Importance of seismic wave frequency in FEM-based dynamic stress and displacement calculations of the earth slope

Abstract

Reliable assessment of earthen dams’ stability and tailing storage facilities widely used in the mining industry is challenging, particularly under seismic load conditions. In this paper, we propose to take into account the effect of the dominant frequency of seismic load on the stability assessment of tailing/earthen dams. The calculations are performed by finite element modelling (FEM) with the Mohr–Coulomb failure criteria. To separate the frequency content from other dynamic parameters describing the seismic wave, synthetic waveforms with identical amplitude and attenuation characteristics, but differing spectral characteristics have been used. The analysis has been performed for three different slope angles and two scenarios of seismic wave propagation. Consequently, the changes of total displacement and shear stresses depending on the frequencies have been determined and clearly show that lower frequencies cause higher stress levels and displacement. Finally, the response surface methodology has been applied to determine how different parameters affect the slope stability under dynamic load conditions. Overall, this study is a first step to improve the existing methods to assess slope stability when considering seismic load.

Application of Dynamic Time Warping to Determine the Shear Wave Velocity from the Down-Hole Test

“…This need for monitoring has been further highlighted by the occurrence of numerous TSF disasters, which pose a significant threat to the environment and human life [1,2]. The main causes of TSF failures include the instability of the dam slope, earthquake load, overtopping, seepage, and unsuitable foundations [3,4]. Monitoring a TSF requires numerous tests, both in the laboratory and in the field.…”