Geological Survey of India

SALAL HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT

A VIEW OF CONCRETE DAM FROM DOWN STREAM SIDE

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Contributed by A. Sinha, DyDG, AMSE Wing

Geological Survey of India

Salal hydroelectric project is the first major hydroelectric project constructed on river
Chenab. The project is located near Reasi about 100 km from Jammu in the state of
Jammu and Kashmir. The project components includes a 118 m high rock fill dam on
northern limb of Dhiangarh loop, a 113 m high concrete dam having spillway and power
dam, 6 penstocks of 220 length, surface power house having six units of 115 MW
capacity and 2 tail race tunnels of 2.5 km length.
The state of Jammu and Kashmir forming part of the Western Himalaya is drained by
four major snow fed and perennial river systems. Indus Water Treaty of 1960 between
the Governments of India and Pakistan governs the utilization of water of rivers draining
the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The Salal Hydroelectric project, in Chenab system was
the first to be taken up for construction and stage-I was commissioned in year 1987.
The Initiative for tapping the hydropower potential of Chenab River around Salal dates
back to 1920 nearly seven decades (67 years) before commissioning of the project. In
1920, the Government of Punjab at the instance of the then Maharaja of Jammu &
Kashmir identified a dam site located about one km downstream of the present site. The
proposal was again taken up in 1944 and J.B. Auden of Geological Survey of India
provided the first geotechnical assessment of the project.
Since 1944 till commissioning in the year 1987 twenty officers and nine supervisory
officers have carried out feasibility and construction stage geotechnical investigations.
Details of geological investigations have been submitted in 54 Geological Reports and
several short study notes. The consolidated results of geological investigations have
been compiled and published as Salal Hydroelectric Project, J&K, Stage-I A Case
History as Bulletin: Series B, Number 63.
A brief summary of the geological investigations pertaining to major structures is
enumerated below.

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Geological Survey of India

ROCK FILL DAM

The rockfill dam, a principal component of the project was constructed on the northern
limb of Dhiangarh loop of Chenab river. The dam was a total length of 630 m at its top
elevation 497 m and a maximum height of 118 m from the deepest foundation level. The
dam occupies a maximum base width of about 500 m. Its construction involved
placement of an aggregate quantity of 7.3 million m3 material consisting of 1.2 million m3
of impervious clay, 0.5 million m3 of filter material and 5.6 million m3 of shell material.
The core base of the dam has been kept on bedrock and it necessitated providing of five
rows of grout curtain accompanied with area grouting involving drilling for a total length
of 96,000 m and pumping of 2400 tons of cement. The impervious core, filter and shell
materials have been borrowed from areas located within a radius of 8 km from the dam
site and a major portion of these have been produced mainly by the river.
The rockfill dam section has an overall slope of 2.5:1 and 1.7:1 on the upstream and
downstream sides respectively. The impervious core has a slope of 0.6:1 and 0.2:1 on
the upstream and downstream sides respectively, thus providing a core contact of 0.4
H+10 M, core width of core at the top. The impervious earth core was keyed into fresh
rock to provide necessary barrier against seepage. In addition, area and curtain grouting
was proposed. Core thickness at the base was kept as 5/6 H in the foundations and 0.7
H+6.10 m in the abutments.
The rocks exposed at the foundation grade of core base are highly jointed dolomite with
thin chert bands and is traversed by a number of shear zones and joints. The bedding
strikes in N85 E-S85 W direction with dips of to 55 to 60 in N5 W direction. The
bedding planes run almost normal to the dam axis. The most prominent divisional planes
are bedding joints throughout the entire core base. The cross joints dipping 30-35 in
southerly direction and transverse joints dipping 75 -80 in westerly direction. Bedding
shears are most prominent and vary in thickness from few cm to 15 m. In the entire core
base area, eleven bedding shears having a thickness of more than 0.75 m had been
identified and provided with plug treatment. The bedding shear zones repeat at an
interval of 1 to 4 m in the entire core base area. The cross shear zones vary in thickness
from 1 cm to 5 m and repeat at an interval of 2 to 5 m. Similarly, transverse shears with
1 to 20 cm thickness are few and spaced far apart. Major transverse shears have been
mapped between grid +30 and +60 N and between grid -30N and -120N. All the shear
zones with a width of more than 75 cm, were excavated to depths twice of their width
from the competent rock level subject a maximum of 3.05 m and a minimum of 0.75 m.
The excavated trench after being treated by grouting to a depth of 7.62 m below the
surface with consolidation and curtain grouting were backfilled with mass concrete. The
treatment extended to length of H/2 on the upstream and H/3 on the downstream from
the center of the base of the impervious core.
An elaborate programme of grouting as a part of foundation treatment was carried out in
the core base area and on the abutments to consolidate and seal all planes of weakness
in the foundation rock. The entire core base area was provide with area grouting which
consisted staggered grout holes 3m center to center with row spacing at 3m.Grouting
was carried out to a depth of 10 m. on upstream and 4.5 m on down stream side. A five
row curtain grouting was provided at the center of core base. Of the five row grout holes
the central row was H/2 followed by two rows one in upstream and one in downstream
tom H/3 depth and outer rows to a depth of 15 m. The grouting efforts have brought
down the permeability values in the range of 1 to 10 leugeons.

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Geological Survey of India

In order to relieve high seepage pressures in the core base area, the relief wells spaced
20-40 m apart. Were provided in the downstream toe of the dam

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Geological Survey of India

CONCRETE DAM
The 113 m high and 450 m long concrete dam of the project is located on an East-West
trending ridge, which divides Dhiangarh loop of the Chenab River into two limbs. The
dam axis is aligned in N56E-S56W direction for a length of 270 m (reckoned with 0 RD

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Geological Survey of India

on the left abutment) and then in N63-ES63W direction for the remaining length of the
dam. Thus the dam axis has a kink of 7 in a length of 450 m and this alignment is
askew (27-34) to the E-W trending long axis of the spur.
The concrete dam consists of two components, a spillway and a power dam. In all, it has
twenty-six monolithic blocks. Of these, 12 blocks (nos. 3B-15A) accommodate spillway,
6 blocks (nos. 16-18) and (nos. 20-22) accommodates power dam Block No. 19
corresponds to service bay area for stage-I and II of the powerhouse. The remaining
blocks (nos. 1-3A, 15B, 23 to 26) constitute the non-overflow section on right and left
abutments. The construction of the concrete dam necessitated removal of 22 lakh m3 of
rock and placement of 15 lakh m3 of concrete comprising 30 lakh tons of aggregates of
various sizes, 3.67 lakh tons of cement and 9000 MT of steel reinforcement. Treatment
of the foundation demanded cumulative drilling and grouting of nearly 3000 m.
The total dam base covered an area of about 3400 m2 and in order to reach the
foundation grade, about 50 m deep excavation had to be done. This deep and huge
excavation involving removal of 22 lakh m3 of rock was dictated by the morphology of the
ridge and its internal anatomy i.e. the intensity of dissection of the bed rock and the
geometry of orientation of the divisional planes.
The basic requirements of a foundation are firstly, it should behave as a homogeneous
monolith, secondly, it should be free from differential settlement and sliding and thirdly, if
the structure has to retain water behind it, the foundation should be watertight. The
foundation of the concrete dam of Salal Project had to be made massive and required
varied treatments on all the three count to achieve the objective.
The rocks exposed at the foundation grade of the dam are highly jointed dolomite
interspersed with bands of crumbly and massive dolomite. The general strike of the
bedding varied from N85E-S85W to E-W with dips of 50 to 60 towards NNW or N.
The dam axis made an angle of 29 with the strike of the rocks in overflow section while;
it made an angle of 22-27 in power dam area.
Highly jointed dolomite formed the most prominent rock type at the foundation grade,
occupying more than 95% of the surface area with zones of crumbly dolomite. This
dolomite is fine grained well bedded with closely spaced joints. The crumbly dolomite is
gray, fine to medium grained, thin bedded and irregularly fractured by crisscross pattern
of joints, which are spaced less than a cm apart.
The foundation rock mass is dissected by three prominent sets of joints. Of these, the
one parallel to the bedding with dips towards the upstream direction were bedding joint
and the others with the same strike as bedding but with low dips towards downstream
were cross joint. The third set cuts across the strike of the first two sets in ridge with
steeper angles towards the right abutment.
In the concrete dam foundation, 12 prominent bedding shears were encountered and
mapped. Of these, three major ones designated as BS-6, BS-9 and BS-12 are disposed
nearly equidistantly and of these, BS-6 is the most prominent. The bedding shear zones
strike in N85E-S85W direction with dip of 50 towards NNW.
The cross shear zones were oriented more or less parallel to the bedding shear with dip
in opposite (south) direction. These shear zones encountered at the foundation grade,
were generally a few cm thick with gouge zones. The spillway section, as many as 18

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Geological Survey of India

cross shear seams and in power dam section, nine cross shear zones/seams varying in
thickness from 0.5 cm to 5 cm were recognized .The foundation grade of the spillway
section of concrete dam was traversed by a traverse shear zone and two oblique shear
zones. These zones trend in N-S to N15W-S15E direction with dip of 75-80 towards
west.
In view of these shear zones three problems were recognized. These are (i) differential
mechanical behavior due to varying physical properties leading to differential settlement,
(ii) shear zones getting day lighted on upstream or downstream side posing problems to
stability of dam (iii) piping along the shear zone running upstream, to downstream due to
sustained reservoir head.
In order to overcome the problem of differential settlement shear zones having thickness
of 20cm to 2 m. were provided with dental treatment by excavating to a depth of twice
the thickness and back filling with concrete. Shear zones having thickness of more than
2 m. was provided with raft treatment by excavating a 3 m. deep trench and back filling
with reinforced concrete. This treatment was provided for BS-9 and BS-12 shear zone.
The major bedding shear zone BS-6 having a thickness of 1 to 13 m. was provided
treatment as per Shastas formula. Accordingly trench to a depth of 8m in upstream half
of dam and 13 m. in downstream half of dam body with a positive cut off of 31 m. at dam
axis was provided. In order to improve the stability of dam foundation no foundation was
kept on the shear zones, which are getting day lighted either on downstream or
upstream directions side and required lowering of the foundation was done lowered.
Positive cut off along the dam axis were provided along the shear zones, which are
running from upstream to downstream.
The general plan for the grouting of the foundation of the concrete dam included
consolidation grouting of the entire dam foundation, after the excavation was done to the
final foundation grade. In addition to this curtain grouting was done up to EL 381 from
foundation gallery at EL 442 m. and upto EL 330 m from drainage gallery at EL 393 m.
and drainage holes were drilled subsequent to grouting.

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Geological Survey of India

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Geological Survey of India

POWER HOUSE
The powerhouse of the project is located on the right bank of the Chenab River in a
depressed pit. Its bottom is 24 m below the river bed level and occupies an area
measuring 160 m in length and 90 m in width to accommodate six units of 115 MW
capacities each. In order to reach the bottom of the pit, it necessitated removal of 1.7
million m3 of overburden and rock.
The foundation rock consists of highly jointed, grey dolomite with a number of chert
bands and shear zones. The rock, in general, strikes E-W to N75W-S75E with dips of
55 to 60 towards north to N15E. Foundation grade rocks are traversed by number of
bedding, cross and transverse shears. The bedding shear zones are few and thin except
for a thick one varying in thickness from 0.50 to 1 m exposed at a distance of 12 m from
RD 25 to 50 m. In order to avoid unequal settlement, the thicker bedding shear has been
provided with dental treatment at the foundation grade by excavating it to twice its width
and backfilling with concrete. The depth of the trench varied from 1.4 to 1.6 m in the area
treated. A few thin crosses shear zones dipping 30 towards south to southwest were
also mapped in the foundation. The transverse shear zones were impersistent.
In finalizing the proposals of the powerhouse on the right bank of Chenab river on its
southern limb, it had been recommended that in view of highly jointed nature of dolomite
exposed on the hill face, the hill slope be provided with slope cuts with a general cut
slope of 49 with 1.5m wide berms at vertical intervals of 15m from powerhouse level

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Geological Survey of India

upto the top at El 537m. The excavated rock phase was short created (100 mm thick)
on a wire mesh with 25mm diameter anchors (3m deep) spaced 2m c/c.

TAIL RACE TUNNEL

The tail waters from the depressed powerhouse have been conducted through a 2.4 km
long, 11m diameter horse shoe shaped tail race tunnel to derive advantage of the head
available in the loop of the river downstream of the power house location.
The tail race tunnel was aligned across a ridge rising up to El 1000m piercing through
the dolomite, which are closely jointed because of their close proximity to the Main
Boundary Fault, separating the younger tertiary from the older rocks. The alignment of
the tunnel made an angle of 65 with a strike of rocks at the inlet side but this angle is
acute (20) towards outlet and thus the bedding shear zone would be encountered in the
tunnel for a longer distance on the outlet portal side.
The tail race tunnel was excavated though single litho unit, the dolomite which was
categorized, based on their physical properties and spacing of discontinuities in the
project area. Tunneling conditions also varied in different categories of dolomite. During
early construction stage investigations, geological conditions along the tunnel alignment
were forecast and it was anticipated that major length the tunnel would encounter highly
jointed dolomite (80%) with crumbling and sheared category for 10-15% length and rest
of the length would encounter other categories. The dolomite at inlet side generally
strike in N80E-S80W to E-W with dips of 50to 60 towards NNW to N and tunnel
alignment made an angle of 60 to 70 with the beds at inlet side. The bedding strikes in
NE-SW direction with dips of 45 to 60 outlet side and makes an obliquity of 20 to 40

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Geological Survey of India

with tunnel alignment. The change in strike of beds is due to the presence of an open
anticlinal fold whose axis trends in NNW SSE direction. The tunnel was excavated by
heading and benching method thorough conventional drilling and blasting and rib
supporting method. Heading was followed by benching and subsequent lining by plain
concrete. Primary support in heading consisted of steel ribs erected at spacing from.30
to 1.25 m center to center. The excavation of tunnel faced several problems of over
breaks, formation of cavities and seepage of excess water. The problematic zones were
tackled by adopting to shorter pull, fore poling, consolidation grouting, multiple drifting
and also providing short drainage tunnels on the sides. Combinations of these methods
were adopted for each problematic zones depending upon the seriousness of the zones.
In the entire length of tunnel seventeen problematic reaches covering cumulative length
of 350 m. (about 15% of total length of tunnel) were encountered which need special
treatment. In these reaches approximately 31000 cu. m. of overbreaks was recorded.
These needed 12000 approx. m3 of concert for filling these overbreaks, approx. 60000
bags of cement for consolidation grouting and 55000 bags of cement for pack grouting.

A tail race channel was provided from the outlet of the tunnel for carrying the water to
river Chenab. The finally adopted layout involved construction of cut and cover section
for 180 m length for Stage-I and 70 m for Stage-II from outlet portals and open channel
section for 130 m length for Stages-I and II. The bottom elevations of cut and cover
were kept at El 379 m i.e. tunnel invert level. The bottom elevation of open channel
varied from El 381 m near the cut and cover section to El 389 m near the point where it
joins the river.

PLUNGE POOL
The spillway portion of the concrete dam of the project consists of 12 bays of 18.6 m
width each. The energy dissipation arrangement is of ski-jump bucket, ejecting the
overflowing jet of water away from the toe of the spillway. The ski-jump bucket at the toe
of spillway had its invert at El 409.96 m and a radius of 15.24 m with an exit angle of 28
finalized on the basis of previous model studies. As the river is flowing more or less
parallel to the spillway axis on the downstream, the water jet strikes normal to the
direction of natural flow in the river. The water pool formed by the spillway overflow is

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Geological Survey of India

confined on the western side by the powerhouse protection wall, a concrete gravity wall
(Dam-2) and by the hill face opposite spillway on the right bank of the river. It was felt
that the souring action of spillway water could lead to erosion and failure of large
quantities of rock mass from the hill face into the pool. Preliminary model studies also
indicated deep souring in the river bed portion. In view of this, creation of a preformed
plunge pool became necessary for which treatment to the opposite hill slope was
provided inn the following manner.
Part-A: Covered Dam-II, Powerhouse wall and opposite hill slope upto block joint 11/12.
Treatment provided was rigid lining of reinforced concrete varying in thickness from 2 to
4 m with rail cladding on its face form El 373 m upto El 411 m.
Part-B: The thickness of cement concrete apron from El 373 to 411.5 m was 2 m. This
treatment extended from block joint 11/12 upto center line of block-7. Treatment above
El 411.5 m was same as in Part-A.
Part C: Covered the area between center line of block-7 and joint of blocks 2/3. In this
reach a gradual transition had been provided from El 373 to 395 m in the bed. Concrete
apron in the side was given a curved transition to provide for smooth flow of water. The
rock face was treated with 150 mm thick shotcrete after providing 36 mm diameter, 6 m
deep torsteel anchors at a spacing of 1.5 m and 2 m c/c.
To facilitate the construction of main dam across the northern limb of Dhiangarh loop, a
diversion tunnel was constructed. A circular concrete-lined diversion tunnel on the left
abutment of concrete dam was built. It was 243 m long and had a diameter of 9.14 m
with a maximum diversion capacity of 1600 cumecs. This diversion tunnel facilitated
uninterrupted work for 200 days from October to May during the period of construction.

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Geological Survey of India

A VIEW OF ROCKFILL DAM AND RESERVOIR

A VIEW OF SALAL PROJECT SHOWING DAM AND RESERVOIR

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