Study on Impoundment Deformation Characteristics and Crack of High Core Rockfill Dam Based on Inversion Parameters

Abstract

In the numerical simulation of earth-rock dam, accurate and reliable mechanical parameters of the dam material are the important basis for dam deformation predictions and dam safety evaluations. Based on the deformation monitoring data of Luding core wall rockfill dam, the rheological parameters of rockfill and core wall materials are inverted in this paper. Combined with the actual filling and impoundment process of the dam, the numerical simulation is carried out, and the stress deformation and differential settlement of the dam after completion and impoundment are analyzed. The results showed that the stress deformation results of the dam based on the inversion parameters were in good agreement with the actual deformation. The horizontal displacement, settlement, and principal stress of the dam during the completion period were symmetrically distributed along the core wall. The maximum horizontal displacement occurred at the main dam on both sides of the core wall and the upstream and downstream dam slopes, and the maximum settlement occurred in the middle of the core wall. During the impoundment period, under the action of reservoir water pressure and upstream rockfill wetting deformation, the deformation and stress of the dam body no longer met the symmetrical distribution law, and the maximum horizontal displacement of the dam body during the impoundment period was located at 2/3 of the upstream dam slope. The maximum settlement of the dam body was located at 1/2 of the dam height. The maximum principal stress on the upstream side of the core wall was located on the left side of the bottom of the core wall, and the minimum principal stress was also located on the left side of the bottom of the core wall. The simulation results of the deformation and stress met the general law of earth-rock dam engineering. During the completion period, the deformation inclination of the dam crest was less than 1%. During the impoundment period, the deformation inclination of the dam crest area increased due to the wetting deformation of the upstream rockfill material. At the same time, the deformation inclination of the dam crest axis was larger than that of the upstream and downstream sides, and the deformation inclination of the dam crest at the middle of the valley was the largest, but it did not exceed 3%, that is, there would be no longitudinal cracks, which is consistent with the actual situation. The research results can better predict the stress deformation and crack of the dam body, and provide important support for dam safety evaluations.

Keywords

• high core wall rockfill dam
• parameter inversion
• finite element calculation
• deformation inclination
• cracks