3D nonlinear disaster analysis of gravity dam subjected to maximum credible earthquake

After Wenchuan earthquake, some experts have presented new opinions and suggestions for seismic criterion and safety target of hydraulic structure in our country and The specifications for seismic design of hydraulic structures is amended. This code emphasizes the importance of adopting maximum credible earthquake as a check condition for the safety of key dams against dam failure. This paper describes a 3D full-dam model for concrete gravity dam, using contact elements reflecting the debonding bilinear constitutive relation in combination with a case study of actual dam construction. Simulations of this gravity dam in MCE condition reveal its occurrence of cracking and sliding and its sliding stability under such extreme earthquake actions. In conclusion, opening, closing and sliding occur on all the contact faces such as dam-foundation contact faces, contraction joints and horizontal construction joints, while their peak values fall within acceptable ranges. The time convergence curve of dam displacement verifies that the dam is not in failure state.