Abstract
Drawdowns and filling may cause instability in slopes without adequate levels of protection against failure. In this paper, a numerical approach utilizing the finite element method (FEM) was employed to examine the seepage and slope stability of a typical earth-fill dam. Finite element software (GEOSTUDIO 2012) was used to carry out both steady-state and transient seepage analyses on Chamrga earth Dam in Iraq to study the seepage and upstream slope stability during normal water level, filling stage and drawdown conditions for two scenarios. To include water levels during the filling and drawdown variable linear water heads with time were identified as boundary states in the transient seepage analysis. The quantity and direction of water flux, existing gradient, and safety factor were calculated for all scenarios. The results revealed that the stability of the slope during drawdown is highly impacted by how fast its pore water pressure dissipates.
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