RESPONSE OF PLASTIC CONCRETE CUT-OFF WALLS IN EARTHDAMS TO SEISMIC LOADING USING FINITE ELEMENT METHODS

摘要

In this paper, the dynamic behavior of plastic concrete cutoff walls in earth-dams subjected to earthquake loading has been studied using finite element methods. The analysis has been performed at the end of dam construction prior to dam impounding. The behavior of materials of the dam, foundation, and cutoff wall has ideally been assumed to be linear and elastic. The sinusoidal shear wave with an amplitude of 0.4g , a duration of 5 sec. and a frequency of 1.3 Hz has been used for simulating the seismic loading on the dam. The numerical results of the analysis have shown that the greatest possible shear stresses and tensile stresses in the cut-off wall occurred at the ground level. Moreover, with increasing the rigidity of the wall these stresses along wall increase. This dictates that at the ground level, designers should pay attention to the safety of the dam wall.