Central Asian Journal of Water Research (2019) 5(1): 18-28 © The Author(s) 2019. ISSN: 2522-9060 Published by Kazakh-German University, Almaty / Kazakhstan Analysis of engineering properties of rock mass of Shah-wa-Arus dam site, Kabul, Afghanistan Abdulhalim Zaryab 1* , Mohammad Ibrahim Najaf 1 , Mohammad Zia Jamal 1 1 Kabul Polytechnic University, Kabul, Afghanistan * Corresponding author Email: a.zaryab@kpu.edu.af Received: 28 December 2018; Received in revised form: 07 February 2019; Accepted: 28 February 2019; Published online: 15 March 2019. doi: 10.29258/CAJWR/2019-R1.v5-1/18-28.eng Abstract The Shah-wa-Arus dam is currently being constructed on the Shakardara River, approximately 22 km to the north west of Kabul City, Afghanistan. The height and length of the dam are 77.5 m and 303 m, respectively, and the storage capacity of the dam is estimated around 9.38 million cubic meter. The type of the dam is roller- compacted concrete (RCC). It is a multi -purpose dam, designed to store water for irrigation, to mitigate flooding and generate electricity. The dam is located within a tectonically active zone, and the dam site has been strongly affected by tectonic activity. The paper presents results of comparison rock quality designation (RQD) and Lugeon parameters, based on a review and analysis of initial engineering-geological studies and additional field observations. The results of Lugeon and RQD were statistically evaluated in graphs and by using comparison of these graphs with all other conditions as of natural of this particular site. The obtained results show which state of the natural conditions is somehow a meaningful relationship between a Lugeon unit and RQD parameters. Finally, the rock mass of the dam foundation site is classified in accordance with the RMR classification. Keywords: Shah-wa-Arus dam, RQD, Lugeon, Permeability, RMR. Paper type: Research paper 1. Introduction The quality of the rock mass is one of the most important geology characteristics influential in designing and building a dam. In general, geological structures, discontinuities and a degree of weathering are the most parameters that affect the rock mass engineering (Bell 2007). The other important parameter, hydraulic conductivity of the rock mass, is having a close relation to the discontinuity and joints properties. Therefore, one of the major problems of the studies of a dam site foundation is correction of evaluation of the relationship between the discontinuity properties and the hydraulic behaviour of the rock mass. Water pressure test or Lugeon test which called “Packer test” is one of the common used tests in the evaluation of the rock mass permeability (Houlsby 1990). On the other hand, Deere (1990) reported that using the RQD index and its comparison with the obtained Lugeon test results is one of the