Programa computacional para cálculo de forças decorrentes da pressão da água sobre taludes submersos de barragens

Abstract

The rise in water level caused by dams results in increase in static pressure over the submerged area of ​​the upstream slope. The effect of this pressure are forces, which have components that tend to push the dam in the longitudinal direction. The calculation of these forces is linked to height of the dam, distribution of the submerged area of ​​the slope and possible effects of stratification in the reservoir. This estimate is important for projects and for dam safety. This paper presents a computer program developed specifically for this purpose: forecasting forces on submerged slopes. The program is user-friendly, uses electronic spreadsheet and was coded in Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). The option for the numerical solution allows to calculate complex situations, such as irregular and asymmetrical areas, and stratification due to water temperature and salinity. An application to the Tambor dam was carried out, indicating convergence and stabilization of the solution for vertical discretizations with spacing of centimeters and, mainly, of millimeters.