2813 Advances in Environmental Biology, 5(9): 2813-2827, 2011 ISSN 1995-0756 This is a refereed journal and all articles are professionally screened and reviewed ORIGINAL ARTICLE The Probability Of Amirkabir Mountains Environmental Pollution Due To Seismic Response Of Amirkabir Dam Zaniar Tokmechi Department of Civil Engineering, Mahabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mahabad, Iran. Zaniar Tokmechi: The Probability Of Amirkabir Mountains Environmental Pollution Due To Seismic Response Of Amirkabir Dam. ABSTRACT Amir Kabir dam, also known as Karaj dam, is a dam in Iran, located 63 kilometers northwest of Tehran and 23 kilometers north of Karaj. Amirkabir, also written as Alburz, Elburz or Elborz, is a mountain range in northern Iran stretching from the borders of Azerbaijan and Armenia in the northwest to the southern end of the Caspian Sea, and ending in the east at the borders of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan. The tallest mountain in the Middle East, Mount Damavand, is located in the range. In this paper, the probability of environmental pollution due to heavy metals caused by AMIRKABIR dam failure is studied. Finite Element and ZENGAR methods are used to analyze the probability of pollution at dam downstream. Different dam cross sections and various loading conditions are considered to study the effects of these factors on the seismic behavior of the dam. Results show that the effect of the highest cross section is not the most significant for heavy metals pollution at the dam down stream. Pollution coefficient due to stress along Y axis (Sy) is always the determinant pollution. While, in all sections Sx and Sy are the determinant parameter affecting downstream heavy metal pollution and normally are bigger than Sz. And, Sz which can never be a determinant. According to results, when the earthquake accelerations are bigger, maximum pollution coefficient due to tensile stress at dam basement is increased. While, the pollution due the maximum compressive stress at dam basement depends on both earthquake acceleration and loading condition. Key words: Environmental pollution, Seismic Response, Amirkabir dam, ZENGAR, FEM. Introduction form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat, or light. Pollutants, the elements of pollution, can The Amirkabir mountain range forms a barrier be foreign substances or energies [2], or naturally between the south Caspian and the Qazvin-Tehran occurring; when naturally occurring, they are considered plateau. It is only 60–130 km wide and consists of contaminants when they exceed natural levels [3,6]. sedimentary series dating from Upper Devonian to Pollution is often classed as point source or no point Oligocene, prevalently Jurassic limestone over a granite source pollution. core. Its higher elevations, in the Elburz Range forest Pollution has always been with us. According to steppe ecoregion, are arid with few trees, but its northern articles in different journals soot found on ceilings of slopes, in the Caspian Hyrcanian mixed forests prehistoric caves provides ample evidence of the high ecoregion, are lush and forested. levels of pollution that was associated with inadequate The seismic action on dams is the most important ventilation of open fires. The forging of metals appears to be considered in dams safety studies and its effects on to be a key turning point in the creation of significant air the environmental pollution [13]. In 21st century, pollution levels outside the home (. Core samples of hydraulic power exploitation and hydraulic engineering glaciers in Greenland indicate increases in pollution construction have been improved in many countries. associated with Greek, Roman and Chinese metal Some high dams over 200m, even 300m in height, have production. been built in many areas of the world [7]. According to the statistics, the construction regions Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a in many areas, are notable for their high environmental natural environment that causes instability, disorder, pollution [10,11,12]. Therefore, environmental studies harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical affected by the seismic safety of large dams is one of the systems or living organisms [8,1]. Pollution can take the key problems that need to be solved in the design of Corresponding Author Zaniar Tokmechi, Department of Civil Engineering, Mahabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mahabad, Iran. E-mail: [email protected] Tel: +98-918-873-1933, Fax: +98-871-3229437 2814 Adv. Environ. Biol., 5(9): 2813-2827, 2011 dams. While, difficulties exist in determining the seismic Amir Kabir dam, also known as Karaj dam, is a response of dams [14. The most important difficulty is dam in Iran, located 63 kilometres (39 mi) northwest of dams complex geometry and forms, motivated by the Tehran and 23 kilometres (14 mi) north of Karaj. Amir topography and geotechnical character of the kabir Dam was constructed on the Karaj River, and was implantation zone and controlling the project pollution the first multi-purpose dam in Iran. effects. According to the previous studies, usually 2D Construction: models corresponding to the higher section the dam have been used in the structural seismic analyses of the dams The initial studies for Amirkabir Dam took [5]. While, normally there is a lot of variation in the dam 22 years until 1956 when formal proceedings began and foundation geometry which can be extremely make the the dam was constructed in the period from 1957 to study of the dam downstream pollution difficult. 1961. In this paper, the probability of environmental pollution caused by AMIRKABIR dam failure is studied. Finite Specifications: Element and ZENGAR methods are used to analyze the probability of pollution at dam downstream. Different The ecliptic concrete structure is 180 metres dam cross sections and various loading conditions are (590 ft) high, with 30 metres (98 ft) length on bottom considered to study the effects of these factors on the and 390 metres (1,280 ft) on top and its watershed is 764 probability of environmental pollution due to seismic kilometres (475 mi) long. The average annual water behavior of the dam. inflow to its reservoir is 472 million cubic meters. The total capacity of the dam's reservoir is 202 million cubic Materials and Methods meters. The bottom elevation of reservoir and normal water surface elevation of reservoir are 1,545 metres Amir Kabir Dam: (5,069 ft) and 1,610 metres (5,280 ft) respectively. Figure 1 and 2 show Amirkabir dam and its place in Iran. Fig. 1: Amirkabi Dam Fig. 2: Amirkabir Dam Place 2815 Adv. Environ. Biol., 5(9): 2813-2827, 2011 Purpose: Alborz Mountains: The Amir kabir Dam was built as a multi-purpose dam to provide tap water for Tehran alongside Alborz, also written as Alburz, Elburz or Elborz, is agricultural development in Karaj. It supplies the a mountain range in northern Iran stretching from the irrigation demand of over 50,000 hectares (120,000 borders of Azerbaijan and Armenia in the northwest to acres) of farm land near Karaj. The power plant has been the southern end of the Caspian Sea, and ending in the connected to the national electricity network for over east at the borders of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan. 46 years and has a capacity of 90 megawatts. The lake The tallest mountain in the Middle East, Mount behind the dam is a touristic attraction while being a Damavand, is located in the range. Figure 3 and 4 show natural habitat for rainbow trout. With its sailing and central Alborz map and Damavand mountain. water-skiing facilities, the dam is a popular weekend summer resort. Fig. 3: Central Alborz Fig. 4: Damavand mount The Alborz mountain range forms a barrier slopes, in the Caspian Hyrcanian mixed forests between the south Caspian and the Qazvin-Tehran ecoregion, are lush and forested. plateau. It is only 60–130 km wide and consists of Zoroastrians may identify the range with the sedimentary series dating from Upper Devonian to dwelling place of the Peshyotan, and the Zoroastrian Oligocene, prevalently Jurassic limestone over a granite Ilm-e-Kshnoom sect identify Mount Davamand as the core. Its higher elevations, in the Elburz Range forest home of the Saheb-e-Dilan ('Masters of the Heart'). In steppe ecoregion, are arid with few trees, but its northern his epic Shahnameh, the poet Ferdowsi speaks of the 2816 Adv. Environ. Biol., 5(9): 2813-2827, 2011 mountains "as though they lay in India." This could 6) Alamut reflect older usage, for numerous high peaks were given 7) Dizin the name and some even reflect it to this day, for 8) Ovan lake example, Mount Elbrus in the Caucasus Mountains, and Mount Elbariz (Albariz, Jebal Barez) in the Kirman area Earthquake and ZENGAR Method: above the Straits of Hormuz. As recently as the 19th century, a peak in the northernmost range in the Hindu Earthquake as a special and challengeable load Kush system, just south of Balkh, was recorded as condition is one of the most significant loads that is Mount Elburz in British army maps. All these names considered in the dam designing and its effects could not reflect the same Iranian language compound, and share be negligible. In this paper, ZENGAR method is used to an identification as the legendary mountain Harā model the earthquake loading condition [9]. According Bərəzaitī of the Avesta. to this method, hydrodynamic pressure of water can be Also due to its great snowy winters there are derived by the equation 1. several ski resorts, some consider that a few of these are P C. wH (1) among the best in the world. Some of most important h ones are Dizin, Shemshak, Tochal, and Darbandsar. where αh is the maximum horizontal acceleration of the earthquake, γw is water mass density , H is the water Etymology: depth and C is a coefficient which is given by: Cm Z Z Z Z The name Elbrus is derived by metathesis from C ( (2 ) (2 ) (2) Alborz.