Cavitation and Erosion Damage to Concrete in Dams

Cavitation and erosion experiences within one geographic area are summarized to illustrate the prevalence of this type of damage. Examples of similar experiences at other projects for various owners worldwide are included for general information. A project is often considered to be without damage simply because thorough inspections to identify damage have not been performed or published. Other reasons include the fact that waterflows approaching the design quantity or velocity have not occurred during the structure's life. Until recently, the "state-of-the-art" methods used to design, model, inspect, and construct concrete outlets, stilling basins, and similar structures throughout the world have not been adequate to categorically eliminate the possibility of damage. Newer projects with sufficient time and funding to develop, model, and construct an adequate air-entrainment system have successfully dealt with the cavitation problem.