Dams are generally designed and built to resist the most severe destabilizing conditions. Their failures have caused severe damages and loss of lives through history. The investigations carried out on failed dams have, in most cases, unveiled that foundation problems are usually the cause. These problems are very often related to the condition of discontinuities dissecting the rock foundations. Being weak, they are the preferred planes for deformation and rupture causing the collapse of the whole structure. This study deals with the rock mass properties and their suitability as rock foundation for Beni Haroun dam, the largest dam in Algeria. The dam is located in the north-eastern part of Algeria on Wadi El-Kebeir, approximately 40 km from its outfall in the Mediterranean Sea. The dam is a roller-compacted concrete type with a height of 120 m, a crest length of 710 m, and a water storage capacity of approximately 1 billion m³. The dam is founded on Ypresian limestone rock mass. The present study was carried out both in the field and in a laboratory. The field study included geological mapping of the engineering, an intensive discontinuity survey, and sampling. Laboratory tests were conducted to determine shear strength, uniaxial compressive strength, tensile strengths, and Young’s modulus of rock samples. The shear strength of discontinuity was evaluated according to the criterion developed by Barton and Choubey. The joint roughness coefficient was calculated through a statistical approach using the parameter Z₂, and an empirical approach based on a visual comparison with standard profiles of the Barton–Choubey roughness. The quality of the rock mass was estimated using Rock Mass Rating (RMR) and Geological Strength Index (GSI) systems. The stability of the dam foundation was assessed using the DMR system and the Hoek and Brown failure criteria. The rock mass of the dam foundation is the Ypresian limestone formation and is of fair quality. This study has shown that this rock mass is adequate as foundation for Beni Haroun RCC dam.

大坝的设计和建造通常可以抵抗最严重的破坏环境。他们的失败造成了严重的破坏，并因历史而丧命。在大多数情况下，对失败的水坝进行的调查表明，基础问题通常是原因。这些问题通常与不连续性解剖岩石基础的情况有关。它们很弱，是变形和破裂导致整个结构坍塌的首选平面。这项研究涉及岩质特性及其作为阿尔及利亚最大水坝贝尼·哈伦水坝的岩石基础的适用性。该水坝位于阿尔及利亚的东北部，位于瓦迪·基拜尔（Wadi El-Kebeir），距其在地中海的排污口约40公里。该坝是碾压混凝土类型，高度为120 m，³。该水坝建在伊普尔人的石灰岩岩体上。本研究是在现场和实验室中进行的。现场研究包括工程地质图，密集的不连续性调查和采样。进行了实验室测试以确定岩石样品的剪切强度，单轴抗压强度，抗张强度和杨氏模量。不连续的剪切强度根据Barton和Choubey提出的标准进行评估。使用参数Z ₂通过统计方法计算出接头粗糙度系数，以及基于视觉上与Barton-Choubey粗糙度的标准轮廓进行比较的经验方法。岩体的质量使用岩体额定值（RMR）和地质强度指数（GSI）系统进行估算。使用DMR系统以及Hoek和Brown破坏准则评估了坝基的稳定性。坝基的岩体为伊普尔人的石灰岩地层，质量一般。这项研究表明，这种岩体足以作为贝尼·哈伦RCC大坝的基础。