Cellular automata‐based analysis for seepage failure process of earth‐rock dam

Abstract

Research on the process and its mechanism of dam failure is a long-term focus in dam engineering field. The reasonable analysis and prediction of dam failure are of great significance to improve the level of dam emergency management and reduce the risk of dam break. A cellular automata (CA)-based approach is introduced to implement the simulation analysis for the process of piping failure and its induced break in earth-rock dam. According to the energy conversation mechanism during the dam body failure, the local effect rule of earth-rock dam failure is presented. Based on the physical and mechanical properties of earth-rock dam, a CA model of earth-rock dam break is built. Some key implementation technologies, which are used to simulate the break process of earth-rock dam, are developed by analyzing the relationship between the generalized energy and the deformation of soil particles. The method simulating the seepage channel formation by the CA model is proposed, and the mechanical criterion on the seepage channel development is given. Lastly, the piping breach of one actual earth-rock dam is taken as an example. Its CA model simulating the process of piping failure is built. The development of breach width, which is induced by the piping failure, is analyzed. The influence of the height of initial seepage channel on the breach width development is estimated.