Abstract
The rockfill toe structure situated within the downstream slope of rockfill dams is an integral part of a defense mechanism safeguarding the dam structure in throughflow situations. Recent studies have concluded that the rockfill toe structure can have significant impacts on throughflow development and stability of rockfill dams under scenarios of accidental throughflow caused by overtopping of the dam core. The ability to numerically model the effect of various toe configurations on flow through rockfill dams can support the design of effective toe drainage structures for rockfill dams. Development and calibration of a reliable numerical modeling tool in this regard has been challenging owing to lack of availability of extensive datasets from physical modeling investigations. This study further employs datasets gathered by a recent physical modeling study investigating the effects of various toe configurations on throughflow development in rockfill dam models. A commercial numerical seepage modeling tool with an option for non-Darcy flow was calibrated against the datasets with good calibration metrics. The study is novel in providing a rare report on the usage of this option. The calibrated tool can further be employed to carry out a wide array of simulations to arrive at an ideal design for a toe structure for rockfill dams and for assessment of hydraulic performance of toe structures.
Highlights
Embankment dams, constructed with locally excavated earth or rockfill represent 78% of the total number of existing dams worldwide [1]
Recent studies have concluded that the rockfill toe structure can have significant impacts on throughflow development and stability of rockfill dams under scenarios of accidental throughflow caused by overtopping of the dam core
The results from the numerical analysis demonstrate that turbulent non-Darcy flow through rockfill dam structures can be modelled with good calibration metrics
Summary
Embankment dams, constructed with locally excavated earth or rockfill represent 78% of the total number of existing dams worldwide [1]. There exists significant amount of accumulated scientific literature within the research discipline of embankment dams in general, technical literature describing throughflow behavior of rockfill dams is scarce. Equipping embankment dams with defense mechanisms against unanticipated overtopping or leakage events is of importance from a dam safety perspective. The voids are bigger and velocities vary along with the grains redirecting the flow
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