Geotechnical investigation of the core material of Nergizlik Dam (Adana)

This study has been prepared as an MSc thesis at the Department of Geology in the Institute of Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Çukurova in the academic year of 2010 - 2011.Soil mechanical properties of the core material of Nergizlik Dam located 15 km north of Karaisalı district of Adana is the subject of this study. Shortwhile after the completion of the dam and impoundent filling of the reservoir, leakage was detected downstream in the mid portion of the body and in an emergency resense the water level was dropped in a very short time. The problem was first tried to be solved by means at cement injection, slurry trench was tried after it was not succesful.The core material used in the Nergizlik Dam has a structure dominated with fissures. Suitability of this material as a clay core and whether it has any contribution to the leakage problem have been investigated in this study. Samples were taken from clay core quarry area and compacted under the optimum water content. Later, classification (Atterberg limits and grain size analysis) and some soil mechanichal (permeability, consolidation) tests were performed both on this sample and two samples taken from different locations on the clay core during the improvement sudies. Finally, the results of the tests were studied and suitability of the clay core material and wheather it has any contribution to the leakage problem was determined.