CAREN TAILINGS DAM
Julio Echevarría S.1, Luis Felipe Aguirre W.2, Luis San Martín M.3
1, Ingeniero Civil Codelco, [email protected]
2, Ingeniero Civil Codelco, [email protected]
3,Ingeniero Civil, SMI Ingenieros, [email protected]
• Caren Reservoir is located 90
km south west of Santiago
• It has served since 1986 for the
disposal of tailings generated
by El Teniente
• The dam was designed in 12
stages , with a final height of
about 140 m and capacity of 2
billion m3 (term of the live:
about year 2064)
• The dam is ready built up to
Stage 5
INTRODUCCTION
MAIN FEATURES OF THE STAGE 5
• Tailings Storage Capacity up to Stage 5 :710.000.000 m³
• Tailings Disposal Area :19 km²
• Total volume fillings up to Stage 5 :14.000.000 m³
• Height up to Stage 5 : 84m
• Crest Length :900m
• Upstream Slope (H: V) :2:1
• Downstream Slope (H: V) :2:1
DAM FOUNDATIONS
• The alluvial deposit in the valley
reach depths of up to 115 m.
• The first 10 m correspond to fluvial
low density sands, potentially
liquefiable. This soil was replaced
with compacted materials
• Below that soil, exists gravel with
some clay lenses and clayey sands.
SLOPE STAGE 4
SLOPE STAGE 5
DESCRIPTION OF THE DAM
• Up to Stage 4, dam had a core of fine material located on the
upstream face and in the downstream shell, a coarse material.
Between the two sectors, a drainage chimney system was placed.
2.5
1
31
1a Etapa: 181.4
2a Etapa: 192.7
3a Etapa: 201.6
4a Etapa: 209.8
1A
11
1
1.5 2.5
1
2
1
23
4
5
Dren Chimenea
DESCRIPTION OF THE DAM
• Due to the low availability of materials, near the dam. In the stage
5, downstream shell material was replaced for a quarried rock, and
chimney drain was eliminated.
31
4a Etapa: 209.8
5a Etapa: 219.02
1
21
2.51
4a Etapa: 209.8
5a Etapa: 219.0
1A
2B
21
2
13B
21
3A
• The proposal of the new
design was to change the
downstream shell material.
SPECIFICATIONS OF MAIN MATERIALS
• Materials 1A: Impervious Core Material
– Fines Percentage (#200) : 25-70%
– Maximum Size 3” : only isolated boulders.
– Plasticity Index : 5-25
– Layers of 30cm thickness
– Density compaction of 95% of Modified Proctor
• Materials 3B: Massive Rockfill
– Maximum Size : 85% layer thick
– Size 1” :<50%
– Fine material (#200) : <6%
– Uniformity coefficient : D60/D10>15
– Layers of 80 cm thickness
– Minimum density : 2, 12 T/m3.
– Compaction: 6 passes, 5t/m static weight roller
DESCRIPTION OF THE DAM
• For Stage 5 was chosen a downstream slope of 2:1 (H: V). In the
following stages, the slope will be increased up to 1.6:1 (H: V).
31
4a Etapa: 209.8
12a Etapa: 276.0
2
1
1.61
2.51
1.71
1.75
11.8
1
1.851
1.91
11a Etapa: 270.0
10a Etapa: 262.0
9a Etapa: 254.0
8a Etapa: 246.0
7a Etapa: 237.0
6a Etapa: 228.0
5a Etapa: 219.0
1.951
21
3B
1A
2B3A
FEBRUARY 27 2010 EARTHQUAKE BEHAVIOR
• Earthquake of 8,8 Richter
magnitude (Epicentre was located
400 km from the dam)
• At that time, 25% of stage 5 was
built.
• Only minor cracks (5 to 6 mm)
were detected near the
abutments.
CONCLUSIONS
• Change the materials had a big impact to reduce costs
and schedules.
• The “new” design was immediately tested, due to a big
earthquake. The dam had a good behavior.
• This innovative change is being taking account in future
projects and studies on Codelco.
DYNAMIC ANALISYS
• Sismo de Diseño:
– Magnitud: 8.0
– Aceleración máxima horizontal:
0,88g
– Aceleración máxima vertical:
0,57g
• Resultados Etapa 12
– Máximo Horz. : 0,4 m
– Remanente Horz : 0,1 m
– Máximo vertical. : 0,2 m
– Remanente vert. : 0,1 m
– Acel. Max. Horz. : 0,56 g
FLAC (Version 6.00)
LEGEND
25-Nov-08 17:24 step 0 2.800E+03 <x< 3.406E+03 -1.391E+02 <y< 4.666E+02
User-defined GroupsFundacionLama-E1Lama-E2Lama-E3Lama-E4Lama-E5Lama-E6Lama-E7Lama-E8Lama-E9Lama-E10Lama-E11Lama-E12Espaldon-E1Nucleo-E1Nucleo-E2Espaldon-E2Nucleo-E3
-0.500
0.500
1.500
2.500
3.500
4.500
(*10^2)
2.850 2.950 3.050 3.150 3.250 3.350(*10^3)
JOB TITLE : Embalse Carén : Alternativa Crecimiento Nucleo - Enrocado
FLAC (Version 6.00)
LEGEND
25-Nov-08 17:24 step 0 2.800E+03 <x< 3.406E+03 -1.391E+02 <y< 4.666E+02
User-defined GroupsFundacionLama-E1Lama-E2Lama-E3Lama-E4Lama-E5Lama-E6Lama-E7Lama-E8Lama-E9Lama-E10Lama-E11Lama-E12Espaldon-E1Nucleo-E1Nucleo-E2Espaldon-E2Nucleo-E3
-0.500
0.500
1.500
2.500
3.500
4.500
(*10^2)
2.850 2.950 3.050 3.150 3.250 3.350(*10^3)
JOB TITLE : Embalse Carén : Alternativa Crecimiento Nucleo - Enrocado
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0.6−
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0.4
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