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Centrifuge study on volume changes and dynamic stability of earth dams

Journal Article · · Journal of Geotechnical Engineering; (United States)
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [2];  [5]
  1. Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States)
  2. Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)
  3. Leighton and Associates, Inc., Diamond Bar, CA (United States)
  4. Earth Tech. Corp., Irvine, CA (United States)
  5. Earth Technical Corp., Irvine, CA (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations
A simplified method of analysis for determining the permanent displacement of a clay core in a heterogeneous earth dam subjected to dynamic excitation is discussed. Centrifuge studies on three identical models were used to determine the deformation characteristics of earth dams subjected to earthquakes large enough to produce flow slides. These studies suggest that the failure mode is considerably influenced by the reduction in shear strength caused by the void-ratio increase and the subsequent decrease in effective stress at the sand-clay interface. Conventional sliding block analysis does not consider this phenomenon. A simplified method using the concepts of critical-state soil mechanics is presented that may be used to estimate both the reduced shear strength and the redistributed void-ratio at the interface. Values predicted using this method were found to agree well with those observed in the centrifuge experiments. By integrating these quantities into Newmark's sliding block analysis, a better estimate of the permanent displacement of an earth dam may be obtained.
OSTI ID:
5744118
Journal Information:
Journal of Geotechnical Engineering; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Geotechnical Engineering; (United States) Vol. 119:11; ISSN 0733-9410; ISSN JGENDZ
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

13 HYDRO ENERGY
130200* -- Hydro Energy-- Site Geology & Meteorology
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540210 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (1990-)
58 GEOSCIENCES
580000 -- Geosciences
DAMS
DEFORMATION
DYNAMIC LOADS
DYNAMICS
FAILURE MODE ANALYSIS
FUNCTIONS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MECHANICS
RESPONSE FUNCTIONS
RISK ASSESSMENT
SEISMIC EFFECTS
SHEAR
SITE CHARACTERIZATION
SOIL MECHANICS
SOIL-STRUCTURE INTERACTIONS
STABILITY
SYSTEM FAILURE ANALYSIS
SYSTEMS ANALYSIS