Influence of Input Assumptions on the Evaluation of the Seismic Performance of Earth Dams

ABSTRACT

The seismic performance of earth dams can nowadays be performed via dynamic analyses using constitutive models of sufficient accuracy in describing cyclic soil behavior. However, a number of assumptions different from soil model affect the problem as a whole. In this paper, a 2D model of a simplified homogeneous earth dam is developed, to assess the influence of bedrock compliance, vertical component of ground motion, stabilizing berms, and initial pore water pressure distribution on its seismic performance, thus providing some guidance on the choices that should be adopted for a safe assessment of the seismic performance of existing earth dams.

KEYWORDS:

• Homogeneous earth dam
• earthquake
• dynamic numerical analysis
• seismic performance
• non-linear soil behavior

Additional information

Funding

The research work presented in this paper was partly funded by the Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca (MIUR) for the Research Project of National Interest (PRIN 2017) on Risk Assessment of Earth Dams and River Embankments to Earthquakes and Floods (Prot. 2017YPMBWJ).