Numerical assessment of the influences of uplift pressure in joints on the seismic response of an arch dam having a jointed foundation

Abstract

Joints, which are usually located in the abutments of dams, play a vital role in the seismic stability evaluation of arch dams. This paper presents a comprehensive numerical investigation of the influence of uplift pressure in joints on the seismic response of an arch dam, with a focus on the interaction between the dam and the rock wedges. For this study, the Bakhtiari arch dam, having one rock wedge at each abutment, was chosen as a case study, and three distinct finite element models of the dam were developed. Three components of El Centro were applied to the dam's foundation, and the influences of dam-rock wedge interaction on the crest displacement time history and tensile damage of the arch dam were investigated. Four different scenarios were taken into account. The results indicated that taking uplift pressure in joints into account has important effects on the dam responses.