Earthquake Safety Evaluation of Gravity Dams Considering Aftershocks and Reduced Drainage Efficiency
Publication: Journal of Engineering Mechanics
Volume 134, Issue 1
Abstract
This paper develops a methodology to perform seismic response analyses of concrete gravity dams considering aftershocks, and reduced drainage efficiency due to disruption of the drainage system. A database of earthquake records has been assembled to characterize main shocks and aftershocks. A drain finite difference hydraulic model considering laminar or turbulent two-dimensional flow in connecting cracks, geometrical distortions due to joint dilatancy while sliding, and misaligned drain segments is developed and validated. Coupled-hydromechanical analyses on the seismic response of a drained gravity dam are used to show the importance of cumulative displacements on the increase in uplift pressures, drain flow, and reduced sliding safety factors. Aftershock response is especially sensitive to the drainage system dimensions and model parameters, such as the foundation stiffness, and the number of potentially sliding joints. The proposed methodology forms the basis to develop displacement based performance criteria in stability evaluation of existing dams reevaluated for much higher ground motions intensities that they have been designed for many years ago.
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Acknowledgments
Financial support provided by the Quebec Fund for Research on Nature and Technology (FQRNT), and the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC),NRC is acknowledged.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Engineering Mechanics
Volume 134 • Issue 1 • January 2008
Pages: 12 - 22
Copyright
© 2008 ASCE.
History
Received: Nov 29, 2006
Accepted: May 25, 2007
Published online: Jan 1, 2008
Published in print: Jan 2008
Notes
Note. Associate Editor: Brett F. Sanders
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