Seismic centrifuge modelling of earth dams

Three dynamic centrifuge models were tested to obtain data for safety evaluation of the Jen-Yi-Tan Dam in Taiwan subject to a strong earthquake. In these tests, recorded 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake ground motions were modified and used on the electro-hydraulic shaking table mounted on the 400 g-ton centrifuge at the University of Colorado at Boulder. All tests were conducted under centrifugal acceleration of 150 g, and the input acceleration was scaled accordingly in order to simulate the given earthquake. A rigid container and water as pore fluid were used in the tests. In both Models 2 and 3, no sign of soil liquefaction was observed in the tests although a noticeable amount of settlements were found from the earth dam cross-section profile after testing.     

Multi-sensor approach to settlement analysis of earth dams

In this paper, a fusion method for the settlement study of the earth dams based on geodetic and geotechnical data is developed. The developed method can be algorithmically explained as follows: (a) interpolation of the geotechnical data to the epoch of geodetic observations by four degree polynomial fitting, which serves as a low-pass filter. (b) Conversion of the initial observations into time series of the dam heights at the geodetic and geotechnical stations. (c) Fusion of the data from the two sources at different fusion levels. (d) Final decision based on the deformation parameters derived from fused data. The significant innovation of the proposed method centered upon its ability to incorporate geodetic and geotechnical observation types into a one integrated solution through fusion. The method is numerically tested for the Karkhe earth dam by using geodetic and geotechnical data from 1997 till 2009. The numerical evaluation at 229 check points indicates more than 70% improvement in the settlementmodeling based on the fusion of the geodetic and geotechnical data, as compared to the settlement modeling based on geotechnical data alone.     

土石坝横向裂缝的土工离心机模型试验研究

岸坡突变所产生的不均匀沉降变形常常是导致土石坝心墙发生横向裂缝的主要原因。使用糯扎渡高心墙堆石坝心墙混合土料进行了模拟心墙发生横向裂缝的土工离心机模型试验。试验中再现了由于岸坡坡度变化导致坝顶发生横向裂缝的现象。采用工程中常用的3种裂缝分析方法：倾度法、Leonards法和有限元应力法对试验结果进行了分析。结果表明,前两种方法仅在测点较多时才是适用的,而有限元应力法对土石坝心墙横向裂缝问题更为有效。     

Stochastic analysis of free surface flow through earth dams

This research investigated the unconfined flow through dams. The hydraulic conductivity was modeled as spatially random field following lognormal distribution. Results showed that the seepage flow produced from the stochastic solution was smaller than its deterministic value. In addition, the free surface was observed to exit at a point lower than that obtained from the deterministic solution. When the hydraulic conductivity was strongly correlated in the horizontal direction than the vertical direction, the flow through the dam has markedly increased. It is suggested that it may not be necessary to construct a core in dams made from soils that exhibit high degree of variability.     

各向异性对土质心墙坝水力劈裂的影响

应力诱导各向异性对复杂应力状态下土体的应力-应变规律有重要影响,而建立在各向同性假设基础上的常用土体本构模型并不能反映土体的这种特性,因此需要分析土体各向异性对土质心墙坝水力劈裂的影响。采用各向异性非线性弹性模型,对水荷载作用下粘土心墙坝进行有限元数值分析,并与邓肯模型计算结果比较。结果表明,各向异性模型考虑了蓄水期间从小主应力方向加荷引起的土体应力各向异性,计算得出的小主应力σ3较邓肯模型的大,且相应抗水力劈裂能力亦大,则邓肯E-v模型由于不能模拟蓄水期土体各向异性特性,对于水力劈裂发生的评估可能偏于危险。     

土坝震害评估模型研究

为了快速准确地对遭受地震影响的土坝工程的破坏状态进行评估,以土坝震害经验统计判断模型为基础,选取了更为合理的土坝震害影响因素,采用最小二乘法重新对土坝震害数据资料进行回归分析,得到了各震害影响因素在不同条件下的回归系数取值,从而建立了一个改进的土坝震害经验统计判断模型。与原模型相比,改进模型既剔除了不合理的震害影响因子,同时又使回归模型的预测准确度得到提高,其相关系数为0.908,标准差为0.459,均比原模型要好。采用两种模型对汶川地震中遭到破坏的47座土坝进行震害评估,并与实际震害进行了对比分析,初步验证了改进模型的可靠性     

土石坝边坡稳定可靠性设计研究

本文以可靠度理论为基础,对土石坝稳定性可靠度设计的原理与方法进行了分析研究。结果表明,采用可靠度理论进行土石坝设计是可行的。本文的工作可为今后类似工程提供经验和参考依据。     

Analysis of earth dams affected by the 2001 Bhuj Earthquake

An earthquake of magnitude of 7.6 (M_w 7.6) occurred in Bhuj, India on January 26, 2001. This event inflicted damages of varying extents to a large number of small to moderate size multi-zone earth dams in the vicinity of the epicenter. Some of the distress was due to the liquefaction of saturated alluvium in foundation. Liquefaction was relatively localized for the majority of these dams because the earthquake struck in the middle of a prolonged dry season when the reservoirs behind these dams were nearly empty and shallow alluvium soils underneath the downstream portions of the dams were partly dry. Otherwise, liquefaction of foundation soils would have been more extensive and damage to these dams more significant. Six such dams have been examined in this paper. Four of these facilities, Chang, Shivlakha, Suvi, and Tapar were within the 50 km of epicenter region. These dams underwent free-field ground motion with peak ground accelerations between 0.28g to 0.52g. Of these Chang Dam underwent severe slumping, whereas Shivlakha, Suvi, and Tapar Dams were affected severely especially over the upstream sections. Fatehgadh Dam and Kaswati Dam were affected relatively less severely. Foundation conditions underneath these dams were first examined for assessing liquefaction potential. A limited amount of subsurface information available from investigations undertaken prior to the earthquake indicates that, although the foundation soils within the top 2.0 to 2.5 m underneath these dams were susceptible to liquefaction, Bhuj Earthquake did not trigger liquefaction because of lack of saturation of these layers underneath the downstream portions of these dams. These dams were then analyzed using a simple sliding block procedure using appropriate estimates of undrained soil strength parameters. The results of this analysis for these structures were found to be in general agreement with the observed deformation patterns.     

强震区土坝抗震措施研究

国内大量建于20世纪50～70年代的土坝,坝体施工质量普遍较差,且坝基为密实度较低的粉砂土。在地震作用下极易液化,为此必须开展地震动力安全性性评价,并研究相应的抗震工程措施。针对庆安水库,通过对混凝土连续墙、振冲碎石桩和抛石压重3种常用抗震加固方案的分析,推荐了土坝抗震加固的合理工程措施,可在类似工程中推广使用。     

Earthquake early warning for earth dams: concepts and objectives

In the geotechnical field, the risk related to slope instabilities or collapse of geotechnical structures are increasingly being faced by early warning systems, capable of: (1) predicting the incipient collapse based on the interpretation of a continuous monitoring of the structure and (2) spreading alarm promptly to reduce people exposure. Compared with structural approaches, early warning systems have two important advantages: a faster, simpler and less expensive implementation and environmental compatibility. Past experience indicates that vulnerability of earth dams is generally low under both static and seismic loading conditions. In spite of this, earth dams are characterized by a high-risk level, due to the high exposure factor. Nowadays, the application of early warning systems to dams is fully supported by the technological progress achieved in the telecommunication field, since it is possible to install and automate recordings and transmission of all physical variables significant to check dam safety: accelerations, displacements, pore-water pressures, total stresses, seepage flows. A considerable lack still arises in the predictive models for interpreting monitoring data and providing indicators on dam safety soon after a strong earthquake. The present work illustrates the basic concepts of an earthquake early warning (EEW) system for earth dams and the main features that should characterize a predictive model to such a scope. An application to a real case is finally provided, enhancing the role played by each monitored physical variable for the aims of EEW.     

Probabilistic stability evaluation for wildlife-damaged earth dams: a Bayesian approach

ABSTRACT

There is a growing body of evidence confirming the detrimental effects of invasive wildlife activities on the performance and – ultimately – the safety of earth dams and levee systems. Modelling cavities and burrows dug by animals in earth structures is rather cumbersome due to their geometrical complexity and randomness. This study proposes the use of the probabilistic approach to estimate the risk associated with the presence of wildlife chambers in an arbitrary dam section. Two dimensional limit equilibrium slope stability analyses were conducted for a homogeneous silty sand dam. The animal chambers were modelled as idealised highly permeable circles with a near-zero strength. Uncertainty in the dam material was introduced using the Monte-Carlo technique to randomise the input parameters. The conditional probability of failure, P(F|C), was spatially evaluated by manual perturbations of chamber locations within the dam section. Using the Bayesian approach, the section was accordingly mapped into three stability zones: “safe”, “marginally safe” and “likely to fail” based on P(F|C) values associated with the chamber location. For this very complex problem, the probabilistic handling seems to provide a mathematically normalised basis for risk assessment in lieu of the classical belief-based single-value factor of safety (FoS).     

Safety factor nomograms for homogeneous earth dams less than ten meters high

Homogeneous earth dams that are waterproofed with geomembranes are a suitable option for storing water and other sorts of liquids, like leachates from landfills. Such dams do not require complicated engineering technical calculations, their cost is usually low and they are not difficult to construct. To ensure the geotechnical safety of the dam, the slopes of the embankment must be correctly designed and constructed. This paper provides a set of nomograms which allow the user to get the safety factor of the slopes immediately. In some cases, it is only necessary to know previously the material classification according to the Unified Soil Classifications System. From this information it can be determined whether the material is appropriate or not. If the material classification is not available, geotechnical data of the material used in the construction of the embankment are needed. Examples of the application of nomograms are presented. Secondly, the paper includes a set of equations to calculate quickly the safety factor of a slope of earth upper than 7.5 m height.     

Detection of seepage paths in earth dams using self-potential and electrical resistivity methods

Earth and rockfill dams are designed to operate under steady state seepage. Anomalous seepage may be a threat to the integrity of the structure. In spite of advances made in the fields of geotechnical engineering, it is not possible to have 100% leak-proof structure. Any excessive and unplanned seepage may lead to the failure of the dam, especially in unconsolidated or fractured terrains. Geophysical methods play an important role in mapping seepage paths and monitoring the changes of the seepage with time, enabling to plan technically and economically worthwhile remedial measures. In the present paper, utilisation of electrical methods for delineation of seepage zones at two of the four Saddle dams of the Som-Kamla-Amba project, Rajasthan State, India; which is founded on heterogeneous rock mass, is discussed. Electrical resistivity method was used to delineate zones favourable for seepage, whereas, self-potential (SP) method was used to delineate the seepage paths. SP measurements have shown negative anomaly of the order of 10–20 mV in amplitude, indicating low seepage, coinciding with the seepage measurements made by the project authorities.     

Detection and evaluation of horizontal fractures in earth dams using the self-potential method

The self-potential method can be applied to evaluate the degree of water seepage into earth or rockfill dams. Spatial distribution of measured self-potential data can indicate possible anomalous water flow. Phenomena, such as piping, can be modelled as cylindrical bodies. Internal erosion can develop structures, which can be represented by a sphere or point source. Differential settlement in the dam structure occasionally creates horizontal fractures, which require equivalent geometrical body formula. An equation, which allows the calculation of a self-potential profile over a horizontal contact, was developed. This equation can also be applied to the inspection of water flow into horizontal drainage filters. When inverse interpretation returns bodies of relatively small amplitudes, then their probability can be tested statistically. A test, based on cross-correlation between a modelled curve and field data, can be used to evaluate their existence at a given probability level. An acceptance criterion is computed, using the concept of likelihood coefficient. The equation was applied to two case histories. The first is an example of water flow evaluation into a horizontal drainage filter. Several anomalous bodies were interpreted from residual self-potential data, i.e. from the difference between the theoretical response of the filter and the measured self-potential values, then, most of the interpreted bodies were statistically tested. The second case deals with detection and evaluation of a horizontal fissure. The interpreted parameters of the detected body corresponded well to a horizontal fracture found when the water level in the reservoir was lowered.     

A scenario-based risk framework for determining consequences of different failure modes of earth dams

Natural Hazards - Failure modes for earth dams are extensively reviewed and analysed using a three-pronged approach including a literature review, physical observations of a representative earth...     

Unconfined seepage analysis in earth dams using smoothed fixed grid finite element method

One major difficulty in seepage analyses is finding the position of phreatic surface which is unknown at the beginning of solution and must be determined in an iterative process. The objective of the present study is to develop a novel non‐boundary‐fitted mesh finite‐element method capable of solving the unconfined seepage problem in domains with arbitrary geometry and continuously varied permeability. A new non‐boundary‐fitted finite element method named as smoothed fixed grid finite element method (SFGFEM) is used to simplify the solution of variable domain problem of unconfined seepage. The gradient smoothing technique, in which the area integrals are transformed into the line integrals around edges of smoothing cells, is used to obtain the element matrices. The solution process starts with an initial guess for the unknown boundary and SFGFEM is used to approximate the field variable. The boundary shape is then modified to eventually satisfy nonlinear boundary condition in an iterative process. Some numerical examples are solved to evaluate the applicability of the proposed method and the results are compared with those available in the literature. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

土石坝拟静力抗震稳定分析的强度折减有限元法

基于拟静力抗震设计概念,提出利用强度折减有限单元法分析土石坝的抗震稳定性,给出了两种确定地震惯性力的方法：（1）依据《水工建筑物抗震设计规范》[1],并结合有关土石坝动态分布系数计算了沿坝高分布的地震惯性力;（2）直接利用土石坝有限元地震动力反应分析得到的单元节点加速度反应,依据建议的方法确定坝体各单元节点的地震惯性力。将上述计算确定的地震惯性力与其他形式的外荷载共同作用到土石坝上,采用强度折减有限元法确定土石坝坝体的拟静力抗震安全系数。对于稳定渗流期,水位降落期等不同工况,或需要考虑振动孔隙水压力作用的饱和无黏性土填筑坝等不同计算条件,给出了使用折减强度有限元法分析坝体抗震稳定性的实现途径和方法。研究表明,有限元法对边界条件、复杂断面条件和材料分区及荷载组合均具有较强的适应能力,因此,使用有限元法分析土石坝抗震稳定性具有显著的优越性。     

Insight into the seismic response of earth dams with an emphasis on seismic coefficient estimation

This paper presents a numerical investigation of the seismic response of earth dams by employing results from 110 nonlinear two-dimensional (2D) dynamic analyses of four different cross-sections with heights ranging from 20 to 120 m. The analyses were of a parametric nature, considering the effects of seismic excitation characteristics (intensity and frequency content), foundation soil stiffness, and the existence of typical stabilising berms and/or an impounded reservoir. The results of these studies indicated that the predominant period of a dam’s vibration was strongly affected by its height and the input motion characteristics. The results also indicated that the peak acceleration at the dam’s crest was governed by its height, the input motion characteristics, and the stiffness of the foundation soil, but not by the other parameters. These same analyses yielded results on pseudo-static seismic coefficients for a total of 1084 potential sliding masses within the analysed cross-sections, demonstrating that the seismic coefficients decreased as the sliding mass became deeper and bulkier, increased if the mass was located upstream rather than downstream, and were strongly affected by the seismic excitation characteristics and stiffness of the foundation soil. Moreover, these results allowed for a thorough evaluation of existing methodologies for seismic coefficient estimation, quantifying their accuracy and depicting their limitations. This evaluation process also illustrated the fact that there is currently no methodology accounting for all significant problem parameters.     

Influential factors in evaluating the construction pore pressure in earth dams by using UDAM program

The aim of this article is to discuss about the influential parameters affecting the state of the pore pressure within the low permeability section of an earth dam body during the periods of construction, immediately after construction, and also during some times elapsing after construction. Because the condition of soil in constructing earth dams is usually unsaturated, so the matter of unsaturated soils should be considered here and a special finite element program suitable to this topic needs to be applied. The finite element program used in this study is the UDAM finite element program which has been compiled specifically for illustrating the behavior of unsaturated soils. The results of the UDAM computations are discussed in view of the pore water pressure developed within the body of dam slope during the stages of construction, and its maximum positive values immediately after the construction and its variations in the post-construction times are shown. Because the positive pore pressure decreases the shear strength of soil and the negative pressure (i.e. suction) increases the strength, the state of slope stability is correlated with the influential factors which can affect the situation of pore pressure distribution within a given section. Therefore, based on the present computations, the effect of height of embankment, initial degree of saturation, coefficient of permeability, degree of compaction and finally the effect of elapsing time are illustrated.     

Evaluation of hazardous effects of near-fault earthquakes on earth dams by using EL and TNL numerical methods (case studies: Gheshlagh Oleya and Jamishan dams)

Natural Hazards - The main framework of the current study is the dynamic time-history analyses by applying actual near-fault earthquake records to the bedrocks of Gheshlagh Oleya and Jamishan earth...