Life cycle cost optimisation model for design and reinforcement of dams based in fuzzy clustering and a backtracking search algorithm

Abstract

As an important long-term task in the field of dam engineering, the maintenance and reinforcement (MAR) are of great significance for ensuring the safety of the project and prolonging the service period of the project. The MAR of large-scale and long-term projects also requires high costs. In order to reduce the consumption of funds and improve the utilisation of resources, the whole life cycle cost (LCC) method is introduced. Aiming at the lowest total cost in the whole life cycle, the optimisation of dam engineering planning, design and MAR is carried out. Taking gravity dam as an example, this article establishes a time-varying model of structural resistance and load effect, and the deterioration process of the gravity dam has been analysed and predicted. A decision model for design and reinforcement of gravity dams considering operational risk and LCC is established. Through the optimisation algorithm, the optimal initial design of the gravity dam and its optimal MAR plan is obtained.

Keywords:

• Dam engineering
• decision model
• fuzzy clustering
• life cycle cost
• maintenance and reinforcement
• optimal design
• time-varying reliability

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This research has been partially supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (SN: 51979093, 51739003 and 51579083), the National Key Research and Development Program of China (SN: 2019YFC1510801, 2018YFC0407101 and 2017YFC0804607), Key R&D Program of Guangxi (SN: AB17195074), Open Foundation of State Key Laboratory of Hydrology-Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering (SN: 520003812) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (SN: 2018B40514).