Total stress rapid drawdown analysis of the Pilarcitos Dam failure using the finite element method

doi:10.1007/s11709-014-0249-7

Front. Struct. Civ. Eng.

2014, Vol. 8

Issue (2) : 115-123 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11709-014-0249-7

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Total stress rapid drawdown analysis of the Pilarcitos Dam failure using the finite element method

Daniel R. VANDENBERGE(

)

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA

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Abstract

Rapid drawdown is a critical design condition for the upstream or riverside slope of earth dams and levees. A new total stress rapid drawdown method based on finite element analysis is used to analyze the rapid drawdown failure that occurred at Pilarcitos Dam in 1969. Effective consolidation stresses in the slope prior to drawdown are determined using linear elastic finite element analysis. Undrained strengths from isotropically consolidated undrained (ICU) triaxial compression tests are related directly to the calculated consolidation stresses and assigned to the elements in the model by interpolation. Two different interpretations of the undrained strength envelope are examined. Strength reduction finite element analyses are used to evaluate stability of the dam. Back analysis suggests that undrained strengths from ICU tests must be reduced by 30% for use with this rapid drawdown method. The failure mechanism predicted for Pilarcitos Dam is sensitive to the relationship between undrained strength and consolidation stress.

Keywords rapid drawdown finite element total stress slope stability

Corresponding Author(s): Daniel R. VANDENBERGE

Issue Date: 19 May 2014

Cite this article:

Daniel R. VANDENBERGE. Total stress rapid drawdown analysis of the Pilarcitos Dam failure using the finite element method[J]. Front. Struct. Civ. Eng., 2014, 8(2): 115-123.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fsce/EN/10.1007/s11709-014-0249-7
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fsce/EN/Y2014/V8/I2/115

Fig.1 Geometry of the upstream slope of Pilarcitos Dam

Fig.2 Contours of major effective consolidation stress for linear elastic model (ν = 0.42)

Fig.3 Contours of major effective consolidation stress for nonlinear elastic model

Fig.4 Variation in drained friction angle with confining pressure

Fig.5 Variation of pore pressure response with confining pressure

Fig.6 Strength envelopes for Pilarcitos Dam sandy clay. (a) Full range of stresses tested; (b) stress range applicable to most of the embankment, σ1c′ < 200 kPa

Fig.7 Contours of undrained strength for Pilarcitos Dam– full ICU strength (envelope #2)

Tab.1 Critical strength reduction factors using ICU-TC strength envelopes

Tab.2 Variation of SRF_crit with R– strength envelope #1

Fig.8 Contours of maximum shear strain illustrate the predicted failure mechanism, strength envelope #1, SRF_crit = 1.01, R = 0.7

Fig.9 Contours of maximum shear strain, strength envelope #2, SRF_crit = 0.98, R = 0.7 (contours shown for SRF = 1.0 to better illustrate the predicted failure mechanism)

Fig.10 Strength factor contours, strength envelope #2, SRF_crit = 0.98, R = 0.7

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