Construction of roller compacted concrete dams in hot arid regions

Abstract

Roller compacted concrete (RCC) dams are attractive to many water and energy corporations around the world due to their ease in construction and low construction cost. The hydration of cement and the climatic changes on the convective boundaries are the two main heat sources for the temperature rise in the roller compacted concrete dams. Thus, changing the RCC placement schedule according to climate conditions might eliminate the problem of thermal cracks. In this research, the RCC dam method was applied in an arid region; the Bisha state in Saudi Arabia was chosen as a case study. We found that RCC dam technology can be applied safely with an alternative solution, like selecting a suitable placement schedule and reducing the placing temperature of facing at upstream and downstream sides to overcome the risk of thermal cracks.