Stability Assessment of Zoned Earth Dam under Water Particles Fluidity Effect: Hemren Dam as Case Study

Abstract

Recently the numerical modeling using finite element method is take into account as a very effective tool to investigate the desired behavior of structures in geotechnical engineering. Earth dams are a water retention structures that are normally wide constructed around the world due to its significant features. These structures may be failed due to exposure to an earthquake and this will result in disaster. The main objective of this study is to assess the slope stability and the seismic response of an earthen dam. Since the matter of seismic response is still have a considerable lack of information for earth dams as a unique structure. Hemren zoned earth dam that is located in Diyala governorate, northeast of Iraq that considered as an active seismic zone has been considered as case study. Numerical modeling has been done in this study using Geo studio software. Factor of safety was calculated with different water levels in order to evaluate the dam safety with different operation water level. The excited earthquake is Elcentro while three values of peak ground acceleration were used which are 0.2, 0.25 and 0.3 g and the duration time is scaled to 10 seconds. In addition, three key points (at the core, the shell and the foundation) that represent the dam construction material are used to evaluate the dynamic response within the dam body. The results revealed that the factor of safety is increased when the water level is increase, but in the increasing in the magnitude of factor of safety with water depths of (10 and 15) m was more than the other depth. The zone of the dam core shows a negative pore water pressure value. That leads to an increasing in effective stress at the core of the dam.