Pseudo-Dynamic Analysis of Gravity Masonry Dams

Abstract

According to USGS estimates, approximately 5 million earthquakes occur annually, of which 1 million are felt. In the north-eastern and north-western regions of India, where the Indo-Australian plate is subducted beneath the Eurasian plate, seismic activity is extremely high. In addition to the immediate damage, an earthquake can cause minor vulnerabilities that lead to future crises. Safety of important infrastructure like dams, bridges, tunnels, elevated structures, and nuclear power plants under earthquake ground motion is critical. In the past 50 years, seismic analysis of dams has attracted considerable research interest. In this study, a pseudo-dynamic analysis of non-overflowing section of a masonry gravity dam is conducted. Invoking plane-strain condition, a 2D model of the dam is developed in Abaqus software. The dam is modeled using four node rectangular elements. The loads at various levels along the dam's height are computed for the fundamental, higher, and static modes. The effects of hydrodynamic forces acting on the dam are also incorporated. The loads are applied separately, and stress analysis is performed. Stress values are combined using the SRSS method, these stresses are compared to the material's strength properties, and the risk factor is evaluated. A comparison of the stresses obtained from FEM model and stresses obtained by considering beam idealization is also presented in this work. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2024.