Coupled Numerical and Analytical Stability Analysis Charts for an Earth-Fill Dam under Rapid Drawdown Conditions

Ali Azadi; Arash Esmatkhah Irani; Mohammad Azarafza; Masoud Hajialilue Bonab; Fariba Behrooz Sarand; Reza Derakhshani

doi:10.3390/app12094550

Coupled Numerical and Analytical Stability Analysis Charts for an Earth-Fill Dam under Rapid Drawdown Conditions

Ali Azadi
, Arash Esmatkhah Irani
, Mohammad Azarafza
, Masoud Hajialilue Bonab
, Fariba Behrooz Sarand
, Reza Derakhshani

Islamic Azad University
University of Tabriz
Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

The presented article provides a comprehensive study on the stability analysis of earth-fill dams under rapid drawdown and transient flow conditions used to prepare stability analysis charts by conducting coupled finite-element numerical and analytical limit equilibrium procedures. In this regard, the impacts of different rapid drawdown conditions on the safety factor of the Alavian earth-fill dam are determined. The slope stability charts present for both shallow and deep slip surfaces with various permeabilities are verified by ground information obtained with extensive instrumentation on the dam’s site. The results showed that by decreasing the permeability of the core’s material, despite preventing seepage, the instability risk of the upstream slope as a result of rapid drawdown intensifies. Also, as stability charts can be stated, with increasing the slip surface’s depth and decreasing the hydraulic hydration, the reliability decreases, and the sliding surfaces’ sensitivity increases based on the drawdown rates, which have been revealed to be from 0.2 to 0.6, the most critical state for safety factors, showing significant declines

Original language	English
Article number	4550
Pages (from-to)	1-19
Journal	Applied Sciences
Volume	12
Issue number	9
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/app12094550
Publication status	Published - 1 May 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The authors wish to thank the Department of Civil Engineering, University of Tabriz for providing permission to conduct the geotechnical investigations. Also, the authors would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for providing invaluable review comments and recommendations for improving the scientific level of the article.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Keywords

earth-fill dam
transient flow
rapid drawdown
slope stability
coupled-stability analysis

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applsci-12-04550Final published version, 4.87 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Coupled Numerical and Analytical Stability Analysis Charts for an Earth-Fill Dam under Rapid Drawdown Conditions",

abstract = "The presented article provides a comprehensive study on the stability analysis of earth-fill dams under rapid drawdown and transient flow conditions used to prepare stability analysis charts by conducting coupled finite-element numerical and analytical limit equilibrium procedures. In this regard, the impacts of different rapid drawdown conditions on the safety factor of the Alavian earth-fill dam are determined. The slope stability charts present for both shallow and deep slip surfaces with various permeabilities are verified by ground information obtained with extensive instrumentation on the dam{\textquoteright}s site. The results showed that by decreasing the permeability of the core{\textquoteright}s material, despite preventing seepage, the instability risk of the upstream slope as a result of rapid drawdown intensifies. Also, as stability charts can be stated, with increasing the slip surface{\textquoteright}s depth and decreasing the hydraulic hydration, the reliability decreases, and the sliding surfaces{\textquoteright} sensitivity increases based on the drawdown rates, which have been revealed to be from 0.2 to 0.6, the most critical state for safety factors, showing significant declines",

keywords = "earth-fill dam, transient flow, rapid drawdown, slope stability, coupled-stability analysis",

author = "Ali Azadi and \{Esmatkhah Irani\}, Arash and Mohammad Azarafza and \{Hajialilue Bonab\}, Masoud and \{Behrooz Sarand\}, Fariba and Reza Derakhshani",

note = "Funding Information: The authors wish to thank the Department of Civil Engineering, University of Tabriz for providing permission to conduct the geotechnical investigations. Also, the authors would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for providing invaluable review comments and recommendations for improving the scientific level of the article. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.",

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doi = "10.3390/app12094550",

language = "English",

volume = "12",

pages = "1--19",

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T1 - Coupled Numerical and Analytical Stability Analysis Charts for an Earth-Fill Dam under Rapid Drawdown Conditions

AU - Azadi, Ali

AU - Esmatkhah Irani, Arash

AU - Azarafza, Mohammad

AU - Hajialilue Bonab, Masoud

AU - Behrooz Sarand, Fariba

AU - Derakhshani, Reza

N1 - Funding Information: The authors wish to thank the Department of Civil Engineering, University of Tabriz for providing permission to conduct the geotechnical investigations. Also, the authors would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for providing invaluable review comments and recommendations for improving the scientific level of the article. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

PY - 2022/5/1

Y1 - 2022/5/1

N2 - The presented article provides a comprehensive study on the stability analysis of earth-fill dams under rapid drawdown and transient flow conditions used to prepare stability analysis charts by conducting coupled finite-element numerical and analytical limit equilibrium procedures. In this regard, the impacts of different rapid drawdown conditions on the safety factor of the Alavian earth-fill dam are determined. The slope stability charts present for both shallow and deep slip surfaces with various permeabilities are verified by ground information obtained with extensive instrumentation on the dam’s site. The results showed that by decreasing the permeability of the core’s material, despite preventing seepage, the instability risk of the upstream slope as a result of rapid drawdown intensifies. Also, as stability charts can be stated, with increasing the slip surface’s depth and decreasing the hydraulic hydration, the reliability decreases, and the sliding surfaces’ sensitivity increases based on the drawdown rates, which have been revealed to be from 0.2 to 0.6, the most critical state for safety factors, showing significant declines

AB - The presented article provides a comprehensive study on the stability analysis of earth-fill dams under rapid drawdown and transient flow conditions used to prepare stability analysis charts by conducting coupled finite-element numerical and analytical limit equilibrium procedures. In this regard, the impacts of different rapid drawdown conditions on the safety factor of the Alavian earth-fill dam are determined. The slope stability charts present for both shallow and deep slip surfaces with various permeabilities are verified by ground information obtained with extensive instrumentation on the dam’s site. The results showed that by decreasing the permeability of the core’s material, despite preventing seepage, the instability risk of the upstream slope as a result of rapid drawdown intensifies. Also, as stability charts can be stated, with increasing the slip surface’s depth and decreasing the hydraulic hydration, the reliability decreases, and the sliding surfaces’ sensitivity increases based on the drawdown rates, which have been revealed to be from 0.2 to 0.6, the most critical state for safety factors, showing significant declines

KW - earth-fill dam

KW - transient flow

KW - rapid drawdown

KW - slope stability

KW - coupled-stability analysis

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DO - 10.3390/app12094550

M3 - Article

SN - 2076-3417

VL - 12

SP - 1

EP - 19

JO - Applied Sciences

JF - Applied Sciences

IS - 9

M1 - 4550

ER -

Coupled Numerical and Analytical Stability Analysis Charts for an Earth-Fill Dam under Rapid Drawdown Conditions

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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