Slopes Stability Simulation of the Proposed Makhool Dam Against Earthquake Action

Abstract

This study was designed to analyze the stability of the slopes of the proposed Makhool dam under the influence of the highest seismic acceleration experienced by the dam area since (1997-2022), which is 0.29g with a degree of 7.3ML, due to the earthquake that struck most of the cities of Iraq in 2017. Makhool Dam is a zoned earth dam that is proposed to be built on the Tigris River in north Iraq with length of 3670 m. The study was carried out using Geoslope programs, which used the finite element method. The stability of the dam slopes were analyzed under the influence of the earthquake for three cases, the first at the end of construction (the reservoir is empty), and the second at the maximum level of the reservoir (152.15 m), As for the third, in the case of rapid emptying of the reservoir . The results indicate that the seismic safety factors for the upstream and downstream slopes of the dam are stable and correspond to the minimum acceptable safety factors for the Makhool Dam project. With the exception of the case of the earthquake coinciding with the case of the rapid emptying of the reservoir, where critical stability or collapse of some parts of the upstream slope of the dam may occur, and this case is rare.