7th International Conference on Recent Advances in Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering and Soil Dynamics

13-16 July 2020, IISc Bangalore, India

SEISMIC PERFORMANCE OF COHESSIONLESS SOIL UNDEARNEATH GRAVITY DAM

Asad H.Humaish
Mohammed S. Shamkhi
Thulfiqar Kh. Alhachami
Department of Civil Engineering, Wasit University, Wasit, Iraq
E-mail: asadaldefae@uowasit.edu.iq; msewan@uowasit.edi.iq; thulfiqar227@uowasit.edu.iq
Keywords: Cohessionless soil, Dynamic response, Pore water pressure, shaking table

1. Introduction
Concrete gravity dam is one of the most complex infrastructure projects, which is constructed and designed
in such a way that its own weight resists the external forces. Its behavior under earthquake excitation has
become a major concern for researchers because any design error will lead to severe economic problems and
significant loss of life and equipment. Thus, seismic analysis of dams in seismic active areas is very
important for predicting dam responses to ground motion. There are many studies that address the seismic
performance and the dynamic performance of soil layers underneath the gravity dam, concerning about
spreading, amplification and attenuation in seismic waves [1]. Because of the difficult and complex
circumstances surrounding the physical modeling process problem, little experimental works were conducted
in the development of soil strata behavior under concrete dams. Reference [2] presented an experimental
study on seismic behavior analysis of soil under concrete dam using MEMS accelerometers instruments.
The physical modeling in geotechnics that is commonly used in such projects studies may be classified to
linear and nonlinear. A linear model simulates the behavior of its prototype structure in the linearly elastic
response range only. In order to construct a physical model it should be involved a process of physical
modeling based on idealizations and simplifications regarding the behavior model of the concrete dam.
Substantially, the physical model is represented by a scaled structure with the same shape as the real
structure (see figure below).
The results have been shown that the variations of acceleration in the dam with empty reservoir are smaller
than the variations of acceleration in model with full reservoir.

2. Motivation and Objective(s)

The aim of this study is to investigate the seismic performance and the dynamic response of cohessionless soil
(medium dense state) underneath gravity dam using three shaking table models. Three experimental shaking
table tests were conducted: i) dam built on dry and saturated cohessionless soil (empty model) and ii) dam
with full reservoir water using an earthquake simulator device, with 0.82g strong input motion.

3. Methodology
In this paper, seismic performance (i.e. the dynamic response) of foundation (the soil underneath gravity dam)
is investigated under sinusoidal wave. Three main shaking table models (1-g) of concrete gravity dam built on
a cohessionless soil are tested under 0.7g sine wave form. The first test contained a concrete dam model which
built on dry sand (empty case), the second is constructed in case of fully saturated cohseionless soil (empty
also) whereas the last one, the dam is filled with water (i.e. at the upstream). Principles of physical modeling
in geotechnics are used in both model construction of the concrete dam and the model preparation. In this
study, a small scale of concrete dam was used with a certain dimensions, which simulates existing dams in
reality proportional to the size of shacking table machine as shown in figure 1.
 4. Important Outcomes
The results of this paper have been contained two main parts, the acceleration response of the soil at different
position underneath the dam model in term of the time-acceleration while the other part is by analyze the
acceleration response spectrum (ARS) at 5% structural damping ratio. It was observed from the results how
the soil layers behave under dynamic motion. The response for the soil in dam-foundation system at from the
measured accelerometer at the upstream (test 1) was observed. The results were consistent with the fact that
the seismic motion was amplified as it moved from the rock bed to the surface of the earth [3], [4]. There is
attenuation occurring due to saturated soil particles that absorb the acceleration wave.
The acceleration response spectra performed, depending on the elastic design response spectrum from Euro
code 8 [5], design of structures for earthquake resistance, Part 1: General rules, seismic actions and rules for
buildings) as shown in figure below (left side) for both test 2 and 3. The spectral acceleration is greatly affected
by the magnitude of the acceleration, and there is an amplitude ranging from (T = 0.1 to T = 0.35). Also, the
spectral design for EC is depending on the natural period (i.e. the amplification factor (S) increases to 1.7)
during the low period interval (T=0.15 sec) and reducing back after (T=0.15sec).

5. Conclusions
. The main conclusions may be summarized as follows:
1. The reading of ACC.2 and ACC.3 was amplified due to site amplification. On the other hand, the
amplification of the motion begins from the bedrock to the ground surface.
2. The saturated soil particles are either absorbed or damped the seismic wave. This was clearly observed
by reading the sensor ACC.2 in the saturated dam model (test-1) compared with dry model (test-2).
3. There is noticeable attenuation in the reading of acceleration sensor ACC.3 in both test-2 and test-3.
This was occurring due to the heavy load of the dam model, causing a constraint of the seismic wave.

6. References
[1] Al-Defae A H , Caucis K and J A Knappett (2013). Aftershocks and the whole-life seismic
performanceof granular slopes. Géotechnique. 63(14):1230-1244.
[2] Resatalab S., Attarnejad R. and Ghalandarzadeh A., (2013). “Experimental Investigation on Interaction
of Concrete ravit am- eservoir- oun ation on a ing a le ec nical ournal o Engineering an
pplie ciences E pp. 1 1 2.
[3] Bertalot D., Brennan A J and Villalobos F A, (2013). Influence of bearing pressure onliquefaction-
induced settlement of shallow foundations. Géotechnique, 63(5): 391-399.
[4] Brennan A J and Madabhushi S P J, (2009). Amplification of seismic accelerations at slope crests.
Canadian Geotechnical Journal. 45(5): 585-594.
[5] Euro code 8, EN1998-1 (2004), Design of structures for earthquake resistance, part 1, general rules,
seismic actions and rules for buildings.