The engineering geology of the Tabarak Abad Dam

The Tabarak Abad Dam on the river Tabarak, a branch of Atrak river, is located about 25 km of northeast of Quchan city in the northeast of Iran. The dam is now under construction and will be completed in 2002. The Tabarak Abad Dam has been designed as an earthfill dam with a clay core. The dam and its associated concrete structures are mainly founded on limestone and shale of the Shoorigeh formation of Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous age and limestone and sandstone of the Tirgan formation of Lower Cretaceous age. These rocks are affected by high jointing and faulting especially in the surface. This paper discusses the site investigation for the dam.