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II. OBJECTIVES OF THE EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION

The principal objectives of these field measurements on Santa
Felicia Dam were:
1. To interpret the full-scale dynamic test results in terms of the
structural performance under the two real seismic conditions.
2. To reveal any change in the dynamic characteristics of the dam by
studying both the nonlinearity associated with various levels of
response and modal coupling and interference. For example, from the
forced vibration tests, where the level of displacements induced in
the dam was low, the fundamental frequency of the upstream-downstream
mode was found to be 1.635 Hz, while in the 1971 earthquake, which
induced larger displacements, the fundamental frequency was found (by
spectral analysis of the observed response) to be 1.45 Hz, lower than
that of the tests. This type of behavior is representative of a
softening dynamic system composed of soil.
3. To test and improve the existing earth dam analytical techniques which
are restricted to horizontal shear deformation in the upstream-
downstream direction, and to facilitate development of mathematical
modelling intended to represent realistically the prototype behavior
in both longitudinal and vertical directions.
4. To recommend improvements in the existing, low-strain, full-scale
experimental techniques for use in future testing.
5. To enable improvement of seismic-resistant designs for earth dams,
and thus provide adequate levels of safety for such important struc-
tures.
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Finally, it is believed that these data sets obtained from the full-
scale dynamic tests (including the two earthquake records) offer an
unusual opportunity of learning in a general way about the dynamic response
characteristics of earth dam structures.
-9-
III. DESCRIPTION OF THE DAM
Santa Felicia Dam (Fig. 1) is located on Piru Creek 65 km north-west
of Los Angeles, It is owned by the United Water Conservation District of
Ventura County and was completed in December 1955. The dam consists of a
rolled-fill embankment, a low-level outlet works, and an ungated chute
spillway. It is about 273 ft high above its lowest foundation and 200 ft
above the original stream bed; it is 450 ft long across the valley at the
base and approximately 1,275 ft long at the crest (Fig. 2). An impervious
core of silty clays and clayey sands and gravels, with 0.33:1 slopes, is
carried up from bedrock. Gravelly materials excavated from the core
trench and those available from other excavations were placed on the up-
stream and downstream faces. The bedrock consists of sandstone strata of
varying degrees of hardness interlayered with shale seams of varying
thickness. The geological profile across the site was utilized to provide
a sound, watertight and economical section and to assure a firm seal
between the bedrock and the core throughout the dam's length. The imper-
vious core and pervious shell materials are basically of an alluvial
nature; the alluvium consists of clay, sand, gravel, and boulders. Table
1 indicates design values assumed to be representative of the typical
soils as determined from field and laboratory testing before and during
construction.
During the tests the reservoir was full, as shown in Fig. 3.
In 1967 the dam was equipped with two accelerographs which recorded
the earthquakes of 1971 and 1976; one instrument was located at the cen-
tral section of the crest and the other was placed at the right abutment
on the downstream side. A more complete description of the dam and perman-
ent strong-motion instrumentation is given in Ref. 2.
Fi g. 1.
General view showing the upstream side of Santa Felicia Dam and part of
the spillway at the right (western) abutment (one week before the tests).

C>
I
SANTA FELICIA DAM
SANTA PAULA CALIFORNIA
IAXIS OF DAM
NORMAL MAXIMUM WillER SURFAC
2;1
GROUT
10' OF SELECT PERVIOUS
SHtLL MATERIAL AOJACENT TO CORE
CROSS SECTION OF THE DAM
IAXIS OF DAM
[
ORIGINAL GROUND
SURFACE
_ ___ _ TOP OF DAM
sphiWAY" '"
'"-''''' ORIGINAL STREAMBED
, ",-,.,-.;f--
CURTAIN
DEVELOPED PROFILE ON AXIS DAM LOOKING UPSTREAM
UPSTREAM
12" OF GRAVEL 8 COBBLE
BLANKET '
PERVIOUS
SHELL PERVIOUS
MATERIAL
CREST DETAIL
Fig. 2. Structural details of Santa Felicia Dam.
DOWNSTREAM
SETTLEMENT
MONUMENTS