Transient pressures in hydrotechnical tunnels during earthquakes

Transient pressures generated by earthquake shaking in hydrotechnical tunnels are evaluated by the discrete Fourier transform technique. The effects of the horizontal ground motion accelerating the closed downstream tunnel gate, as well as the upstream dam face, and the influence of the vertical motion of the reservoir floor are considered in this analysis. An example of a typical bottom outlet is analysed by subjecting it to several computed accelerograms. It is shown that high hydrodynamic pressures can be developed, several times larger than the hydrostatic pressure.