Crack Propagation in Earth Embankment Subjected to Fault Movement

단층 운동시 댐 파괴 거동 해석

Model studies on the response of homgeneous earth embankment dams subjected to strike-slip fault movement have been penomed via centrifuge and finite element analysis. The centrifuge model tests have shown that crack development in earth embankment experiences two major patters: shear failure deep inside the embankment and tension failure near the surface. The shear rupture zone develops from the base level and propagates upward continuously in the transverse direction but allows no open leakage chnnel. The open tensile cracks develop near the surface of the embankment, but they disappear deep in the embankment. The functional relationship has been developed based on the results of the centrifuge model tests incorporating tile variables of amount of fault movement, embankment geometry, and crack propagation extent in earth des. This set of information can be used as a guide line to evaluate a "transient" safety of the duaged embankment subjected to strike-slip fault movement. The finite element analysis has supplemented the additional expluations on crack development behavior identified from the results of the centrifuge model tests. The bounding surface time-independent plasticity soil model was employed in the numerical analysis. Due to the assumption of continuum in the current version of the 3-D FEM code, the prediction of the soil structure response beyond the failure condition was not quantitatively accurate. However, the fundamental mechanism of crack development was qualitatively evaluated based on the stress analysis for the deformed soil elements of the damaged earth embankment. The tensile failure zone is identified when the minor principal stress of the deformed soil elements less than zero. The shear failure zone is identified when the stress state of the deformed soil elements is at the point where the critical state line intersects the bounding surface.g surface.