In this work, a concrete gravity dam with a shear key is analysed using the concepts of fracture mechanics. The wedge crack model developed by Kaneko et al is used to assess the strength of the shear key in resisting sliding of the dam. Further, using a probabilistic assessment, it is found that the shear friction factor of safety is more sensitive to the pool elevation, fracture toughness and coefficient of friction of the interface between concrete dam and rock foundation.
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