Cracking analysis of induced joints in roller compacted concrete arch dam

Abstract

Induced joint is seen as a kind of crack prevention measure for roller compacted concrete arch dam. Whether induced joints can crack firstly when the temperature drops of dam body to release temperature stress and control disordered cracks mainly depends on the equivalent strength, structural form and arrangement of joints. In this paper, the non-penetrating RCC induced joints are used to simulate the bilateralism interval induced joints in practical engineering. The functional relation between the equivalent strength of rectangular induced joints and elliptical induced joints with the change of weakening degree is established through the axial tension test. At the same time, the temperature stress of a certain RCC double curvature arch dam is simulated, and the cracking of induced joints and its effect on the stress of the dam are analyzed. The results show that under the temperature control measures of pouring temperature control and water cooling in the whole dam, the bilateralism interval induced joints with equivalent strength less than 1.409 MPa are set in the high tension stress zone of the dam body, which can effectively release the temperature stress and ensure the safety of the dam body under the temperature load.

Keywords

• RCC arch dam
• Induced joint
• Thin layer joint element
• Equivalent strength
• Three dimensional finite element method