Stability analysis of concrete gravity dam on complicated foundation with multiple slide planes

Abstract

A key problem in gravity dam design is providing enough stability to prevent slide, and the difficulty increases if there are several weak structural planes in the dam foundation. Overload and material weakening were taken into account, and a finite difference strength reserve method with partial safety factors based on the reliability method was developed and used to study the anti-slide stability of a concrete gravity dam on a complicated foundation with multiple slide planes. Possible slide paths were obtained, and the stability of the foundation with possible failure planes was evaluated through analysis of the stress distribution characteristics. The results reveal the mechanism and process of sliding due to weak structural planes and their deformations, and provide a reference for anti-slide stability analysis of gravity dams in complicated geological conditions.