FEM Consolidation Analysis of Centrifuge Test for Rockfill Dam Model During First Reservoir Filling

Centrifuge model tests were conducted for a rockfill dam model (central core zone type) in order to investigate behavior of dam during first reservoir filling and the typical test result was simulated by using a consolidation analysis method coupled with an elastoplastic model for unsaturated geo-materials. The main behavior obtained from the centrifuge tests was that (1) large amounts of settlements due to wetting within the upstream rock zone were monitored, (2) the crest of dam at first moved toward upstream and then returned toward downstream, and (3) differential settlements between core and rock zones occurred and cracks along the dam axis were measured. The behavior of the dam model during reservoir filling was simulated. The simulation results showed that (1) the settlements calculated agreed roughly with those measured and the settlements due to wetting could also be estimated, (2) the horizontal movements calculated were fairly larger than those measured, and (3) the cracks monitored in the model test occurred at the places where tension stresses were calculated in the simulation. Thus, our method presents an effective approach to analyzing the behavior of the fill-type dams during reservoir filling periods.