Influência da energia de compactação e da drenagem interna na estabilidade de barragem de terra homogênea de pequeno porte

Abstract

The growing concern regarding the safety of earth dams, driven by critical incidents and the need to comply with legal and environmental requirements, has motivated studies aimed at finding effective technical solutions to ensure their stability. Among the most relevant factors for structural safety are the efficiency of internal drainage systems and the quality of soil compaction, whose proper combination can prevent structural failure. This study presents an evaluation of the efficiency of different internal drainage models applied to small homogeneous earth dams, aiming to analyze the impact of these solutions on structural stability. Horizontal drainage systems (drainage blanket) and vertical drainage systems (chimney filter) were considered, along with variations in soil compaction energy at normal and intermediate levels. The methodology involved computational modeling using the SEEP/W and SLOPE/W modules of the GeoStudio® software, allowing the analysis of seepage flow and the stability of the upstream and downstream slopes. The results indicated that the presence of internal drainage leads to significant increases in the safety factor, especially on the downstream slope, with vertical drainage combined with intermediate compaction presenting the best performance. Conversely, the absence of drainage resulted in insufficient safety factors, even with higher compaction energy. It is concluded that the combination of efficient drainage and proper compaction is essential to ensure the safety and longevity of homogeneous earth dams.