Non-linear response of the rockfill in a concrete-faced rockfill dam under seismic excitation

This study investigates the non-linear response of the rockfill in a concrete-faced rockfill dam under seismic excitation for various concrete slab thicknesses from 30 to 100 cm thick. The effect of the friction in the concrete slab rockfill interface on the non-linear response of the rockfill is also considered in the numerical solutions. The friction contact in the concrete slab joints is provided with contact elements based on the Coulomb’s friction law. The hydrodynamic pressure of the reservoir water is considered by the fluid finite elements based on the Lagrangian approach. Geometrical and material non-linear behaviours of the dam-foundation-reservoir interaction system are considered together in the finite element analyses. The Drucker–Prager model is used to obtain materially non-linear behaviour of the concrete slab. The multi linear kinematic hardening model is used for rockfill and foundation rock in the material non-linear analyses. Therefore, the uniaxial stress–strain relations of the rockfill and foundation rock are determined from the shear stress–shear strain relations of the gravel and rock, respectively. The principle compressive and tensile stresses of the rockfill are investigated along the horizontal section of the rockfill. According to numerical analyses, the most critical stresses occur in the upstream and downstream faces of the dam for the concrete slab thickness of 30 cm, while the optimum thickness for seismic performance is 58 cm.