Nonlinear Viscoplastic Modeling of the Feijão Dam 1 Failure
Publication: Geo-Congress 2022
ABSTRACT
An expert panel concluded the sudden failure of Feijão Dam 1 in 2019 was triggered by ongoing creep combined with strength reduction in the unsaturated zone due to a loss of suction caused by heavy rainfall toward the end of 2018. This paper presents numerical modeling of the failure using the PM4SiltR viscoplastic constitutive model in the finite-difference program FLAC. A brief description of the dam history, construction, and the observed failure is provided. The constitutive models and their calibration for the fine tailings, coarse tailings, foundation soil, and berm materials are described. Simulations are presented that model the observed changes in loading conditions prior to the observed failure. Results of the analyses show the failure patterns, triggering mechanisms, and deformation magnitudes are in reasonable agreement with the observed failure. Limitations of this study and implications for practice are discussed. The results of this study provide support for using this model when assessing static slope stability of embankments containing strain softening materials.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this chapter.
REFERENCES
Boulanger, R. W., and Oathes, T. J. (2020). “Modeling slope instability due to undrained creep.” Proceedings, Tailings and Mine Waste 2020, UBC Studios, Vancouver, BC, 53–64.
Boulanger, R. W., and Ziotopoulou, K. (2019). “A constitutive model for clays and plastic silts in plane-strain earthquake engineering applications.” Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, 127(2019): 105832, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soildyn.2019.105832.
Boulanger, R. W., and Ziotopoulou, K. (2017). PM4Sand (Version 3.1): A sand plasticity model for earthquake engineering applications.”, Center for Geotechnial Modeling, University of California, Davis,CA.
Boulanger, R. W., Ziotopoulou, K., and Oathes, T. J. (2021). “PM4SiltR (Beta Version): A silt plasticity model with rate effects for slope stability applications.”, Center for Geotechnical Modeling, University of California, Davis.
Dafalias, Y. F., and Manzari, M. T. (2004). “Simple Plasticity Sand Model Accounting for Fabric Change Effects.” Journal of Engineering Mechanics, 130(6), 622–634.
Idriss, I. M., and Boulanger, R. W. (2008). “Soil Liquefaction During Earthquakes.”, Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, Oakland, Ca, 261 pp.
Itasca. (2019). FLAC - Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua, Version 8.1, Itasca Consulting Group, Inc, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Jamiolkowski, M., Lo Presti, D. C. F., and Manassero, M. (2001). “Evaluation of Relative Density and Shear Strength of Sands from CPT and DMT.” Soil Behavior and Soft Ground Construction. ASCE GSP 119.
Mayne, P. W., and Peuchen, J. (2018). “Evaluation of CPTU Nkt cone factor for undrained strength of clay.” Cone Penetration Testing, Delft University of Technology.
Paniagua, P., D’Ignazio, M., L’Heureux, J. S., Lunne, T., and Karlsrud, K. (2019). “CPTU correlations for Norwegian clay: an update.” AIMS Geoscience, 5(2): 82–103.
Robertson, P. K., Melo, L., Williams, D. J., and Wilson, G. W. (2019). “Report of the expert panel on the technical causes of the failure of the Feijão Dam 1.” December 12, 2019.
Shewbridge, S. (2019). “Undrained strengths and long-term stability of slopes.” Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 145(11).
Ziotopoulou, K., and Boulanger, R. W. (2016). “Plasticity modeling of liquefaction effects under sloping ground and irregular cyclic loading conditions.” Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering, 84 (2016), 269–283, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soildyn.2016.02.013.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Geo-Congress 2022
Pages: 129 - 138
History
Published online: Mar 17, 2022
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.