Static and dynamic analyses of the heightening of concrete face gravel dam Limon (Peru)

Abstract

Aims of research. Expert validation of all proposed design solutions, development of necessary design solutions for the heightening of the Limon dam according to the ICOLD recommendations. Methods. The detailed static and seismic (dynamic) analyses of stressstrain state and seepage of concrete face rockfill dam Limon (Peru) were performed using the advanced software FLAC-3D (USA) and PLAXIS 2D (Holland), respectively. The elasto-plastic model with Mohr - Coulomb criterion with variable shear angles of gravel and pebble zones of dam materials and its foundation soils was used in the static and seismic (dynamic) analyses of the dam. The dynamic nonlinear analyses of stress-strain state of two variants of Limon dam with full reservoir under Maximum Credible Earthquake (MCE) action of the Mar-Chile Earthquake accelerogram. Results. On the base of these analyses the recommendations were developed for the project of the dam heightening from 43 up to 82 m before the initial filling of the reservoir. Expert validation of all proposed design solutions, necessary design solutions for the heightening of the Limon dam were developed according to the ICOLD recommendations.

Keywords

• concrete face gravel dam (CFGD)
• nonlinear dynamic analysis
• ground acceleration
• earthquake accelerogram
• seepage analysis