The effect of near-fault earthquakes and wavelet-generated artificial near-fault earthquakes on the seismic behavior of rockfill dams

Abstract

Strong earth vibrations may destroy high asphalt concrete core rockfill dams (ACCRDs) and cause unanticipated economic and social losses. Due to favorable geographical, geological, and environmental characteristics, ACCRDs are always near ruptured fault zones. Compared to far-field and non-pulse earthquakes, near-fault (NF) earthquakes with pulse effect may put high dams under stress. However, seismic design and dynamic assessments of high ACCRDs under pulse-type earthquake stimulation are less popular than NF earthquake recordings. The fundamental explanation is that most earthquake data pertain to non-pulse-type seismic occurrences, whereas pulse-type earthquakes have more sophisticated seismology. This work uses the finite element approach to illustrate the seismic behavior of the ACCRD under pulse-type NF, non-pulse-type NF, and far-fault (FF) earthquake excitations. The pulse-type artificial NF earthquakes are generated using wavelet multi-scale decomposition incorporation (WMSDI), a simplified wavelet theory-based approach. Next, the WMSDI approach of artificial NF earthquake synthesis is tested and compared to earthquake data and structure responses. Forward-directivity pulse-type and fling-step pulse-type earthquakes may induce higher horizontal accelerations and stresses of the high ACCRD than FF earthquakes. FS and FD earthquake excitations with high PGV/PGA ratios cause severe residual deformation and relative settlement ratio to the high ACCRD. The dynamic response of the high ACCRD under pulse-type artificial NF earthquakes also depends on the pulse parameters of the artificial equivalent pulse mathematical models. Thus, pulse-type NF earthquake seismology should be included in rockfill dam seismic design assessments.