The Influence of Initial Cracks on the Crack Propagation Process of Concrete Gravity Dam-Reservoir-Foundation Systems

Abstract

A scaled-down 1:40 model of a gravity dam with the initial notch in the upstream wall is analyzed using the XFEM. Furthermore, the cracking process of Koyna dam including dam-reservoir-foundation interaction under the 1967 Koyna earthquake is also simulated numerically by employing the XFEM. The computed distribution of cracking damage is consistent with other numerical methods and the model experiment. Subsequently, a typical concrete gravity dam with different crack cases is employed as a numerical example. The effects of the initial crack position and length on the crack propagation and seismic response of dam-reservoir-foundation systems are studied.

Simulation of Test Arch Based on Concrete Damage Plasticity Model and Damage Evolution Analysis

“…Concrete damage simulation predominantly employs methodologies, such as CIT, VCCT, XFEM [27][28][29], and the damage mechanics-based CDP model [30]. Given our emphasis on macroscopic effects on the overarching bridge structure, local crack propagation was not a component of this study.…”

Soft Computing and Machine Learning in Dam Engineering

“…Both Chopra and Chakrabarti (1973) [48] and Nuss et al (2012) [49] note that the cracking at the Koyna dam that occurred at the base of the dam's chimney section was horizontal from both the upstream and downstream faces. Physical (Mridha and Maity, 2014 [50]) and numerical models of crack propagation with SFEM methods (Wang et al, 2015) [51] indicate a preference for bi-linear crack configuration.…”