Evaluation of fault rupture propagation through earth dams subjected to reverse faulting: Outcomes from centrifuge simulation

Abstract

Although permanent ground movement can cause devasting damages to the infrastructures, contributions assessing the effect of faulting on earth dams are limited with no notable experimental outcomes. This paper aims to provide conceptual information by investigating the response of earth dams with a clayey core subjected to reverse fault rupture using centrifuge experiments. The influence of the earth dam's location on the fault tip and the effect of alluvial foundation thickness beneath the dam was addressed by eight centrifuge tests at 60-g centrifugal acceleration. One model also explored the fault rupture-earth dam interaction considering a soil-cement cut-off wall beneath the center of the core. Distortion, sliding, and rotation of cores were observed as consequences of reverse faulting depending on the point of intersection between the dam body and fault trace. An increase in the core deformation was also captured for dams on thinner foundation layers. The freeboard height of the dam also decreases by 48%–90% of the vertical fault throw and should be considered in the design phase to avoid overtopping.