Inst i tute on Advances in Rockf i II Structures (1990
NAT[)
l1~t'on, Portugal)
Aavances in rocktl
eOlted by E, Maranha das Neves,
rockt' II structures!
structures ! eo'ted
p,
cm, -- (NATO ASI ser,es,
serles, Series E, Applied sciences;
sciences ; v,
:"00)
Instltute on Advances ,n
ln
"Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Study Inst'tute
Rockfi II Structures, held ,n
ln L'sbon, Portugal, 18-29 June, 1990,"
Inc II udes b,
b 1 b li
Ii ograph i ca II references,
ISBN 978-94-010-5414-0

ISBN 978-94-011-3206-0 (eBook)

DOI 10.1007/978-94-011-3206-0

1, Rockfills--Congresses, 2, Earth dams--Congresses,

I, Neves,
E, Maranha das (Emanuel Maranha), 1938II. Tltle,
Ir.
THle,
111,
III, Ser,es:
Serles: NATO ASI series. Series E, Applied sciences
no, 200.
7A709."37

1990

624.1'832--dc20

91-14610

ISBN 978-94-010-5414-0

Printed on acid-free paper

All Rights Reserved

1991 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
Originally published by Kluwer Academic Publishers in 1991
Softcover reprint ofthe
of the hardcover 1st edition 1991
No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or
or mechanical, including photoutilized in any form or by any means, electronic er
copying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written
ccpying,
permission from the copyright owner.

CONTENTS
LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS
FOREWORD

XXI
XXIII

CHAPTER 1
ROCKFILL STRUCTURES: THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE
E. MARANHA das NEVES

CHAPTER 2
PHYSICAL CHARACTERIZATION AND ASSESSMENT OF ROCK
DURABILITY THROUGH INDEX PROPERTIES
J. DELGADO RODRIGUES
1. INTRODUCTION

2. BRIEF PRESENTATION OF MOST COMMON ROCK TYPES

2.1. significance of geological classifications

2.2. Rock materials in general classifications
3. PROPERTIES OF ROCK MATERIALS
3.1. General
3.2. Rock masses and rock materials
3.3. Brief considerations about sampling

8
9
10
10
11
11

4. LABORATORY CHARACTERIZATION OF ROCK MATERIALS

13

4.1. General
4.2. Intrinsic properties
4.3. Index properties
4.3.1. General
4.3.2. Some common index properties
4.3.3. Estimation of rockfill characteristics through index properties
4.4. Shape and size properties
4.5. Durability
4.5.1. General remarks
4.5.2. Some methods of rock durability
assessment
4.5.3. Assessment of rock durability
through index properties

13
14
15
15
15
20
22
23
23
24
25

VI

CHAPTER 3
ROCKFILL MODELLING
A. K. PARKIN
1. INTRODUCTION

35

2. ROCKFILL IN PLACE

36

3. TRIAXIAL TESTING EQUIPMENT

36

4. MAXIMUM PARTICLE SIZE, TEST SAMPLES

36

5. MODEL GRADINGS

39

6. SOME PARTICULAR ISSUES RELATING TO THE

OEDOMETER TEST

40

6.1. Oedometer dimensions

6.2. Side friction models
6.3. Effects of initial stress

40
42

45

7. A CASE HISTORY

46

8. CONCLUSIONS

48

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

49

REFERENCES

49

CHAPTER 4
LABORATORY SHEAR STRENGTH TESTS AND THE STABILITY OF
ROCKFILL SLOPES
J. A. CHARLES
1. INTRODUCTION

53

2. LABORATORY TESTS

54

3. STRAIN CONDITIONS

54

4. INITIAL POROSITY

55

5. CONFINING PRESSURE

55

vii

5.1. Curved failure envelope

5.2. Relationship between ~' and cr'
6. DILATANCY
6.1. A basic angle of shearing resistance
6.2. A component due to dilatancy

56
57

60
60
60

7. PARTICLE SIZE

60

8. SLOPE STABILITY

62

9. STABILITY CHARTS FOR ROCKFILL SLOPES

63

10. STABILITY OF SUBMERGED ROCKFILL SLOPES

64

11. DESIGN OF ROCKFILL SLOPES

67

11.1. Determination of the rockfill

shear strength parameters
11.2. Selection of an appropriate factor
of safety
11.3. Calculation of the magnitude of the
stability number
11.4. Determination of the slope angle B
12. EXAMPLES OF USE OF STABILITY CHARTS
12.1. Example; 100 m high embankment
12.2. Example; 10 m high embankment
12.3. Discussion
13. CONCLUDING REMARKS

CHAPTER

67
67
69
69
69
69
69
69
70

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

70

REFERENCES

70

LABORATORY COMPRESSION TESTS AND THE DEFORMATION OF

ROCKFILL STRUCTURES
J. A. CHARLES
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Changes in applied stress
1.2. Increase in moisture content
1.3. Vibrations associated with dynamic
loading

73
73

74
74

viii

2. LABORATORY ONE DIMENSIONAL COMPRESSION TESTING

74

3. FIELD PROPERTIES

80

4. FIELD MONITORING OF DEFORMATIONS

81

5. CONSTRUCTION DEFORMATIONS OF EMBANKMENTS

81

6. MOVEMENT OF UPSTREAM MEMBRANE EMBANKMENT

DAMS DUE TO RESERVOIR IMPOUNDING

83

7. MOVEMENT OF CENTRAL CORE EMBANKMENT DAMS

DUE TO RESERVOIR IMPOUNDING

87

8. MOVEMENT OF ROCKFILL STRUCTURES DUE TO

COLLAPSE COMPRESSION

87

9. CREEP SETTLEMENT OF ROCKFILL STRUCTURES

89

10. CONCLUDING

REMARKS

92

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

92

APPENDIX A
CONSTANT EQUIVALENT CONSTRAINED MODULUS

93

APPENDIX B
STRESS PATHS DURING CONSTRUCTION AND RESERVOIR IMPOUNDING FOR UPSTREAM MEMBRANE DAMS

93

REFERENCES

94

CHAPTER 6
COLLAPSE: ITS IMPORTANCE, FUNDAMENTALS AND
MODELLING
J. L. JUSTO
1. INTRODUCTION

97

2. THE FUNDAMENTALS OF COLLAPSE IN ROCKFILL

99

3. COLLAPSE MODELLING

100

4. ONE-DIMENSIONAL COLLAPSE DURING WATER RISE

IN A GRANULAR MATERIAL. BUOYANCY AND CREEP

121

5. COLLAPSE PRODUCED CRACKS

127

6. COLLAPSE AND POST-CONSTRUCTIVE SETTLEMENTS

OF ROCKFILL DAMS

132

ix

6.1. Central core dams

6.2. Martin Gonzalo Rockfill dam
6.3. Post-Constructive settlements of
rockfill dams
7. CONCLUSIONS

132

135
137

140

REFERENCES

141

APPENDIX 1: PARAMETERS OF CONGLOMERATE IN

YEGUAS DAM, ASSUMING OEDOMETRIC
CONDITIONS (FIG.25 AND 26)

143

APPENDIX 2: PARAMETERS OF ROCKFILL IN MARTIN

GONZALO DAM, ASSUMING OEDOMETRIC
CONDITIONS

146

CHAPTER 7
TEST FILLS AND IN SITU TESTS
J. L. JUSTO
1. WHY IN SITU TESTS?

153

2. TEST FILLS

154

3. PLATE LOADING TESTS

158

4. IN SITU DENSITY

167

5. PERMEABILITY TEST

170

6. TENSION TESTS (URIEL AND PEREZ, 1981)

176

7. SHEAR STRENGTH TESTS

178

8. CONCLUSIONS

182

REFERENCES

188

APPENDIX 1: INFILTRATION FROM A SHALLOW

EXCAVATION

190

APPENDIX 2: INFILTRATION FROM CASED HOLES

193

CHAPTER 8
LABORATORY TESTING AND QUALITY CONTROL OF ROCKFILL
- GERMAN PRACTICE
J. BRAUNS AND K. KAST
1. INTRODUCTION

195

2. GENERAL ASPECTS

195

3. ASPECTS OF LABORATORY TESTING

204

3.1.
3.2.
3.3.
3.4.
3.5.
3.6.

Rock quality and gradation

"True" rockfill samples
Sample dimensions
Layout of devices for oedometer tests
Layout of devices for triaxial tests
Direct shear tests

204
204
207
207
209
212

4. ASPECTS OF QUALITY CONTROL

213

5. CONCLUDING REMARKS

218

REFERENCES

219

CHAPTER 9
CREEP OF ROCKFILL
A. K. PARKIN
1. INTRODUCTION

221

2. RATE METHODS APPLIED TO SETTLEMENT ANALYSIS

222

3. ROCKFILL CREEP IN OEDOMETER COMPRESSION

224

4. APPLICATION TO FIELD SETTLEMENT RECORDS

225

5. CREST SETTLEMENT OF DAMS

228

6. LOAD TESTS ON LARGE BORED PILES

232

7. CONCLUSIONS

234

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

236

REFERENCES

236

xi

CHAPTER 10
FILTERS AND DRAINS
J. BRAUNS
1. INTRODUCTION

239

2. PRESENT PRACTICE OF FILTER DESIGN

241

2.1.
2.2.
2.3.
2.4.
2.5.

Geometrical criteria
Scattering of gradations
Finest fraction in filter materials
Filters for cohesive soils
Hydraulic criteria

3. RECENT INVESTIGATIONS ON THE PROBLEM OF

FILTER STABILITY

241
242
246
247
248
252

4. DRAINS

261

5. CONCLUDING REMARKS

265

REFERENCES

CHAPTER

266

11

STRESS - STRAIN LAWS AND PARAMETER VALUES

D. J. NAYLOR
1. INTRODUCTION

269

2. HYPERBOLIC AND Ec-Ko MODELS

271

2.1. Background
2.2. Hyperbolic model: formulation

2.3. Ec
-K o
model:
formulation
.
2.4. Hyperbollc and Ec-Ko model: parameters
3. K-G MODEL
3.1.
3.2.
3.3.
3.4.

Background
Formulation
K-G Parameters
K-G Model - An alternative

4. CRITICAL STATE MODEL

271
271
272
273
274

274
274
275
275
279

xii

4.1.
4.2.
4.3.
4.4.

Background
Basic formulation
Variations on the theme
C.S. Parameters

5. CONCLUSIONS
REFERENCES

279
280
285
286
289
290

CHAPTER 12
FINITE ELEMENT METHODS FOR FILLS AND EMBANKMENT
DAMS
D. J. NAYLOR
1. INTRODUCTION

291

2. NUMBER OF LAYERS - ACTUAL AND ANALYTICAL

292

3. DEFORMATION IN A RISING FILL

292

4. BASIC FINITE ELEMENT PROCEDURE

292

5. INTERPRETATION OF FINITE ELEMENT DISPLACEMENTS - 1D CASE

294

6. NEW LAYER STIFFNESS REDUCTION

296

7. MODELLING COMPACTION

300

8. FINITE ELEMENT EFFECTIVE STRESS TECHNIQUES

302

8.1. Undrained effective stress analysis

8.2. Known pore pressure change analysis
9. FIRST FILLING AND OPERATION - GENERAL
10. LOADING DUE TO IMPOUNDING
10.1. upstream membrane dam
10.2. Internal membrane dam
10.3. Zoned embankment dams

302
305
306
308
308
308
312

11. ANALYSIS OF FIRST FILLING AND OPERATION

312

11.1. First filling

11.2. Steady seepage condition
11.3. Finite element considerations

312
314
314

12. COLLAPSE SETTLEMENT

314

xili

12.1. Nobari and Duncan's method

12.2. Generalisation of Nobari and
Duncan's method
12.3. One-dimensional example
13. APPLICATIONS

317
319
320
323

13.1. carsington dam

13.2. Beliche dam
13.3. Monasavu dam

323
325
330

REFERENCES

335

APPENDIX:

DERIVATION OF EQUIVALENT LAYER

STIFFNESS

332

CHAPTER 13
CONCRETE FACE ROCKFILL DAMS
NELSON L. DE S. PINTO
1. INTRODUCTION

341

2. CURRENT DESIGN PRACTICE

343

2.1. Evolution
2.2. Embankment
2.2.1. General comments
2.2.2. Zone 1. Impervious blanket
2.2.3. Zone 2. Processed small rock
transition
2.2.4. Zone 3. Main rockfill embankment
2.2.5. Fill cross section
2.3. Plinth
2.4. Concrete face
2.4.1. Slab thickness
2.4.2. Concrete
2.4.3. Reinforcing
2.4.4. Joints
2.4.5. Joint details
3. CONSTRUCTION FEATURES
3.1. Embankment
3.2. Concrete works
3.3. River handling aspects
4. MONITORING AND BEHAVIOUR
4.1. Dam movements

343
344
344
345
345
347
348
349
351
351
351
351
351
351
356
356
359
363
366
366

dv

4.2. Performance under seismic load

368

REFERENCES

371

CHAPTER 14
STATIC BEHAVIOUR OF EARTH-ROCKFILL DAMS
E. MARANHA das NEVES

1. INTRODUCTION

375

2. GEOMETRICAL PHYSICAL AND MECHANICAL DATA

OF A SERIES OF EARTH-ROCKFILL DAMS

377

3. STRUCTURAL BEHAVIOUR AND EXPERIENCE

386

3.1. Construction materials

3.2. Placement techniques
3.3. Structural conception
3.3.1. Core slenderness
3.3.2. Inclination of the dam slopes
3.3.3. Ponti on of the core
3.3.4. Deformability of the different
zones of the dam
3.3.5. Filters
3.3.6. Shape of the valley
3.3.7. Configuration in plan
3.4. Final remarks
4. MODELLING THE STRUCTURAL BEHAVIOUR
4.1.
4.2.
4.3.
4.4.
4.5.

Dam with a vertical core

Dam with a sloping core
Influence of the dam height
Deformations
Final remarks

5. SAFETY EVALUATION AND THE LIMIT STATES

CONCEPT
5.1. Methods for evaluating dam safety
5.2. Brief notes about limit states design
5.3. Overall safety factor and probability
of failure
5.4. Partial safety factors and limit states
5.5. Use of partial safety factors in safety
analysis of an earth-rockfill dam
5.5.1. Linear elastic model
5.5.2. Non-linear elastic model
5.6. Final remarks

388
389
389
389
390
391
394
395
409
414
415
416
419
423
424
426
428
428
429
429
431
432
435
435
437
439

xv

6. CONCLUSIONS

439

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

440

REFERENCES

441

CHAPTER 15
DYNAMIC BEHAVIOUR OF ROCKFILL DAM
E. YANAGISAWA
1. INTRODUCTION
2. DAMAGE TO FILL DAMS DUE TO STRONG

449

EARTHQUAKES

450

2.1. Damage to fill dams by strong shaking

2.2 Soil liquefaction

450
451

3. DYNAMIC PROPERTIES OF FILL DAM MATERIALS

3.1. Dynamic deformation characteristics

of fill dam materials

452

3.2. Dynamic strength of soils

452
455

4. RESPONSE ANALYSIS OF FILL DAMS

456

4.1. Shear beam theory

4.2. Response analyses of rockfill dam
5. LIQUEFACTION ANALYSIS

456
458
461

5.1. The constitutive equation for un-

drained shear behavior of sands

461

quake

463

5.2. Pore pressure generated during earth6. EARTHQUAKE RESISTANT DESIGN OF FILL DAMS

IN JAPAN

6.1. Factor of safety

6.2. Dynamic analyses

7. CONCLUSIONS

466
466
466

467

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

468

REFERENCES

468

XVI

CHAPTER 16
MONITORING AND SAFETY EVALUATION OF ROCKFILL DAMS
A. VEIGA PINTO
1. INTRODUCTION

471

2. TYPE OF MEASUREMENTS

473

3. MONITORING SCHEME DESIGN

475

3.1. Selection of monitoring equipment

3.2. Selection of instruments locations
3.3. Installation plans and procedures
subsequent to construction phase
3.4. Monitoring frequencies
3.5. Plan of first filling
4. MONITORING EQUIPMENT
4.1. Triangulation and trilateration
networks
4.2. Precision levelling
4.3. Inclinometer
4.4. Fluid level settlement gauge
4.5. Horizontal displacements device
4.6. Total pressure cells
4.7. Piezometer
4.8. Seepage monitoring
4.9. Earthquake effect monitoring
5. READINGS, PROCESSING AND ANALYSIS OF RESULTS
5.1.
5.2.
5.3.
5.4.
5.5.

Data collection
Data transmission
Data processing and information storage
Data presentation
Performance evaluation

475
477
479
479
479
481
482
483
483
487
488
490
492
495
497
497
497
499
499
500
500

6. VISUAL INSPECTION

501

7. SAFETY EVALUATION BASED ON DETERIORATION

502

7.1. Introduction
7.2. statistical analysis
7.3. Remedial measures

502

503
503

xvii

8. DAM SAFETY REGULATIONS

508

9. STRAINS OBSERVED IN ROCKFILL DAMS

510

9.1.
9.2.
9.3.
9.4.

Introduction
Construction phase
After construction
After earthquakes

10. CONCLUSIONS
REFERENCES

510
511
512
515
518
520

CHAPTER 17
PRINCIPLES OF ROCKFILL HYDRAULICS
R. MARTINS
1. INTRODUCTION

523

1.1. Definition of rockfill hydraulics

1.2. Complements to the former definition
1.3. Scope of rockfill hydraulics

523

1.4. Subjects dealt with in this chapter

525

2. CHARACTERIZATION OF ROCKFILL
2.1. Preliminary hypotheses
2.2. Size
2.3. Shape
2.4. Disposition
2.5. Specific gravity
2.6. Friction angle
2.7. Final comments on sources of uncertainty in rockfill hydraulics
3. FRICTION HEAD LOSSES IN OPEN CHANNELS
3.1. Preliminary remarks
3.2. Resistance laws
3.3. Function f () in case of high
relative roughness
3.4. Data for the use of the Gauckler-Manning expression
3.5. Conclusions

524

525

526
526

526

527
529

530
531
532
533
533
535
536

537
538

XVllI

4. STABILITY OF ROCKFILL SUBJECT TO FLOW

4.1. Preliminary remarks
4.2. Stability in bidimensional channels
with horizontal or quasi-horizontal
bed and non-high relative roughness
4.3. Case of high relative roughness
4.4. Channels with non-horizontal bed
4.5. Stability in trapezoidal channels
4.6. Stability in bends
4.7. Effects of lining thickness, gradation, shape and specific gravity
4.8. Conclusions

5. SEEPAGE FLOW
5.1. Preliminary remarks
5.2. Mean hydraulic radius of the voids
and mean velocity in the voids
5.3. Turbulent seepage flow
5.4. Transition zone
5.5. Conclusions

539
539
540
542
543
544
545
545
547
549
549
552
553
555
557

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

558

REFERENCES

558

ANNEX 1: EXAMPLES OF CALCULATING THE

CARACTERISTIC. DIMENSIONS OF
BLOCK SETS.

564

ANNEX 2: HIDRAULIC GRADIENT

565

ANNEX 3: A REASON FOR APPARENT NON-LINEARITY IN LAMINAR SEEPAGE

FLOW (CONCEPTUAL EXAMPLE)

567

ANNEX 4: TESTS FOR THE QUADRATIC ZONE

568

ANNEX 5: COMPARISON OF RESULTS FROM EQ.

35 AND FROM THE EXPRESSIONS OF
WILKINS AND JAIN ET AL.

570

CHAPTER

18
THROUGH AND OVERFLOW ROCKFILL DAMS
A. K. PARKIN

1. INTRODUCTION

571

XIX

2. EARLY DEVELOPMENTS IN FLOOD-PROTECTED

ROCKFILLS

572

3. THE SELF-SPILLWAY (THROUGHFLOW) DAM

573

4. LABORATORY STUDIES

574

4.1.
4.2.
4.3.
4.4.

Equations of Flow
Hydraulic control points
Analysis of flow fields
Stability

575
576
577
579

5. OVERFLOW ROCKFILLS

580

6. MESH-PROTECTED ROCKFILLS

583

6.1. Bar spacing and configuration

6.2. Performance
6.3. Protection of cohesive or impervious
fills
6.4. Permanent flood protection
7. CONCLUSION

587
587
587
588
589

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

590

REFERENCES

590

CHAPTER 19
SPECIFICATIONS AND CONTROL OF NATURAL ROCKFILLS
H. EVRARD
1. INTRODUCTION

593

1.1. The technical context

1.2. The economic context

593
593

2. SCALING ROCKFILL REQUIREMENTS

594

3. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SPECIFICATIONS

598

3.1. Rockfill density

3.2. Rockfill properties

599
600

4. CONTROL OF THE INTRINSIC PROPERTIES

OF THE ROCK

603

5. INSPECTION AND CONTROL OF SUPPLIES

607

6. PREPARATION CONTROL

607

xx

7. CONCLUSION
BIBLIOGRAPHY

CHAPl'ER

608
609

20

ASPHALTIC CONCRETE FACE DAMS

J. L. JUSTO
l. INTRODUCTION

6ll

2. REVETMENT STRUCTURE

623

3. CONSTRUCTION

625

4. THE DEFORMABILITY OF ASPHALTIC CONCRETE

RELATED TO THE STRAINS SUFFERED BY THE
FACING

629

5. PLINTHS

633

6. FINITE ELEMENT COMPUTATIONS

638

7. UPSTREAM SLOPE

642

8. PERFORMANCE OF ASPHALTiC CONCRETE FACING

ROCKFILL DAMS

642

9. THE FUTURE OF ASPHALTIC CONCRETE FACINGS

646

REFERENCES

648

CWSING SESSICN

65l

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

657

LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS

A. PARKIN

Senior LeclIIrer, Monash Universiry Clayton, Melbourne, \lic((Jria 3168, Australia.

A. VEIGA PINTO

Senior Research Officer, Lab. Nac. Eng. Civil, Av. do Brasil 101, 1799 Lisboa Codex,
Portl.g,i/.

D.

NAYLOR

Senior Leclllrer, University College of Swansea, Depart. of Civil Engineering, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP, U. K.
E. ivlARANHA das NEVES

Head Geotechnical Department, Lah. Nac. Eng. Civil, Av. do Brasil 101, 1799 Lisboa
Codex, PorIl/gal.
E. YANAGISAWA

Professor, To/wku University, Depart. of Civil Engilleering, FaCility of EnRineerillg,

Aoha, Sendai 980, Japan.
If. EVRARD

Head of the Rock Mechanics Group, Laboratoire Regional des Ponts et Chaussee,
CETE de Lyon ]()9, Avenue Salvador-Allende CSE No.1 - 69674 Broil Cedex, France.
J. BRAUNS

Head of Section of Soil and Rock Mechanics, Karlsruhe University, Post/llcll 6980
D - 7500 Karlsruhe, Germany.
xxi

xxii

J. CHARLES

Geotechnics Division, Building Research Establishment Garston Watford WD2 7JR,

U.K.

1. DELGADO RODRIGUES

Principal Research Officer, Lab. Nac. Eng. Civil, Av. do Brasil 101, 1799 Lisboa
Codex, Portugal.
1. JuSTO ALPANES

Senior Lecturer, E. T. S. Arquitecture, Av. Reina Mercedes sin, 41012 Seville, Spain.
N. SOUSA PINTO

Consulting Engineering, Av. Vicente Machado, 2340 , 80430 Curitiba - PR, Brasil.
R. MARTINS

Principal Research, Lab. Nac. Eng. Civil, Av. do Brasil 101, 1799 Lisboa Codex,
Portugal.

FOREWORD

On 1990 June 18-25, an Advanced study Institute (ASI) on

Rockfill structures was held in Lisbon PORTUGAL, at the
Laboratorio Nacional de Engenharia civil (LNEC), having the
NATO Scientific Affairs Division as main sponsor, and the
LNEC, the Junta de Investiga~ao Cientifica e Tecnologica, and
the Funda~ao do Oriente as co-sponsors.
The objective of this ASI was the discussion and updating of
concepts related to the design, construction, operation, and
monitoring of rockfill structures.
In recent years, an increasing use has been made of
rockfills in the construction industry. This trend results
from the great progress made in all technologies related to
the quarrying,
transportation,
and placement of
rock
materials, from the significant advances in the performance
shown by rockfill structures, and, last but not least, from
the abundance and low cost of the rock materials.
The characteristic problems of rockfill constructions have
been occasionally dealt with at some meetings (conferences,
symposia, workshops, etc.) and in odd chapters of books
devoted to several types of works. It was therefore felt that
the matter should be tackled on an overall basis, covering the
various points of view from which rockfills may be regarded.
The ASI was attended by 57 participants, from 18 different
countries, and the lessons given are the basis of the 20
chapters of this book. A state-of-art of the concerned
subjects has thus been obtained. All these results were only
possible due to the highly esteemed support of the NATO
Scientific Affairs Division which is strongly acknowledged and
thanked.

The organizing Committee

E. Maranha das Neves
(Director)
J. Andrew Charles
J. L. Justo Alpanes
A. Veiga Pinto
xxiii

- A. CHARLES
2 - D. NAYLOR
3 - J. ALPANES
4 - E. MARANHA DAS NEVES
5 - R. OLIVEIRA
6 - A. VEIGA PINTO
7 - J. MATEUS DA SILVA
8 - C. QUADROS
9 - B. SIYAHI
10 - A. 9ELEBI
11 - P. SECO E PINTO
12 - M. EMILIA BORRALHO
13 - A. PARKIN
14 - J. BARROS GOMES
15 - J. DELGADO RODRIGUES
16 - J. LOUREIRO
17 - F. FEDERICO
18 - A. CORREIA
19 - A. TAN
20 - F. ALMEIDA
21 - H. YILDIRIM
22 - M. SIYAHI
23 - o. FILHO
24 - L. ALMEIDA
25 - F. LUCAS
26 - RUI MARTINS
27 - M. CEDERSTROM
28 - N. JOHANSSON
29 - DA-MANG LEE
30 - C. SANTOS PEREIRA
31 - D. GUIMARAES
32 - A. SILVA
33 - V. JESUS
34 - L. CARTAXO
35 - L. VIRGEN
36 - J. COUTO MARQUES
37 - J. CAVILHAS
38 - ERNESTO DOMINGUES
39 - N. KOLFF
40 - J. AZANEDO
41 - M. PACHAKIS
42 - J. CORDOVA
43 - M. ZACAS
44 - D. MATTAR JUNIOR
45 - J. MATEUS DE BRITO
46 - A. MOFFAT
47 - E. YANAGISAWA
48 - 1. PYRAH
49 - ARMINDO FERREIRA
50 - Mrs. B. FILHO
51 - MOZART B. FILHO
1

OPENING SESSION
E. MARANHA das NEVES

As was announced in the first bulletin of this NATO Advanced

study Institute, its aim is the dissemination of advanced
scientific knowledge concerning rockfill structures which has
not found its way into university curricula, and to foster
international contacts among scientists.
This ini tiati ve is the consequence of a great effort as
regards research into rockfills made by LNEC, the results of
which became evident, when practical applications were
envisaged in Portugal. Millions of cubic meters of rockfill
have been used in dams, motorways, airports, harbours and
embankments in general, and certainly in the future we will
see an increasing use of this material, with which Portugal
has been so well provided by Nature.
Rockfill structures are used allover the world, but their
role and importance are not generally recognised. For
instance, when reference is made to dams, the public in
general, immediately thinks in terms of concrete dams,
ignorant of the fact that embankment dams are by far the most
numerous; and the surprise is total when it is said that the
highest dams in the world (more than three hundred meters) are
earth-rockfill dams.
Nevertheless, progress in this area is relatively recent and
is centered in three domains:
- construction technology, where compaction by vibration
has a leading role;
-

constitutive laws,
subject to which fundamental
research on particulate media, laboratory and field
tests, as well as monitoring, have made important
contributions;
numerical methods, because they allow the application
of constitutive laws, and thus, the forecasting of
rockfill structure behaviour.
xxvii

xxviii

It is important to stress that rockfills, when compared with

soils, present additional diff icul ties, when a theoretical
approach to their behaviour is attempted.
One of the most significant, is that for the range of
stresses found in civil engineering problems, particles of
granular materials undergo important breakage, even for very
low stress levels. This means that when travelling along their
stress paths, rockfills are continuously changing not only the
void ratio - as is the case with soils - but also the grain
size. For each new step in this path, a new material is
obtained. It therefore becomes clear how hard it is to design
a rockfill structure when we aim to tackle all the safety
problems involved. Nevertheless, it is our hope that at the
end of this Course a contribution will have been made towards
a clarification of these problems.
Though this Course is intended primarily for NATO countries,
technicians non-NATO countries may also attend it.
We therefore have lecturers and participants from such
different countries as Angola, Australia, Brazil, Cape Verde,
France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Mozambique,
Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the united Kingdom, the united States
and, of course, Portugal.
The total number of lecturers is twelve, and the number of
participants is about seventy.
The course lasts for two weeks, with forty-two hours of
lectures, and discussions periods devoted to the contributions
of participants; a panel on discussion of the future of
rockfills an editorial meeting, and two technical visits: one
to the LNEC (next Wednesday) and the other, to a section of
the Lisbon-oporto motorway, where rockfills are being used in
road embankments.
The objective of this course is not only to contribute to
the advancement of science and dissemination of advanced
knowledge, but also to encourage the creation of professional
and personal links among the scientists in this international
meeting.
Keeping this objective in mind, we have tried hard - and we
vJi11 try in the next two weeks - to achieve an atmosphere
which will help to attain this goal. certainly we will have
the valuable help of the lecturers, the participants, the LNEC
staff and also of all those very many aspects with which our
country and our people, always surprise those who come from
abroad and wish to know us.
On the behalf of the Organizing Committee I wish to thank
the Lecturers coming from abroad for their efforts and good
will, and the NATO Scientific Affairs Division and the LNEC,
for their logistical support.
To everyone taking part, we offer our best wishes for a
profitable course and a pleasant stay in Portugal.