• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.351-370
• /
• 2006

In this study, the earthquake damage response of the concrete arch dams was investigated including dam-reservoir interaction. A continuum damage model which is a second-order tensor and includes the strain softening behavior was selected for the concrete material. Fluid-structure interaction problem was modeled by Lagrangian approach. Sommerfeld radiation condition was applied to the truncated boundary of reservoir. The improved form of the HHT-${\alpha}$ time integration algorithm was used in the solution of the equations of motion. The arch dam Type 5 was selected for numerical application. For the dynamic input, acceleration records of the 10 December 1967 Koyna earthquake were chosen. These records were scaled with earthquake acceleration scale factor (EASF) and then used in the analyses. Solutions were obtained for empty and full reservoir cases. The effects of EASF and damping ratio on the response of the dam were studied.

• Computers and Concrete
• /
• v.14 no.5
• /
• pp.599-612
• /
• 2014

This paper presents the effects of the construction stages using time dependent material properties on the structural behaviour of concrete arch dams. For this purpose, a double curvature Type-5 arch dam suggested in "Arch Dams" symposium in England in 1968 is selected as a numerical example. Finite element models of Type-5 arch dam are modelled using SAP2000 program. Geometric nonlinearity is taken into consideration in the construction stage analysis using P-Delta plus large displacement criterion. In addition, the time dependent material strength variations and geometric variations are included in the analysis. Elasticity modulus, creep and shrinkage are computed for different stages of the construction process. In the construction stage analyses, a total of 64 construction stages are included. Each stage has generally $6000m^3$ concrete volume. Total duration is taken into account as 1280 days. Maximum total step and maximum iteration for each step are selected as 200 and 50, respectively. The structural behaviour of the arch dam at different construction stages has been examined. Two different finite element analyses cases are performed. In the first case, construction stages using time dependent material properties are considered. In the second case, only linear static analysis (not considered construction stages) is taken into account. Variation of the displacements and stresses are obtained from the both analyses. It is highlighted that construction stage analysis using time dependent material strength variations and geometric variations has an important effect on the structural behaviour of arch dams. The maximum longitudinal, transverse and vertical displacements obtained from construction stages and static analyses are 1.35 mm and 0 mm; -8.44 and 6.68 mm; -4.00 and -9.90 mm, respectively. In addition, vertical displacements increase from the base to crest of the dam for both analyses. The maximum S11, S22 and S33 stresses are obtained as 1.60MPa and 2.84MPa; 1.39MPa and 2.43MPa; 0.60MPa and 0.50MPa, respectively. The differences between maximum longitudinal, transverse, and vertical stresses obtained from construction stage and static analyses are 78%, 75%, and %17, respectively. On the other hand, there is averagely 12% difference between minimum stresses for all three directions.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.68 no.6
• /
• pp.747-760
• /
• 2018

In the present study, a methodology for developing fragilities of arch concrete dams to assess their performance against seismic hazards is introduced. Firstly, the probability risk and fragility curves are presented, followed by implementation and representation of the way this method is used. Amirkabir arch concrete dam was subjected to non-linear dynamic analyses. A modified three dimensional rotating smeared crack model was used to take the nonlinear behavior of mass concrete into account. The proposed model considers major characteristics of mass concrete. These characteristics are pre-softening behavior, softening initiation criteria, fracture energy conservation, suitable damping mechanism and strain rate effect. In the present analysis, complete fluid-structure interaction is included to account for appropriate fluid compressibility and absorptive reservoir boundary conditions. In this study, the Amirkabir arch concrete dam is subjected to a set of 8 three-component earthquakes each scaled to 10 increasing intensity levels. Using proposed nonlinear smeared crack model, nonlinear analysis is performed where the structure is subjected to a large set of scaled and un-scaled ground motions and the maximum responses are extracted for each one and plotted. Based on the results, fragility curves were plotted according to various and possible damages indexes. Discrete damage probabilities were calculated using statistical methods for each considered performance level and incremental nonlinear analysis. Then, fragility curves were constructed based on the lognormal distribution assumption. Two damage indexes were introduced and compared to one another. The results indicate that the dam has a proper stability under earthquake conditions at MCE level. Moreover, displacement damages index is more conservative and impractical in the fragility analysis than tensional damage index.

• Computers and Concrete
• /
• v.10 no.3
• /
• pp.277-294
• /
• 2012

The aim of the study is to determine the modal parameters of a prototype damaged arch dam by operational modal analysis (OMA) method for some damage scenarios. For this purpose, a prototype arch dam-reservoir-foundation model is constructed under laboratory conditions. Ambient vibration tests on the arch dam model are performed to identify the modal parameters such as natural frequency, mode shape and damping ratio. The tests are conducted for four test-case scenarios: an undamaged dam with empty reservoir, two different damaged dams with empty reservoirs, and a damaged dam with full reservoir. Loading simulating random impact effects is applied on the dam to crack. Cracks and fractures occurred at the middle of the upper part of the dams and distributed through the abutments. Sensitivity accelerometers are placed on the dams' crests to collect signals for measurements. Operational modal analysis software processes the signals collected from the ambient vibration tests, and enhanced frequency domain decomposition and stochastic subspace identification techniques are used to estimate modal parameters of the dams. The modal parameters are obtained to establish a basis for comparison of the results of two techniques for each damage case. Results show that approximately 35-40% difference exists between the natural frequencies obtained from Case 1 and Case 4. The natural frequencies of the dam considerably decrease with increasing cracks. However, observation shows that the filled reservoir slightly affected modal parameters of the dam after severe cracking. The mode shapes obtained are symmetrical and anti-symmetrical. Apparently, mode shapes in Case 1 represent the probable responses of arch dams more accurately. Also, damping ratio show an increase when cracking increases.

• Coupled systems mechanics
• /
• v.7 no.3
• /
• pp.353-371
• /
• 2018

The Wavenumber or more accurately Wavenumber-FD approach was initially introduced for two-dimensional dynamic analysis of concrete gravity dam-reservoir systems. The technique was formulated in the context of pure finite element programming in frequency domain. Later on, a variation of the method was proposed which was referred to as Wavenumber-TD approach suitable for time domain type of analysis. Recently, it is also shown that Wavenumber-FD approach may be applied for three-dimensional dynamic analysis of concrete arch dam-reservoir systems. In the present study, application of its variation (i.e., Wavenumber-TD approach) is investigated for three-dimensional problems. The method is initially described. Subsequently, the response of idealized Morrow Point arch dam-reservoir system is obtained by this method and its special cases (i.e., two other well-known absorbing conditions) for time harmonic excitation in stream direction. All results for various considered cases are compared against the exact response for models with different values of normalized reservoir length and reservoir base/sidewalls absorptive conditions.

• Structural Monitoring and Maintenance
• /
• v.3 no.2
• /
• pp.129-144
• /
• 2016

We present a methodology to validate with monitoring data finite element models of existing concrete dams: numerical analyses are performed to assess the structural response under the effects of seasonal loading conditions, represented by hydrostatic pressure on the upstream-downstream dam surfaces and thermal variations as recorded by a thermometers network. We show that the stiffness effect of the rock foundation and the surface degradation of concrete due to aging are crucial aspects to be accounted for a correct interpretation of the real behavior. This work summarizes some general procedures developed by this research group at Politecnico di Milano on traditional static monitoring systems and two significant case studies: a buttress gravity and an arch-gravity dam.

• Computers and Concrete
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.65-77
• /
• 2013

This paper examines the dynamic response of an arch dam subjected to blast loading. A damage model is developed for three dimensional analysis of arch dams. The modified Drucker-Prager criterion is adopted as the failure criteria of the damage evolution in concrete. Then, Xiluodu arch dam serves as an example to simulate the failure behaviors of structures with the proposed model. The results obtained using the proposed model can reveal the reliability degree of the safe operation level of the high arch dam system as well as the degree of potential failure, providing a reliable basis for risk assessment and risk control.

• Smart Structures and Systems
• /
• v.32 no.5
• /
• pp.319-338
• /
• 2023

The study presents a new hybrid data-driven method by combining radial basis functions neural networks (RBF-NN) with the Jaya algorithm (JA) to provide effective structural health monitoring of arch dams. The novelty of this approach lies in that only one user-defined parameter is required and thus can increase its effectiveness and efficiency, as compared to other machine learning techniques that often require processing a large amount of training and testing model parameters and hyper-parameters, with high time-consuming. This approach seeks rapid damage detection in arch dams under dynamic conditions, to prevent potential disasters, by utilizing the RBF-NNN to seamlessly integrate the dynamic elastic modulus (DEM) and modal parameters (such as natural frequency and mode shape) as damage indicators. To determine the dynamic characteristics of the arch dam, the JA sequentially optimizes an objective function rooted in vibration-based data sets. Two case studies of hyperbolic concrete arch dams were carefully designed using finite element simulation to demonstrate the effectiveness of the RBF-NN model, in conjunction with the Jaya algorithm. The testing results demonstrated that the proposed methods could exhibit significant computational time-savings, while effectively detecting damage in arch dam structures with complex nonlinearities. Furthermore, despite training data contaminated with a high level of noise, the RBF-NN and JA fusion remained the robustness, with high accuracy.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.411-442
• /
• 2008

Ground motions in near source region of large crustal earthquakes are significantly affected by rupture directivity and tectonic fling. These effects are the strongest at longer periods and they can have a significant impact on Engineering Structures. In this paper, it is aimed to determine near-fault ground motion effects on the nonlinear response of dams including dam-reservoir-foundation interaction. Four different types of dam, which are gravity, arch, concrete faced rockfill and clay core rockfill dams, are selected to investigate the near-fault ground motion effects on dam responses. The behavior of reservoir is taken into account by using Lagrangian approach. Strong ground motion records of Duzce (1999), Northridge (1994) and Erzincan (1992) earthquakes are selected for the analyses. Displacements, maximum and minimum principal stresses are determined by using the finite element method. The displacements and principal stresses obtained from the four different dam types subjected to these nearfault strong-ground motions are compared with each other. It is seen from the results that near-fault ground motions have different impacts on the dam types.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
• /
• v.36 no.4
• /
• pp.401-419
• /
• 2010

This paper focuses on the development, verification and application of a three-dimensional nite element code for coupled thermal and structural analysis of roller compacted concrete arch dams. The Ostour Arch dam located on Ghezel-Ozan River, Iran, which was originally designed as conventional concrete arch dam, has been taken for the purpose of verication of the nite element code. In this project, RCC technology has been ascertained as an alternative method to reduce the cost of the project and make it competitive. The thermal analysis has been carried out taking into account the simulation of the sequence of construction, environmental temperature changes, and the wind speed. In addition, the variation of elastic modulus with time has been considered in this investigation using Concard's model. An attempt was made to compare the stresses developed in the dam body five years after the completion of the dam with those of end of the construction. It was seen that there is an increase in the tensile stresses after five years over stresses obtained immediately at the end of construction by 61.3%.