LUIS VALENZUELA P, RAMON VERDUGO A, JOSE CAMPANA Z & CARMEN G OPAZO A


is Colbún, which stands at 116m and is part of a hydroelectric complex which comprises other earth dams; Centinela (19m), Machicura (32m) and Secundaria (17m). The oldest dams of this type from this period are Tutuvén dams (32m and 17m) with a positive seismic performance during the Maule earthquake of 2010 (M = 8.8) despite being the nearest dams to the earthquake’s epicentre. On the contrary Coihueco (9m), a much more modern dam constructed in 1971, suffered considerable damage during the same earthquake, as will be discussed later in this paper. Figure 15 shows the location of some of the dams already mentioned in relation to the fault trace and main or starting epicentre of the Maule earthquake.


Figure 15. Earth dams impacted by the Maule earthquake in 2010[14]


El Yeso dam (61m), built in 1967, is part of the water supply system for Santiago. Its main problems have been associated with excessive foundation seepage, and extensive cement grouting has been applied since its construction. Laguna del Maule dam (40m high), built by the MOP in 1957, allowed this natural lagoon to be used as an irrigation/hydroelectricity project. It was first inspected in 1970[16] and more recently for the occasion of the connection to the new Los Cóndores hydroelectric plant. Neither of these dams have suffered damage during earthquakes.


The Tutuvén reservoir has two dams, the main one is an earth dam 32m high and the secondary dam, the nearest to the epicentre, has a maximum height of 17m. These dams


200 DAM ENGINEERING Vol XXXI Issue 3


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95