Correlation between valley deformation and water level fluctuations in high arch dam

Abstract

The primary objective of this article is to present a case study of valley deformation in high arch dam and its relationship with water level fluctuations. Data of displacement versus reservoir level monitored over a five-year period are used to determine possible relationship between displacement and reservoir level. It is found that valley deformations are closely related to the filling-drawdown cycles of reservoir. Comparison of velocity of displacement of the valley with reservoir water level reveals that the reservoir water drawdown has a much stronger influence on the valley deformation. Based on these results, it is anticipated that the present research will provide additional insight into the mechanism of valley deformation and provide guidelines for preventive strategies and treatments.

Keywords:

• Valley deformation
• long-term monitoring
• deformation characteristics
• filling-drawdown cycles

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The work presented in this paper is supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (No. 2018YFC0407004, No. 2017YFC1501100), the National Natural Science Foundation project of China (No. 51939004, 11772118).