In design of rockfill dams, the arch action and hydraulic fracturing of the core are two important and unsolved problems. This paper analyzes the stress-deformation behavior of a high rockfill dam with a vertical core in clay using three-dimensional Finite Element Method (3D FEM). Special attention is placed on the arching action and hydraulic fracturing of the core. Two types of factors influencing on the arch action, i.e., the properties of the materials filling dam and the structure of the dam, are investigated. It is found that increasing of Young's modulus or Poisson's ratio of the material of the core results in reduction to the arch action in core. On the other hand, both decreasing of the slope of the core or dam and increasing of the core thickness are helpful to reduce the arch action. The likelihood of hydraulic fracturing is dependent on how strong the arch action is.
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