3D numerical simulation of seismic failure of concrete gravity dams considering base sliding

The sliding of dam base along dam-foundation rock interface during earthquake excitation can decrease the earthquake response of the dam. The present study reveals a numerical simulation of the seismic failure response for Oued Fodda concrete gravity dam, located in northwest of Algeria, considering base sliding. Nonlinear finite element analyses are performed for Oued Fodda damfoundation rock system. The Smeared crack approach is used to present cracking of dam concrete under the 1980 El Asnam earthquake (M7) using Willam and Warnke failure criterion. The hydrodynamic pressure of the reservoir water is modeled as added mass using the Westergaard approach. The sliding behavior of contractions joints is modeled by surface-surface contact elements that provide the friction contact at dam-foundation interface. Drucker-Prager model is considered for dam concrete in nonlinear analysis. According to numerical analyses, several cracks may appear due to tension particularly at middle upper parts located along the symmetry central axis of the dam in both upstream and downstream faces. Although the dam sliding on its foundation reduces the magnitude of principal tensile stresses in dam body; however, the reduction magnitude is generally not large enough to preclude the cracks propagation in dam body.