Study on presettlement control measures for high concrete-faced rockfill dams

Abstract

A finite element (FE) numerical simulation of instantaneous and creep deformation of rockfill bodies during the filling and water storage process of a concrete-faced rockfill dam (CFRD) is carried out based on practical experience in Shuibuya. The results show that the existing presettlement control measures are empirically based on 200-m-high CFRDs. To study the presettlement control measures for higher CFRDs, an FE simulation of slab detachment at the top of different stages during the construction of the 300-m-high CFRDs is carried out based on the inflow during the flood season and the optimised construction process. The results show that under the existing presettlement standards, the presettlement time of the rockfill body and filling height difference between the rockfill body and face slab do not meet the deformation control requirements for 300-m-high CFRDs. Furthermore, new presettlement control measures for 300-m superhigh CFRDs are presented based on numerical analysis.

Keywords:

• Presettlement
• high CFRD
• FEM
• deformation control method

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51808246); the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK20170464); the Open Foundation of the Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory of Assembly Technology on Urban and Rural Residence Structure (JSZP201901); the Open Fund of the State Key Laboratory of Coastal and Offshore Engineering (LP1829); the Research Project of Huai'an Natural Science (HABZ202020); and the Science and Technology Projects of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People's Republic of China (2017K6004).