Seismic deformation analysis of Tuttle Creek Dam

Abstract

To facilitate the design of seismic remediation for Tuttle Creek Dam in east central Kansas, a seismic finite difference analysis of the dam was performed using the software FLAC and the UBCSAND and UBCTOT soil constitutive models. The FLAC software has a key advantage because it can use calibrated site-specific constitutive models. Earlier deformation analyses using a hyperbolic constitutive model for the foundation fine-grained materials did not properly represent the modulus and strength reduction and predicted extremely large permanent deformations. Cyclic triaxial laboratory tests using high-quality samples and in situ vane shear tests were used to calibrate the FLAC constitutive model herein. The resulting FLAC analysis of the unremediated dam predicted an upstream slope toe deformation of about 0.6 m, a crest settlement of about 0.6 m, and a downstream slope toe deformation of about 1.5 m using the design ground motion. Based on the estimated permanent deformations and other factors, it was decided that the anticipated upstream slope and crest deformations were tolerable and only the downstream slope had to be remediated to protect the downstream seepage control system.