• Computers and Concrete
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.615-623
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• 2023

Crack detection is an essential method to ensure the safety of dam concrete structures. Low-quality crack images of dam concrete structures limit the application of neural network methods in crack detection. This research proposes a modified attentional mechanism model to reduce the disturbance caused by uneven light, shadow, and water spots in crack images. Also, the focal loss function solves the small ratio of crack information. The dataset collects from the network, laboratory and actual inspection dataset of dam concrete structures. This research proposes a novel method for crack detection of dam concrete structures based on the U-Net neural network, namely AF-UNet. A mutual comparison of OTSU, Canny, region growing, DeepLab V3+, SegFormer, U-Net, and AF-UNet (proposed) verified the detection accuracy. A binocular camera detects cracks in the experimental scene. The smallest measurement width of the system is 0.27 mm. The potential goal is to achieve real-time detection and localization of cracks in dam concrete structures.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.503-510
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• 2020

Concrete dams are important structures due to retaining amount of water on their reservoir. So such kind of structures have to be designed against static and dynamic loads. Especially considering on critical importance against blasting threats and environmental safety, dams have to be examined according to the blast loads. This paper aims to investigate structural response of concrete gravity dams under blast loads. For the purpose Sarıyar Concrete Gravity Dam in Turkey is selected for numerical application with its 85 m of reservoir height (H), 255 m of reservoir length (3H), 72 m of bottom and 7 m of top widths. In the study, firstly 3D finite element model of the dam is constituted using ANSYS Workbench software considering dam-reservoir-foundation interaction and a hydrostatic analysis is performed without blast loads. Then, nearly 13 tons TNT explosive are considered 20 m away from downstream of the dam and this is modeled using ANSYS AUTODYN software. After that explicit analyses are performed through 40 milliseconds. Lastly peak pressures obtained from analyses are compared to empirical equations in the literature and UFC 3-340-02 standard which provide unified facilities criteria for structures to resist the effects of accidental explosions. Also analyses' results such as displacements, stresses and strains obtained from both hydrostatic and blasting analysis models are compared to each other. It is highlighted from the study that blasting analysis model has more effective than the only hydrostatic analysis model. So it is highlighted from the study that the design of dams should be included the blast loads.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.429-448
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• 2015

The dams are huge structures storing a large amount of water and failures of them cause especially irreparable loss of lives during the earthquakes. They are named as a group of structures subjected to fluid-structure interaction. So, the response of the fluid and its hydrodynamic pressures on the dam should be reflected more accurately in the structural analyses to determine the real behavior as soon as possible. Different mathematical and analytical modelling approaches can be used to calculate the water hydrodynamic pressure effect on the dam body. In this paper, it is aimed to determine the dynamic response of concrete gravity dams using different water modelling approaches such as Westergaard, Lagrange and Euler. For this purpose, Sariyar concrete gravity dam located on the Sakarya River, which is 120km to the northeast of Ankara, is selected as a case study. Firstly, the main principals and basic formulation of all approaches are given. After, the finite element models of the dam are constituted considering dam-reservoir-foundation interaction using ANSYS software. To determine the structural response of the dam, the linear transient analyses are performed using 1992 Erzincan earthquake ground motion record. In the analyses, element matrices are computed using the Gauss numerical integration technique. The Newmark method is used in the solution of the equation of motions. Rayleigh damping is considered. At the end of the analyses, dynamic characteristics, maximum displacements, maximum-minimum principal stresses and maximum-minimum principal strains are attained and compared with each other for Westergaard, Lagrange and Euler approaches.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.701-711
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• 2023

In order to fully reflect variation characteristics of composite concrete dam health state, the monitoring data is applied to diagnose composite concrete dam health state. Composite concrete dam lesion development to wreckage is a precursor, and its health status can be judged. The monitoring data are generally non-linear and unsteady time series, which contain chaotic information that cannot be characterized. Thus, it could generate huge influence for the construction of monitoring models and the formulation of corresponding health diagnostic indicators. This multi-scale diagnosis process is from point to whole. Chaotic characteristics are often contained in the monitoring data. If chaotic characteristics could be extracted for reflecting concrete dam health state and the corresponding diagnostic indicators will be formulated, the theory and method of diagnosing concrete dam health state can be huge improved. Therefore, the chaotic characteristics of monitoring data are considered. And, the extracting method of the chaotic components is studied from monitoring data based on fuzzy dynamic cross-correlation factor method. Finally, a method is proposed for formulating composite concrete dam health state indicators. This method can effectively distinguish chaotic systems from deterministic systems and reflect the health state of concrete dam in service.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.251-266
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• 2014

Dynamic analyses for a suite of ground of motions were conducted on concrete gravity dam sections to examine the earthquake induced stresses and effective damping. For this purpose, frequency domain methods that rigorously incorporate dam-reservoir-foundation interaction and time domain methods with approximate hydrodynamic foundation interaction effects were employed. The maximum principal tensile stresses and their distribution at the dam base, which are important parameters for concrete dam design, were obtained using the frequency domain approach. Prediction equations were proposed for these stresses and their distribution at the dam base. Comparisons of the stress results obtained using frequency and time domain methods revealed that the dam height and ratio of modulus of elasticity of foundation rock to concrete are significant parameters that may influence earthquake induced stresses. A new effective damping prediction equation was proposed in order to estimate earthquake stresses accurately with the approximate time domain approach.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.521-531
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• 2020

The behavior variation of concrete dam is investigated, based on a new method for analyzing the data model of concrete dam in service process for the limitation of wavelet transform for solving concrete dam service process model. The study takes into account the time and position of behavior change during the process of concrete dam service. There is no dependence on the effect quantity for overcoming the shortcomings of the traditional identification method. The panel data model is firstly proposed for analyzing the behavior change of composite concrete dam. The change-point theory is used to identify whether the behavior of concrete dams changes during service. The phase space reconstruction technique is used to reconstruct the phase plane of the trend effect component. The time dimension method is used to solve the construction of multi-transformation model of composite panel data. An existing 76.3-m-high dam is used to investigate some key issues on the behavior change. Emphasis is placed on conversion time and location for three time periods consistent with the practical analysis report for evaluating the validity of the analysis method of the behavior variation of concrete dams presented in this paper.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.65-79
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• 2011

Concrete hydraulic structures such as: Dams, Intake Towers, Piers and dock are usually recognized as" Vital and Special Structures" that must have sufficient safety margin at critical conditions like when earthquake occurred as same as normal servicing time. Hence, to evaluate hydrodynamic pressures generated due to seismic forces and Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI); introduction to fluid-structure domains and interaction between them are inevitable. For this purpose, first step is exact modeling of water-structure and their interaction conditions. In this paper, the basic equation involved the water-structure-foundation interaction and the effective factors are explained briefly for concrete hydraulic structure types. The finite element modeling of two concrete gravity dams with 5 m, 150 m height, reservoir water and foundation bed rock is idealized and then the effects of fluid domain and bed rock have been investigated on modal characteristic of dams. The analytical results obtained from numerical studies and modal analysis show that the accurate modeling of dam-reservoir-foundation and their interaction considerably affects the modal periods, mode shapes and modal hydrodynamic pressure distribution. The results show that the foundation bed rock modeling increases modal periods about 80%, where reservoir modeling changes modal shapes and increases the period of all modes up to 30%. Reservoir-dam-foundation interaction increases modal period from 30% to 100% for different cases.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.285-296
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• 2020

Dams are important structures for management of water supply for irrigation or drinking, flood control, and electricity generation. In seismic regions, the structural safety of concrete gravity dams is important due to the high potential of life and economic loss if they fail. Therefore, the seismic analysis of existing dams in seismically active regions is crucial for predicting responses of dams to ground motions. In this paper, earthquake response of concrete gravity dams is investigated using the finite element (FE) method. The FE model accounts for dam-water-foundation rock interaction by considering compressible water, flexible foundation effects, and absorptive reservoir bottom materials. Several uncertainties regarding structural attributes of the dam and external actions are considered to obtain the fragility curves of the dam-water-foundation rock system. The structural uncertainties are sampled using the Latin Hypercube Sampling method. The Pine Flat Dam in the Central Valley of Fresno County, California, is selected to demonstrate the methodology for several limit states. The fragility curves for base sliding, and excessive deformation limit states are obtained by performing non-linear time history analyses. Tensile cracking including the complex state of stress that occurs in dams was also considered. Normal, Log-Normal and Weibull distribution types are considered as possible fits for fragility curves. It was found that the effect of the minimum principal stress on tensile strength is insignificant. It is also found that the probability of failure of tensile cracking is higher than that for base sliding of the dam. Furthermore, the loss of reservoir control is unlikely for a moderate earthquake.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.119-131
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• 2019

Time dependent creep settlements are one of the most important causes of material deteriorations for the huge water structures such as concrete faced rockfill dams (CFRDs). For this reason, performing creep analyses of CFRDs is vital important for monitoring and evaluating of the future and safety of such dams. In this study, it is observed how changes viscoplastic behaviour of a CFR dam depending the time. Ilısu dam that is the longest concrete faced rockfill dam (1775 m) in the world is selected for the three dimensional (3D) analyses. 3D finite difference model of Ilısu dam is modelled using FLAC3D software based on the finite difference method. Two different special creep material models are considered in the numerical analyses. Wipp-creep viscoplastic material model and burger-creep viscoplastic material model were rarely used for the creep analyses of CFRDs in the last are taken into account for the concrete slab and rockfill materials-foundation, respectively. Moreover, interface elements are defined between the concrete slab-rockfill materials and rockfill materials-foundation to provide interaction condition for 3D model. Firstly, dam and foundation are collapsed under its self-weight and static behaviour of the dam is evaluated for the empty reservoir conditions. Then, reservoir water is modelled considering maximum water level of the dam and time-dependent creep analyses are performed for maximum reservoir condition. In this paper, maximum principal stresses, vertical-horizontal displacements and pore pressures that may occur on the dam body surface during 30 years (from 2017 to 2047) are evaluated in detail. According to numerical analyses, empty and maximum reservoir conditions of Ilısu dam are compared with each other in detail. 4 various nodal points are selected under the concrete slab to better seen viscoplastic behaviour changes of the dam and viscoplastic behaviour differences of these points during 30 years are graphically presented. It is clearly seen that horizontal-vertical displacements and principal stresses for maximum reservoir condition are more than the empty reservoir condition of the dam and significant pore pressures are observed during 30 years for maximum reservoir condition. In addition, horizontal-vertical displacements, principal stresses and pore pressures for 4 nodal points obviously increased until a certain time and changes decreased after this time.

• Structural Monitoring and Maintenance
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.95-113
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• 2015

The knowledge of the behavior of any roller compacted concrete (RCC) dam and its foundation is gained by studying the service action of the dam and its foundation using measurements of an external and internal nature. The information by which a continuing assurance of structural safety of the RCC dam can be gauged is of primary importance. Similarly, the fact that the information on structural and thermal behavior and the properties of concrete that may be used to give added criteria for use in the design of future RCC dams is of secondary importance. Wide spread attention is now being given to the installation of more expensive instrumentation for studying the behavior of concrete dams and reservoirs and forecasting of any adverse trends. In view of this, the paper traces installation and need of the comprehensive instrumentation scheme implemented to monitor the structural and thermal behavior of 102.4 m high RCC dam constructed near Mumbai in India. An attempt is made in the present paper to emphasize the need to undertake an instrumentation program and evaluate their performance during construction and post construction stage of RCC structures. Few typical results, regarding the thermal and structural behavior of the dam, obtained through instrumentation installed at the dam site are presented and compared with the design considerations. The fair agreement is seen in the response observed through instrumentation with that governing the design criteria.