A simplified physically-based breach model for a high concrete-faced rockfill dam:A case study

A simplified physically-based model was developed to simulate the breaching process of the Gouhou concrete-faced rockfill dam （CFRD）, which is the only breach case of a high CFRD in the world. Considering the dam height, a hydraulic method was chosen to simulate the initial scour position on the downstream slope, with the steepening of the downstream slope taken into account; a headcut erosion formula was adopted to simulate the backward erosion as well. The moment equilibrium method was utilized to calculate the ultimate length of a concrete slab under its self-weight and water loads. The calculated results of the Gouhou CFRD breach case show that the proposed model provides reasonable peak breach flow, final breach width, and failure time, with relative errors less than 15% as compared with the measured data. Sensitivity studies show that the outputs of the proposed model are more or less sensitive to different parameters. Three typical parametric models were compared with the proposed model, and the comparison demonstrates that the proposed physically-based breach model performs better and provides more detailed results than the parametric models.

Evaluation of behaviors of earth and rockfill dams during construction and initial impounding using instrumentation data and numerical modeling

In this study,the behavior of Gavoshan dam was evaluated during construction and the first impounding.A two-dimensional（2D） numerical analysis was conducted based on a finite difference method on the largest cross-section of the dam using the results of instrument measurements and back analysis.These evaluations will be completed in the case that back analysis is carried out in order to control the degree of the accuracy and the level of confidence of the measured behavior since each of the measurements could be controlled by comparing it to the result obtained from the numerical model.Following that,by comparing the results of the numerical analysis with the measured values,it is indicated that there is a proper consistency between these two values.Moreover,it was observed that the dam performance was suitable regarding the induced pore water pressure,the pore water pressure ratio r;,settlement,induced stresses,arching degree,and hydraulic fracturing probability during the construction and initial impounding periods.The results demonstrated that the maximum settlement of the core was 238 cm at the end of construction.In the following 6 years after construction（initial impounding and exploitation period）,the accumulative settlement of the dam was 270 cm.It is clear that 88% of the total settlement of the dam took place during dam construction.The reason is that the clay core was smashed in the wet side,i.e.the optimum moisture content.Whereas the average curving ratio was 0.64 during dam construction; at the end of the initial impounding,the maximum amount of curving ratio in the upstream was 0.81,and the minimum（critical） amount in the downstream was 0.52.It was also concluded that this dam is safe in comparison with the behaviors of other similar dams in the world.

Dynamic response of concrete face rockfill dam affected by polarity reversal of near-fault earthquake

In China,an increasing number of high concrete face rockfill dams(CFRDs)are located in high intensity earthquake zones,some of which are close to the seismic fault line.Recordings suggest that near-fault ground motions are characterized by large one-sided velocity pulses.The conventional dynamic analysis of dams,however,neglects the features of strong ground movements.In this study,under different ground motion levels some numerical dynamic studies considering the one-sided broadband pulses of near-fault earthquakes are presented for CFRDs based on a generalized plasticity model for rockfill materials.The results indicate that the displacements of dam crest corresponding to positive and reverse input of near-fault ground motion make a significant difference,while the displacements of the dam crest under artificial seismic waves are similar.Furthermore,using the horizontal and vertical components as simultaneous excitations near the faults,the displacements of the dam crest before and after reversing the motion produce a larger difference than that using a single component.More importantly,the difference of horizontal displacements of the dam crest caused by polarity reversal of near-fault ground motions increases with the increase of earthquake intensity.Due to the randomness and uncertainties of earthquakes,using a stochastic near-field motion input as excitation without considering the polarity(i.e.,positive vs reversed waveform),does not necessarily obtain a conservative result.

Stress-strain analysis of Aikou rockfill dam with asphalt-concrete core

Aikou rockfill dam with asphalt-concrete core is situated in a karst area in Chongqing City, China. In order to study the operative conditions of the rockfill dam, especially those of the asphalt-concrete core, the Duncan model is adopted to compute the stress and strain of both the rockfill dam and the asphalt-concrete core after karst grouting and other treatments. The results indicate that the complicated stress and deformation of both the dam body and the core are within reasonable ranges. It is shown that structure design and foundation treatment of the dam are feasible and can be used as a reference for other similar projects.

Reservoir water effects on earthquake performance evaluation of Torul Concrete-Faced Rockfill Dam

This study presents earthquake performance analysis of the Torul Concrete-Faced Rockfill （CFR） Dam with two-dimensional dam-soil and dam-soil-reservoir finite element models. The Lagrangian approach was used with fluid elements to model impounded water. The interface elements were used to simulate the slippage between the concrete face slab and the rockfill. The horizontal component of the 1992 Erzincan earthquake, with a peak ground acceleration of 0.515g, was considered in time-history analysis. The Drucker-Prager model was preferred in nonlinear analysis of the concrete slab, rockfill and foundation soil. The maximum principal stresses and the maximum displacements in two opposite directions were compared by the height of the concrete slab according to linear time-history analysis to reveal the effect of reservoir water. The changes of critical displacements and principal stresses with time are also shown in this paper. According to linear and nonlinear time-history analysis, the effect of the reservoir water on the earthquake performance of the Torul CFR Dam was investigated and the possible damage situation was examined. The results show that the hydrodynamic pressure of reservoir water leads to an increase in the maximum displacements and principal stresses of the dam and reduces the earthquake performance of the dam. Although the linear time-history analysis demonstrates that the earthquake causes a momentous damage to the concrete slab of the Torul CFR Dam, the nonlinear time-history analysis shows that no evident damage occurs in either reservoir case.

Packing,compressibility,and crushability of rockfill materials with polydisperse particle size distributions and implications for dam engineering

In rockfill dam engineering,particle breakage of rockfill materials is one of the major factors resulting in dam settlement.In this study,one-dimensional compression tests on a series of coarse granular materials with artificially-graded particle size distributions(PSDs)were carried out.The tests focused on understanding the role of initial PSDs in the dense packing density,compressibility and crushability of coarse granular materials.The effects of fractal dimension(D)and size polydispersity(θ)of PSDs were quantitatively analyzed.Two different loading stages were identified from the logarithms of the stress-strain relationships,with the turning point marked as the yield stress.A similar effect of initial PSDs was observed on the packing density and low-pressure modulus of coarse granular materials.The packing density and low-pressure modulus increased monotonically withθ,and their peak values were attained at a D value of approximately 2.2.However,there was no unique correspondence between the dense packing density and low-pressure modulus.The particle breakage was influenced differently by the initial PSDs,and it decreased with the values of D andθ.The emergence of the unique ultimate state was also identified from both the compression curves and PSDs of the samples after the tests.The potential implications of the test results in the design of both low and high rockfill dams were also demonstrated.

Confining pressure effect on dynamic response of high rockfill dam

Studies show that the dynamic properties of rockfill are strongly dependent on the confining pressure.Therefore,confining pressure effect has become a very important factor in the seismic analysis of high rockfill dam.The relationships of dynamic shear modulus versus dynamic shear strain and damping ratio versus dynamic shear strain had been improved to a certain degree on the basic of widely used Hardin-Drnevich constitutive model in this paper.Then a new model that could consider confining pressure effect has been established.Regression analysis was carried out of the dynamic triaxial experimental data of the damming materials in the Changheba hydropower station of Sichun Province,China.The results show that,the new model can fit the test data well under various confining pressures.A corresponding computational procedure was compiled and applied in the dynamic response analysis of the Changheba Dam.Comparing the calculation results between the new constitutive model and the ordinary Hardin-Drnevich model,it can be seen that the result is conservative to some extent without considering confining pressure effect.

Long-term behavior and safety assessment of Sance Rockfill Dam

Safety assessment of the 62 m high Sance Rockfill Dam based on long-term monitoring results and their simulation by numerical models is presented in the paper.Unexpectedly large settlements and horizontal movements of the crest together with the steep downstream slope questioned the safety of the dam.Calibrated 2D and 3D models fitting the monitoring results were applied for the safety assessment of the dam including slope stability analysis and estimation of the clay core cracking and hydraulic fracturing hazard.The modeling results contributed to the rehabilitation concept and project of the dam.

Three-dimensional seismic response analysis of a concrete-faced rockfill dam on overburden layers

Reasonable seismic response analysis of a high rockfill dam is of great engineering significance in guiding its design and ensuring its seismic safety during operation,especially of a concrete-faced rockfill dam(CFRD)on overburden layers.The three-dimensional seismic behavior of the Miaojiaba CFRD is simulated and analyzed by the finite element method(FEM).The results indicate that:1)the amplification coefficient along the dam axis gradually increases with the altitude,and reaches maximum at the dam crest;2)the vertical residual deformation mainly exhibits downwards and reaches maximum near the dam crest;3)the earthquake significantly aggravates the deformation of peripheral joints;4)the impounding condition and overburden characteristics have great effects on the dam's seismic response.

A Comparative Study between Pseudo-static and Dynamic Analyses of Keddara Dam

The numerical analysis of static and dynamic performance of embankment dams using the finite difference approach is a complex procedure that takes into account material behavior,soil-dam foundation interaction,hydraulic conditions,and saturation effects.In this study,a numerical analysis using the finite difference method(FLAC 3D)is used to conduct a static and dynamic analysis of the Keddara earthen dam in the Boumerdes region of Algeria,with the goal of defining its behaviour in terms of settlement,deformation,and pore pressure variation during construction and operation.There are two steps to consider:dam construction and water filling.For the static analysis,two mathematical models are considered:the elastic model and the Mohr-Coulomb model.An actual earthquake record is used to conduct a coupled dynamic analysis,and the interaction between the fluid and solid phases is taken into account.Maximum displacement,acceleration,and pore pressure remain inconsequential for dam instability;horizontal and vertical displacements increase with distance from the dam body’s base to the top.

Effect of freeze-thaw cycles on mechanical behavior of clay-gravel mixtures

The use of clay-gravel mixtures(i.e.,adding excavated or natural gravel particles into clay soil matrix)as the main filling materials is increasing in the anti-seepage system of high Earth Core Rockfill Dams(ECRDs).With the continuous construction of high ECRDs in the Chinese plateaus and cold regions,it is of great urgency and importance to understand the physical and mechanical characteristics of compacted clay-gravel mixtures under freeze-thaw action.To this end,laboratory freezing-thawing tests,computed tomography(CT),and triaxial compression tests were conducted to evaluate the effects of freezethaw cycles on moisture loss,pore structure characteristics,stress-strain behavior,failure strength,elastic modulus,cohesion,and internal friction angle of compacted clay-gravel mixtures.The results demonstrate that,1)the freeze-thaw cycle significantly changed the mechanical characteristics of the clay-gravel mixture samples,but the shape of the stress-strain curve is less sensitive to it.2)The failure strength of samples exhibits a significant decrease after the first freeze-thaw cycle,but shows a certain increase as the number of freeze-thaw cycles increases from 1 to 2.3)The elastic modulus of samples first decreases and then increases with increasing freeze-thaw cycle,and the most severe deterioration was observed after the first freeze-thaw cycle.4)Regardless of the number of freeze-thaw cycles,there is a linear relationship between failure strength and elastic modulus for a sample that has suffered freeze-thaw weathering.5)The cohesion of samples decreases firstly and then slightly increases with increasing freeze-thaw cycles,while the internal friction angle is hardly affected.

Hypoplastic constitutive modeling of wetting deformation of weathered rockfill materials

The wetting deformation of weathered rockfill materials has been attracting growing attention from both engineers and scientists.The importance of realistic predictions of wetting deformations for high earth and rockfill dams is a strong motivation to establish a suitable constitutive model.Recently,the hypoplastic constitutive model by Gudehus and Bauer was extended by introducing solid hardness depending on the state of weathering.The extended model takes into account the influence of the current density,the effective stress state,the rate of deformation,and the time dependent process of degradation of the solid hardness.In the present paper,the performance of this model is evaluated by comparing numerical simulations with experiments obtained from a water sensitive rockfill material.In particular,triaxial compression paths and creep deformation under deviatoric stress states are considered.Finally,the constitutive model proposed is used to study the influence of a degradation of the solid hardness on the long term behavior of a hypothetical fill dam.

Features of seismic hazard in large dam projects and strong motion monitoring of large dams

Earthquakes can affect large dam projects in many different ways.Usually,design engineers are focussing on ground shaking and neglect the other aspects.The May 12,2008 Wenchuan earthquake has damaged 1803 dams and reservoirs,and 403 hydropower plants with an installed capacity of 3.3GW.Among these dams were the 132-m-high Shapai RCC arch dam and the 156-m-high Zipingpu concrete face rockfill dam.These recently completed dams are dam types which,up to now,have not experienced strong ground shaking.The widespread mass movements have caused substantial damage to dams and surface powerhouses in Sichuan.The different features of earthquake hazard are presented,i.e.,ground shaking,faulting and mass movements.It is proposed to prepare project-specific safety plans for all dams,which consist of a matrix where the possible hazards and the corresponding countermeasures are listed.The earthquake behaviors of the Sefid Rud,Zipingpu and Shapai dams,which,in the past,have experienced strong ground shaking from nearby earthquakes,are discussed.Finally,the need for strong motion instrumentation of large dams is discussed.It is proposed that major dams with large damage potential,dams located in areas of high seismicity,and dams showing signs of abnormal behavior be equipped with strong motion instruments.

Strengthening of the concrete face slabs of dams using sprayable strain-hardening fiber-reinforced cementitious composites

In this study,sprayable strain-hardening fiber-reinforced cementitious composites(FRCC)were applied to strengthen the concrete slabs in a concrete-face rockfill dam(CFRD)for the first time.Experimental,numerical,and analytical investigations were carried out to understand the flexural properties of FRCC-layered concrete slabs.It was found that the FRCC layer improved the flexural performance of concrete slabs significantly.The cracking and ultimate loads of a concrete slab with an 80 mm FRCC layer were 132%and 69%higher than those of the unstrengthened concrete slab,respectively.At the maximum crack width of 0.2 mm,the deflection of the 80-mm FRCC strengthened concrete slab was 144%higher than that of the unstrengthened concrete slab.In addition,a FE model and a simplified analytical method were developed for the design and analysis of FRCC-layered concrete slabs.Finally,the test result of FRCC leaching solution indicated that the quality of the water surrounding FRCC satisfied the standard for drinking water.The findings of this study indicate that the sprayable strain-hardening FRCC has a good potential for strengthening hydraulic structures such as CFRDs.