Performance of San Fernando Dams during 1994 Northridge Earthquake
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical Engineering
Volume 122, Issue 7
Abstract
The 1994 Northridge and 1971 San Fernando Earthquakes subjected the Lower and Upper San Fernando Dams of the Van Norman Complex in the San Fernando Valley, Calif., to strong near-source ground motions. In 1994, these earth dams, which were out of service and retained only a few meters of water, extensively cracked and settled due to the liquefaction of their hydraulic fill. The Lower San Fernando Dam moved over 15 cm upstream as the hydraulic fill liquefied beneath its upstream slope. The Upper San Fernando Dam moved even more and deformed in a complicated three-dimensional pattern. The responses of the Lower and Upper San Fernando Dams during the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, although less significant than in 1971, provide the geotechnical engineering community with two useful case histories.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
Bardet, J. P., and Davis, C. A. (1995a). “Lower San Fernando corrugated metal pipe failure.”Proc., 4th U.S. Conf. on Lifeline Earthquake Engrg., Tech. Council on Lifeline Earthquake Engrg., ASCE, New York, N.Y., 644–651.
2.
Bardet, J. P., and Davis, C. A. (1995b). “Cone penetration test investigation in the Van Norman Complex after the 1994 Northridge earthquake.”Rep., Civ. Engrg. Dept., Univ. of Southern California, Los Angeles, Calif.
3.
Bardet, J. P., and Davis, C. A. (1996). “Engineering observations on ground motion at the Van Norman Complex after the Northridge earthquake.”Bull., Seismological Soc. of Am., 86(1B), 5333–5349.
4.
Castro, G., Seed, R. B., Keller, T. O., and Seed, H. B.(1992). “Steady-state strength analysis of Lower San Fernando Dam slide.”J. Geotech. Engrg. Div., ASCE, 118(3), 406–427.
5.
Cortright, C. J. (1975). “Effects of the San Fernando earthquake on the Van Norman Reservoir Complex.”San Fernando, California, Earthquake of 9 February 1971, Chapter 29, Bull. 196, California Div. of Mines and Geol., Sacramento, Calif., 395–406.
6.
Davis, C. A., and Bardet, J. P. (1994). “Geotechnical observations at the Van Norman Complex after the 1994 Northridge earthquake.”Proc., 5th Japan–U.S. Workshop on Earthquake Resistant Des. of Lifeline Fac. and Countermeasures for Soil Liquefaction: Tech. Rep. NCEER-94-0026, Nat. Ctr. for Earthquake Engrg. Res., Buffalo, N.Y., 63–77.
7.
Davis, C. A., and Bardet, J. P. (1996). “Performance of two reservoirs during the 1994 Northridge earthquake.”J. Geotech. Engrg., 122(8).
8.
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). (1985). “PCSTABL4 user manual.”Rep. No. FHWA-TS-85-229, U.S. Dept. of Transp., Rep. Prepared by Coll. of Engrg., Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, Fla.
9.
Hamada, M. (1992). “Large ground deformations and their effects on lifelines: 1964 Niigata earthquake.”Case Studies of Liquefaction and Lifeline Perf. during Past Earthquakes, Vol. 1, Japanese Case Studies: Tech. Rep. NCEER-92-0001, Nat. Ctr. for Earthquake Engrg. Res., Buffalo, N.Y.
10.
Lindvall Richter Benuska Associates. (1994). “Processed LADWP power system strong-motion records from the Northridge, California, earthquake of January 17, 1994.”Draft Rep. Prepared for the Los Angeles Dept. of Water and Power, Los Angeles, Calif.
11.
Meyeda, S. H. (1969). “Lower San Fernando Dam 1969 core hole investigation.”Rep. No. AX 215-35, Los Angeles Dept. of Water and Power, Water Engrg. Des. Div., Los Angeles, Calif.
12.
Newmark, N. M.(1965). “Effects of earthquakes on embankments and dams.”Géotechnique, London, U.K., 15(2), 139–160.
13.
O'Rourke, T. D., Roth, B. L., and Hamada, M. (1992). “Large ground deformations and their effects on lifeline facilities: 1971 San Fernando earthquake.”Case Studies of Liquefaction and Lifeline Perf. during Past Earthquakes, Vol. 2, United States Case Studies: Tech. Rep. NCEER-92-0002, Nat. Ctr. for Earthquake Engrg. Res., Buffalo, N.Y.
14.
Scott, R. F.(1973). “The calculation of horizontal accelerations from seismoscope records.”Bull. Seismological Soc. of Am., 63(5), 1637–1661.
15.
Seed, H. B., Lee, K. L., Idriss, I. M., and Makdisi, F. I.(1975). “The slides in the San Fernando Dams during the earthquake of February 9, 1971.”J. Geotech. Engrg. Div., ASCE, 101(7), 651–688.
16.
Seed, H. B., Tokimatsu, K., Harder, L. F., and Chung, R. M. (1985). “The influence of SPT procedures in soil liquefaction resistance evaluations.”Rep. UBC/EERC-84-15, Univ. of California, Berkeley, Earthquake Engrg. Res. Ctr., Berkeley, Calif.
17.
Seed, H. B., Seed, R. B., Harder, L. F., and Jong, H. L. (1989). “Re-evaluation of the slide in the Lower San Fernando Dam in the 1971 San Fernando earthquake.”Rep. No. UCB/EERC-88/04, Univ. of California, Berkeley, Calif.
18.
Subcommittee on Water and Sewage Systems. (1973). “Earthquake damage to water and sewerage facilities.”Utilities, Transportation and Sociological Aspects, Vol. II of San Fernando, California, Earthquake of February 9, 1971, U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Nat. Oceanographic and Atmospheric Admin., 75–193.
19.
Youd, T. L. (1973). “Ground movements in the Van Norman Lake vicinity during the San Fernando earthquake.”Geological and Geophysical Studies, Vol. III of San Fernando, California, Earthquake of February 9, 1971, U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Nat. Oceanographic and Atmospheric Admin., 197–203.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
Copyright © 1996 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Published online: Jul 1, 1996
Published in print: Jul 1996
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.