Assessment of stability of earth dams based on construction pace by fuzzy inference logic

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the earth dam stability fuzzy model based on the pace of construction by way of influential parameters, including the dam construction time (embankment consolidation time) in the stability analysis of earth dams. A fuzzy inference system based on the Sugeno inference engine was developed, and 620 if-then rules in plane strain and axial symmetry (Plaxis) were used to train the fuzzy system. The input parameters included the dam height, crest width, dam slope, cohesion, friction angle, elasticity modulus, Poisson’s ratio, unsaturated unit weight, consolidation (construction) time and permeability coefficient, with the factor of safety output. To develop the fuzzy inference system, a triangular membership function was employed, calculating the influential parameters over five periods in Matrix laboratory (Matlab) software. The fuzzy model results were compared with the results of numerical Plaxis and fast Lagrangian analysis of continua models. High coefficients of determination (R2) suggest good agreement between the fuzzy and numerical models, and it can be assumed that the proposed fuzzy model is efficient and effective for the stability analysis, and hence assessment of factors of safety, of earth dams.