Earth Dams Research Articles

Piping Stabilization of Clay Soil Using Lime

Construction of earth fill dams offers a cost-effective solution for various purposes. However, their susceptibility to internal soil erosion, known as piping, poses a significant risk of structural failure and resultant loss of life and property. Soil stabilization emerges as a practical technique to fortify these dams against such threats. This study investigated the impact of lime on the internal erosion properties of clay soils, focusing on CH and ML soil types. Specimens of different lime content were prepared and remolded at 95% relative compaction and optimum moisture content. Hole Erosion tests at varying lime concentrations and curing durations were adapted to conduct the investigation. This investigation aims to optimize lime content and curing time for cohesive soil stabilization against internal erosion. Findings revealed that 2% and 5% of quicklime, by dry weight of the soil, effectively stabilized CH and ML soils, respectively, against internal erosion, with a two-day curing period proving optimal. Furthermore, the addition of lime significantly enhanced erosion rate index and critical shear strength in clay soil, underscoring its efficacy in soil stabilization efforts.

An Assessment of the Siltation and Sediment Generation in Yusmerg Dam Located in Jammu and Kashmir

Abstract: Although siltation is a natural process, human activity can speed it up and cause serious issues for reservoirs, lowering their usable volume for irrigation. One illustration of this issue was the Yusmerg dam's mirror water area shrinking by 48.3% over the course of 20 years. Thus, the purpose of this study was to assess the siltation and sediment production of the dam using a methodology that may be used for small earth dams used for agriculture. The amount of silt deposited in the reservoir was tracked for this purpose every month of the year. With a retention sediment percentage ranging from 53.9 to 94.5% and a high specific sediment output, the Yusmerg dam will fully silt in a maximum of 57 years. Restoring permanent preservation areas and clearing 17,500 m3 of silt from the dam's riverbed should be done as little as possible.

Liquefaction characteristics of aging earth dam body by dynamic centrifugal model test

Earth dams have been damaged or even collapsed owing to earthquake liquefaction. Although a liquefied foundation is a major factor affecting the safety of earth dams, the damage caused by the liquefaction of the dam body itself cannot be ignored, particularly for aged earth dams. However, in the presence of high water levels, liquefaction of the dam body cannot be considered solely in terms of the seismic load. Consequently, in this study we used dynamic centrifuge tests and numerical analysis to simulate the liquefaction process of an earth dam body under high water levels and analyzed the damage mechanism. The aging dam body, which can be easily liquefied, was simulated by controlling the density of the dam body, the low-density dam body exhibiting greater acceleration-amplification characteristics and displacement. Liquefaction was evident in the contact area between the slope and water level, with segmental settlement occurring. Through numerical analysis, it was evident that the core area accumulated considerable plastic deformation, and the sliding damage extended from the water contact surface to the dam toe. This study could compensate for the dearth of liquefaction model experiments of earth dams, providing a necessary reference for the seismic reinforcement of earth dams.

Seismic intensity measures and predictive equations for the evaluation of earthquake—induced crest settlements of earth dams

AbstractIn this paper the results of 2D dynamic finite element analyses of a zoned earth dam are presented and discussed with the aim of detecting proper intensity measures able to describe the variation of the crest permanent settlement with the characteristics of the input ground motion. A large set of horizontal components of earthquake records has been selected and used as input motion considering both upstream and downstream directions. This allowed to explore the activation of plastic mechanisms in the dam embankment and the amplification of the horizontal accelerations. Starting from the analysis results, two original intensity measures, related to the amplitude, energy and frequency content of the input motion, have been detected and original empirical predictive formulas have also been derived to estimate the permanent crest settlement of the dam. The effectiveness of the proposed intensity measures and the reliability of the novel relationships between these intensity measures and earthquake‐induced permanent crest settlements have been checked against (i) numerical results of further dynamic analyses carried out for the same dam using additional sets of input motions, (ii) numerical results available in the literature for two other earth dams and (iii) field data relative to the crest settlements induced in four earth dams by two recent large earthquakes. The whole set of analysis results allowed defining an empirical equation that appears as a promising general predictive tool for the earthquake‐induced crest settlement of earth dams.

Seismic capacity models for earth dams and their use in developing fragility curves

This article develops seismic capacity models for earth dams and demonstrates how the proposed seismic capacity models may be used to develop seismic fragility curves that predict the probability of damage as a function of ground shaking intensity. Developing earth dam fragility curves requires two major components: (1) a seismic capacity model that predicts the probability of a damage state given the relative settlement (RS) and (2) an engineering demand model that predicts the RS as a function of ground motion intensity. While seismic demand models for earth dams have been studied by various researchers, there is a scarcity of seismic capacity models. This article focuses first on developing seismic capacity relationships using a dataset of earthquake case histories of dam performance. Different from previously developed relationships, only the damage description for each dam is used when assigning the damage state, which results in statistical variability in the capacity relationship between the damage state and RS. The fragility curve development is demonstrated by combining the seismic capacity relationships with a seismic demand model for RS derived from nonlinear, dynamic finite element analyses for a 20-m generic dam geometry subjected to a suite of earthquake motions from the NGA-West2 database.

Application of a simplified Green-Ampt model to the Maga earthfill dam under rainfall conditions: A sensitivity analysis case of an infiltration model

The present paper applies a simplified Green-Ampt (GA) infiltration model for the numerical modelling of seepage processes within the body of the Maga earth dam, located in the Far-North Cameroon, under rainfall conditions. The parametrization approach makes possible the predictions of infiltrations parameters for various textures that constitute the body of earth dam and its vicinities. The effects of soil texture, permeability coefficient, rain intensity and initial moisture on infiltration rate and cumulative depth are investigated using numerical simulations carried out by running an Excel VBA code. A proposed optimization procedure of the literature is then used to improve the GA model parameters and accuracy of predictions. A case sensitivity analysis of the infiltration model parameters has also been made. Initial and saturated water contents, rain intensity and permeability coefficient at saturation have been identified as the most influents parameters for the model predictions, with obvious interactions between inputs. The contribution of main effects and interactions of above inputs ranges between 68.8 % and 90.03 % of the total variance. Comparisons of numerical results with the experimental ones obtained from the literature on real cases of simulated rainfall on main sub-Saharan soils have been done. The results show that numerical simulations underestimated 60 % and 56.25 % of the hydrodynamics parameters respectively for one and four simulated rain-sequence with relative errors (RE) ranging between −76.22 % and 300.25 %. The most representative results were obtained for 53.13 % of the predicted hydrodynamics parameters with RE value ranging between −23.90 % and 12.75 %. The obtained results proved that, the simplified GA model exhibited an acceptable accuracy in predicting seepage processes for ferruginous and degraded vertic soils. Therefore, the present study contributes to understand the role of numerical simulations tools in modelling and predicting subsurface phenomenon as seepage, for areas with high floods risks in a context of significant climate changes.

A Study on Determination of the Fundamental Period of Earth Dams through Experimental, Empirical, Numerical, and Analytical Methods

A Study on Determination of the Fundamental Period of Earth Dams through Experimental, Empirical, Numerical, and Analytical Methods

Numerical Analysis of Soil Deformation in Earth Dams Using a Stiffness Variation Technique

Small earth dams have been used since ancient times and are often the main source of water in semi-arid regions. In this particular type of engineering work, soils saturated by water present changes in their mechanical properties (especially in the first filling), which usually cause a simultaneous loss of stiffness and shear strength. In this context, the software UNSTRUCT presents itself as a very useful tool, as it allows calculating the final state of stress x strain for a plane strain state, using the Finite Element Method, both for saturated and unsaturated embankments, considering an elastic model and the effect of suction (and its variation), through a stiffness variation technique. The present research used UNSTRUCT to assess the behavior of the embankment of a hypothetical earth dam, varying the features of its typical cross-section: homogeneity; internal drainage structures; geometry along a longitudinal profile; and the influence of the compaction level. The results showed that the soil responded better to strains for the scenario of better compaction along the dry branch of the compaction curve, as well as with the use of a vertical drainage element. It was also observed that the strains were higher when greater sections considered, which, in a real situation, would cause distortions along the longitudinal profile of the dam. The software UNSTRUCT proved to be efficient in obtaining and visualizing the modeling results, also making it possible to analyze the development of failure over time after the dam was filled. With UNSTRUCT, a more realistic analysis of the behavior of the hypothetical dam – considering factors that are specific to unsaturated soils – was possible. Worth mentioning also that the software allowed the appraisal of multiple changes in the dam’s geometry and parameters.

ASSESSING LOCAL PORE WATER VELOCITY ALONG PREFERENTIAL FLOW IN EARTHEN DAM USING SALT TRACER

The local pore water velocity along the preferential flow path signifies the hydraulic parameter responsible for erosion within an earthen dam. This study introduces an empirical approach to ascertain the local pore water velocity within the earth dam's leakage zones by monitoring the travel time of the salt tracer through the corresponding electric potential anomalies in the ground. The alignment of electric potential anomalies with the movement of the salt tracer plume over time was confirmed through experiments on a physical model coupled with numerical simulations. The pore water velocity, calculated based on the location of the maximum electric potential anomaly, demonstrated excellent agreement with the experimental value, with an error of under 6%. For illustrative purposes, a field-scale salt tracer test was conducted at a leaking earthen dam in Vietnam. The tracer breakthrough curve originating from the leakage point revealed that the seepage water's travel time is approximately 40 days. The results of electric potential anomalies over time indicate that the pathway of seepage flow from upstream to the leakage point forms a horizontal V-shape, with the local pore water velocity ranging from 1.7 to 9.9x10-5 m/s. These local pore water velocities are subsequently compared with the critical seepage velocity to assess in-situ information regarding the internal erosion status of the target dam.

Spatiotemporal clustering of dam settlement monitoring using instrumentation data (case study: Eyvashan Earth Dam)

The integrity of monitoring data is important for studying the amount and location of deformation in earth dams. In this research, the meeting of the Eyvashan Earth Dam was analyzed using the results of precision instruments over a period of eight years during three periods of construction, first impoundment, and exploitation. To verify the accuracy of the results, the numerical model of the largest section of the dam was constructed with Plaxis software and analyzed according to the Mohr–Coulomb behavior model. The results showed that since the beginning of construction, the occurrence of settlements in the core of the dam has been increasing, and with the passage of time, settlements reach a constant value in the operation phase. The maximum settlement of the dam core at the end of the construction stage was 809 mm, which was equal to 1.2% of the dam height in the middle level. Additionally, an approach based on spatiotemporal clustering has been presented to improve the interpretability of the settlement behavior of earth dams. Clustering analysis of spatiotemporal data is used as a measure to determine the similarity of settlements and to select relevant data. Therefore, k-means clustering algorithms and two-step clustering were used to determine the displacement of earth dams. By comparing the correlation results, the proposed method of detecting settlement areas using a spatiotemporal clustering model can be considered a reliable method for monitoring the settlement of earth dams.

Analysis of seepage through an earth dam with a diaphragm on an impermeable foundation using PLAXIS 2D

Analysis of seepage through an earth dam with a diaphragm on an impermeable foundation using PLAXIS 2D

Assessment of stability of earth dams based on construction pace by fuzzy inference logic

This study aims to evaluate the earth dam stability fuzzy model based on the pace of construction by way of influential parameters, including the dam construction time (embankment consolidation time) in the stability analysis of earth dams. A fuzzy inference system based on the Sugeno inference engine was developed, and 620 if-then rules in plane strain and axial symmetry (Plaxis) were used to train the fuzzy system. The input parameters included the dam height, crest width, dam slope, cohesion, friction angle, elasticity modulus, Poisson’s ratio, unsaturated unit weight, consolidation (construction) time and permeability coefficient, with the factor of safety output. To develop the fuzzy inference system, a triangular membership function was employed, calculating the influential parameters over five periods in Matrix laboratory (Matlab) software. The fuzzy model results were compared with the results of numerical Plaxis and fast Lagrangian analysis of continua models. High coefficients of determination (R2) suggest good agreement between the fuzzy and numerical models, and it can be assumed that the proposed fuzzy model is efficient and effective for the stability analysis, and hence assessment of factors of safety, of earth dams.

Overtopping Failure Process and Core Wall Fracture Mechanism of a New Concrete Core Wall Dam

Concrete core wall dams have emerged as a cost-effective alternative to the reconstruction of old dams. However, the flooding mechanism and flood line of these dams differ significantly from traditional earth and rockfill dams due to the concrete core wall functioning as reinforcement. This study presents model tests that simulate the overtopping failure of earth and rockfill dams with concrete core walls of various thicknesses. The hydrologic curve and two-dimensional evolution of the breach are analyzed, and mechanical analysis examines the relationship between core wall thickness and free face during core wall failure. Results indicate that the presence of the concrete core wall shifts the overtopping failure mode to the scour pit failure mode. The scour pit failure mode occurs when upstream water scours the downstream core wall to form scour holes and free faces. Continuous scouring increases the depth of the free face, ultimately causing the moment between the two sides of the core wall to exceed the bending moment of the core wall, resulting in fracture. The study provides a theoretical basis for the design of core walls for this new type of dam.

A multi-objective optimal method for polymer cut-off wall of earth dam based on response surface methodology and desirability function analysis

Polymer cut-off wall (PCOW) technology as a new-type reinforcement technology has been widely used in medium and small-sized earth dams. However, the density and thickness of the PCOW of earth dams are usually determined based on engineering experience. In order to establish a design method for the density and thickness of PCOW, a multi-objective optimal method based on response surface methodology (RSM) and desirability function analysis is proposed. In the framework of the proposed method, the density and thickness of PCOW are selected as the influence factors; the maximum horizontal gap length and the maximum vertical displacement difference are selected as the response values for deformation index; the maximum Mises stress of the PCOW and the stability coefficient of the earth dam slope are selected as the response values for strength index; the construction cost of the PCOW is selected as the response values for economic index. Then, nine experiments are designed using the central composite design, and response surface function models are constructed for each response value. The optimal problem of the PCOW with five response values is solved by using desirability function analysis. The weight of each response value is determined based on the possible failure mode during the dam operation period. An earth dam with height 15 m is taken as an example, the optimal density and thicknesses of the PCOW are 2.29 cm and 0.3 g/cm3 under strength failure mode, 2.15 cm and 0.29 g/cm3 under deformation failure mode. The proposed method comprehensively considers the control indexes such as deformation, strength and economy and provides an effective method for the optimal design of PCOW.

Displacement and damage analysis of earth dams during the 2023 Turkiye earthquake sequence

The earthquake sequence that occurred on 6 February 2023 in Turkiye caused significant damage to various infrastructures including geostructures such as dams. A total of 17 earth dams within a 200-km radius of the earthquake epicenter experienced varying degrees of damage, ranging from minor (∼2 cm) to major (up to ∼150 cm) deformations. As study of these reveals that the damaged dams are located within the closest distance to the fault of less than 30 km, with an average value of ∼12 km. This study specifically focuses on the seismic displacement analysis of the 17 damaged dams, utilizing the sliding block methods. The recorded motion data was analyzed using the kriging technique to estimate the spectral response at the dam sites. Moreover, the recorded ground motions were scaled to the resonant period of the dam site to estimate acceleration time history. The findings reveal that the rigid block analysis can provide an average estimation of seismic displacement with a relative error of less than 44%. The results of the damage analysis indicate that seven dams reached the ultimate limit state and two dams experienced the serviceability limit state. Moreover, the univariate and multivariate fragility functions are developed to estimate seismic probabilistic analysis of earth dams based on the observed data and the limit states. The results show that the selection of a single intensity measure (IM) and a combination of IMs can affect the predicted probability of failure. The findings provide an insight into the resilience assessment of dams and other geosystems during this strong earthquake.

Seepage behaviour through earth dams with zones of different filling materials

Seepage behaviour through earth dams with zones of different filling materials

Simulation of breaching of laboratory-scale earth dams by overtopping with XBeach

Catastrophic breaches of water and mine waste retaining impoundments in recent history have emphasized the severity and consequences to the downstream environment. In this study, the applicability and suitability of the XBeach numerical model for modelling earth dam failures driven by overtopping with water is explored by detailed comparison with controlled experimental data. The XBeach model is applied to simulate laboratory-scale breaches caused by overtopping failure of dams constructed with uniform sand at the Queen's University Landslide Flume by Walsh et al. (2021a). The model sensitivity to boundary conditions for different virtual flume sizes, different sediment transport equations that influence erosion rates, and the process of avalanching are investigated. The model results are in best agreement with laboratory measurements when the Soulsby-van Rijn sediment transport formulation is used, which depends on grain size, and the avalanching module is activated, indicating the importance of these processes. The model is also run for different dam geometries to investigate the influence of upstream slope angle, which is relevant for tailings dam breach analyses. The results indicate that for flatter slopes the model is in closer agreement with observations of the peak discharge, while for steeper slopes the model results are better for breach duration time. Overall, XBeach provides promising results for the prediction of the dam breach outflow hydrograph at the laboratory scale and has potential to improve understanding of earth dam failure outcomes with further investigation.

Integrated application of geophysical methods in Earth dam monitoring

Integrated application of geophysical methods in Earth dam monitoring

Effect of Fine-Grained Particles and Sensitivity Analysis of Physical Indexes on Residual Strength of Granite Residual Soils

Recently, stability analyses of structures built of granite residual soils, for example, earth dams or other urban structures, particularly when under vibration, are being recognized as much more important than previously imagined. In such analyses, it is emphasized that the residual strength should be utilized considering the seismic effect. Therefore, the residual strength of granite residual soils must be evaluated accurately in order to reduce the damage to structures built on them. This paper presented a laboratory study designed to examine the effect of fine-grained particles (FGPs; particle size ≤ 0.075 mm) on residual strength by the multistage procedure of the Bromhead ring shear test and evaluate the physical indexes forecasting the residual strength of granite residual soils using soil samples composed of fifteen different percentages of FGPs artificially adjusted from a reservoir embankment soil sample. The results showed that the residual strength decreased along with the increase in FGPs and that the residual frictional angle was rarely dependent on the ratio of FGPs when the ratio was over 90%. Even in the residual state, a small amplitude of fluctuation in shear stress still existed and was affected by the coarse-grained particles (CGPs; particle size ≥ 0.075 mm), such as the quartz particles in the granite residual soils. It was also found that the amplitude of fluctuation was smaller when the FGP fraction was greater. In addition, under the same normal stress, the peak strength and residual strength decreased with an increase in the ratio of FGPs. Then, they remained almost the same when the ratios of FGPs were equal to 85% and 90%, respectively, and the post-peak attenuation tended to increase initially with an increase in the FGPs and then remained almost the same. Moreover, based on the sensitivity analysis, the order of influence of physical indexes on the residual frictional angle was also ranked for the granite residual soils.

Occurrence of sand boils landside of a river dike during flooding: A geophysical perspective

The study of internal erosion of earth dams, dikes, and levees is an essential ingredient to address their safety. Indeed, internal erosion is known to be a major cause of failure for dams and levees. Several sections of the Agly river dike (south-west France) are affected by the appearance of sand boils on the side of the protected zone. These phenomena generally occur without any significant erosion of the dike itself. In order to better understand the reasons for these phenomena, we took advantage of a drought (dry riverbed) to image, using induced polarization tomography, the subsurface from the riverbed to the plains extending inland behind the areas prone to these pathologies. Induced polarization imaging is a geophysical technique that extends the classical electrical resistivity tomography to include low-frequency polarization mechanisms. This approach shows that the river dike is partly built on a sand-filled paleochannel, allowing water to flow under the dike and its clay core during river floods. During floods, underground flow under the dike is responsible for sand boil phenomena on the side of the protected zone. Numerical hydraulic simulations show that the discharge zone has specific concentration points, particularly at the toe of the dike even when the permeability of the sand filling the paleochannel is homogeneous. These concentrated discharges are controlled by the water level in the river, the geometry of the dike and the shape of the clay-sand interface of the paleochannel. This study highlights the role of geophysical techniques, especially induced polarization, in providing key information to better understand erosion and fluidization phenomena affecting river dikes.