Waterstop Technology

for the 21st Century

Stephen Tatro, PE
Concrete Materials Specialist
William Harrison, PG, PE
Geologist/Civil Engineer

Ageing&of&Concrete&Dams&Rehabilita6on&of&Waterstops&
81st%Annual%Mee-ng%of%the%Interna-onal%Commission%on%Large%Dams%

TYPES&OF&WATERSTOPS&
! PVC$
! Copper$
! Fiberboard$
! Asphalt$Filler$
! Other$metals$

Ageing&of&Concrete&Dams&Rehabilita6on&of&Waterstops&
81st%Annual%Mee-ng%of%the%Interna-onal%Commission%on%Large%Dams%

! Improper$installa7on$
! Fa7gue$loading$$
Repeated$movement$of$monoliths$

! Deteriora7on$of$concrete$adjacent$to$waterstop$

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81st%Annual%Mee-ng%of%the%Interna-onal%Commission%on%Large%Dams%

! Nuisance$water$
! FreezeCthaw$damage$
! Loss$of$cri7cal$water$
! Limited$access$to$cri7cal$areas$
(instrumenta7on$and$drains)$
! Loss$of$equipment$func7on$
! Loss$of$stabiity$
Ageing&of&Concrete&Dams&Rehabilita6on&of&Waterstops&
81st%Annual%Mee-ng%of%the%Interna-onal%Commission%on%Large%Dams%

! 1st$Genera7on$$1970sC1980s$
! 2nd$Genera7on$$1980sC1990s$
! 3RD$Genera7on$$2009Cpresent$
! See$References$and$Handout$Informa7on$
Ageing&of&Concrete&Dams&Rehabilita6on&of&Waterstops&
81st%Annual%Mee-ng%of%the%Interna-onal%Commission%on%Large%Dams%

Ageing&of&Concrete&Dams&Rehabilita6on&of&Waterstops&
81st%Annual%Mee-ng%of%the%Interna-onal%Commission%on%Large%Dams%

! Less costly
! More reliable
! Takes advantage of new materials

Ageing&of&Concrete&Dams&Rehabilita6on&of&Waterstops&
81st%Annual%Mee-ng%of%the%Interna-onal%Commission%on%Large%Dams%

Ageing&of&Concrete&Dams&Rehabilita6on&of&Waterstops&
81st%Annual%Mee-ng%of%the%Interna-onal%Commission%on%Large%Dams%

Ageing&of&Concrete&Dams&Rehabilita6on&of&Waterstops&
81st%Annual%Mee-ng%of%the%Interna-onal%Commission%on%Large%Dams%

Prototype&Installa6on&

$40$liters/

$30$days$
later$

Ageing&of&Concrete&Dams&Rehabilita6on&of&Waterstops&
81st%Annual%Mee-ng%of%the%Interna-onal%Commission%on%Large%Dams%

Ageing&of&Concrete&Dams&Rehabilita6on&of&Waterstops&
81st%Annual%Mee-ng%of%the%Interna-onal%Commission%on%Large%Dams%

Ageing&of&Concrete&Dams&Rehabilita6on&of&Waterstops&
81st%Annual%Mee-ng%of%the%Interna-onal%Commission%on%Large%Dams%

! Repaired$3$Waterstops$
1$was$successful$
2$were$unsuccessful$

$$$Unknown$source$of$water$
$$$Founda7on$seepage$path$

Ageing&of&Concrete&Dams&Rehabilita6on&of&Waterstops&
81st%Annual%Mee-ng%of%the%Interna-onal%Commission%on%Large%Dams%

!
!
!
!
!
!
!

Dworshak$Dam $$(ID) $
$
LiYle$Goose$Dam$(WA)$
$
Lower$Monumental$Dam$(WA)
Wanapum$(WA)$
$
$
Barkley$Dam$(KY)
$
$
Noxon$Rapids$Dam$(MT)
$
Stewartville$Dam$(ONT)
$

$3
$1
$2
$5
$4
$3
$1

$100C140m$
$58m$
$50m$
$40C50m$
$40C50m$
$63m$
$15m$

Ageing&of&Concrete&Dams&Rehabilita6on&of&Waterstops&
81st%Annual%Mee-ng%of%the%Interna-onal%Commission%on%Large%Dams%

! Stephen$Tatro,$PE$
Walla$Walla$Washington$
steve@tatrohinds.$com$
(509)C240C6422$

Ageing&of&Concrete&Dams&Rehabilita6on&of&Waterstops&
81st%Annual%Mee-ng%of%the%Interna-onal%Commission%on%Large%Dams%

! Walla$Walla$District,$Corps$of$Engineers$
Walla$Walla,$Washington$
Funded$and$supported$this$work$
Led$the$development$of$replaceable$waterstop$
technology$since$its$incep7on$in$the$1970s.$

Ageing&of&Concrete&Dams&Rehabilita6on&of&Waterstops&
81st%Annual%Mee-ng%of%the%Interna-onal%Commission%on%Large%Dams%

! Jacobs$Engineering$
SeaYle,$Washington$

! Dynamark$Laboratories$
Mill$Creek,$Washington$
$
$
$
$
Ageing&of&Concrete&Dams&Rehabilita6on&of&Waterstops&
81st%Annual%Mee-ng%of%the%Interna-onal%Commission%on%Large%Dams%

! Emagineered$Solu7ons$(www.emagineered.com)$
Redmond,$Oregon$
Performed$lowChead$and$highChead$prototype$
installa7ons$
Have$been$a$key$partner$in$the$development$of$
remedial$waterstops$since$the$1970s$
$

Ageing&of&Concrete&Dams&Rehabilita6on&of&Waterstops&
81st%Annual%Mee-ng%of%the%Interna-onal%Commission%on%Large%Dams%

! Blake$(2011)C$Excessive(Water(Leakage(Into(Wanapum(Dam(Controlled(By(
New(Genera?on(Waterstop(Technology(B(unpublished$
! McDonald$(1986)C$Repair(of(Waterstop(Failures:(Case(Histories,$
Department$of$the$Army.$
! Schrader$(1980)CRepair(of(Waterstop(Failures,$American$Society$of$Civil$
Engineers$
! Tatro$(1987)CWaterstop(Technology(B(The(Next(Chapter,$American$Society$
of$Civil$Engineers.
$$
! Tatro$(2009)CWaterstop(Technology((The(21st(Century,$Interna7onal$
Commission$on$Large$Dams$
! Tatro$(2013)CPrototype(Tes?ng(And(Demonstra?on(For(HighBhead(
Structures(B(unpublished(

$
Ageing&of&Concrete&Dams&Rehabilita6on&of&Waterstops&
81st%Annual%Mee-ng%of%the%Interna-onal%Commission%on%Large%Dams%

Ageing&of&Concrete&Dams&Rehabilita6on&of&Waterstops&
81st%Annual%Mee-ng%of%the%Interna-onal%Commission%on%Large%Dams%