Design of underground artificial dams for mine water storage

The paper describes the approaches used for design of underground dams in different countries. The merits and demerits of design methods are critically discussed. An approach based on thick plate theory developed by the authors is presented. The factors which govern the thickness of a dam are outlined. The influence of blasting on dam design and a method to estimate the dynamic stresses due to blasting is suggested. In the authors’ view only arch shaped dams of cement concrete should be constructed. If the thickness of a dam exceeds 3 or 4 m a multistage dam is suggested. A case study and design details are included in the paper for guidance