• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.473-484
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• 2016

This study aims to establish a monitoring method for managing the effective maintenance of tailings dams. The monitoring of a tailings dump area involves several parameters and their investigation through a selection of evaluation items. The extents of defects and progressive failures also need to be effectively estimated. Therefore, the monitoring items can be subdivided into categories relating to the retaining wall structure (concrete wall, reinforcing stone wall, mesh gabions) and general facilities (liner, covering soil, slope, tailings, rain protection facility, leachate, planting), and quantitative evaluations can then be conducted for each condition. In doing so, we developed a systematic monitoring method that assesses the dam maintenance condition with grades and scores. The field application of the monitoring method results showed it to provide a more detailed evaluation than existing monitoring methods: the method detected an additional 16 defects missed by conventional methods. The evaluation gave scores of 89.3, 22.2, and 27.8 to the Geumjang mine tailings dam, the Gupoong mine tailings dam, and the Hwachun mine tailings dam, respectively. The advanced method can provide quantitative evaluation and perform detailed monitoring of the dams. This quantitative evaluation can be used to decide on maintenance priorities, select the main management items, and establish schedules of maintenance.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.5-13
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• 2015

In the present study, the prediction methods of the crest settlement after impounding and the maximum internal settlement during dam construction were proposed through the analysis on settlement data at 38 monitored points of 36 Concrete-Faced Rockfill Dams (CFRDs). The results from this analysis provided that the crest settlement and the maximum internal settlement are increased in proportion to the dam height and the void ratio. However, the relationship between internal settlement and dam height for each void-ratio range plotted in semi-logarithmic scale is the nearly same. Also, the prediction of the crest settlement of the CFRD is possible through the maximum internal settlement during dam construction. In addition, it seems that the valley shape highly affects the dense dam body with high construction modulus. The results of this study will provide the useful tool for the design, construction and management of CFRDs.

• Structural Monitoring and Maintenance
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.17-31
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• 2017

Since extensometers are used to determine the absolute deformation of foundation and abutments and all results are obtained in reference to the base rod, the accuracy of these results has been constantly a subject of debate. In this regard, locating and installing extensometers outside the range of effect zone is also another challenge. The main purpose of this paper is to investigate and modify extensometers results based on the mentioned issues. For this aim, the concrete RCC Zhaveh dam in Iran was selected as the case study. To study the results of extensometers installed in this dam, first, the 3DEC_DP 5.00 software was applied for numerical modeling. Parameters such as discontinuities, dead load and piezometric pressure in the interface of concrete and rock were considered. Next, using the results obtained from 6 extensometers in foundation and abutments and 4 clinometers in dam body, the numerical model was calibrated through back analysis method. The results indicate that the base rod is moved and is not recommended being used as the base point. In other words, because installation of base anchor outside the range of effect zone is not possible due to the operational and economic considerations, the obtained results are not accurate enough. The results indicate a considerable 2-3 mm displacement of the base rod (location of the base anchor) in reference to the real zero point location, which must be added to the base rod results.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.77-86
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• 2005

CFRD(Concrete Faced Rockfill Dam) is in widespread use because this type of dam has superior characteristics in structural, material aspects comparing with earth cored rockfill dam. On this paper, up-to-date re-searches and techniques are summed up to be available for future needs in design and construction of CFRD. For example, such items as embankment using weak rock, experience of sand-gravel fill CFRD, connecting slab applied between plinth and face slab, raising experience of old dm, inverse filtration problem, environmental friendly zone, thickness and reinforcing of face slab, alluvial foundation treatment, and curb element method, are summarized for understanding of related engineers.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.23 no.10
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• pp.109-119
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• 2007

As the number of CFRD constructions increases, the necessity of an accurate assessment on its behavior also has been increasing. The performance of concrete faced rockfill dam (CFRD) under different water levels is a great concern of dam engineers and designers in the world. However, domestic research on CFRD design and construction has not been performed sufficiently. This study deals with three centrifuge model tests, mainly investigates quantitatively the deformation of the concrete faced slabs and settlements on the crest with different face slab stiffness. The prototype of a centrifugal model dam is half size of domestic CFRD dam. Detailed material preparation, model design, model set-up, model instrumentation and testing procedures are presented. In order to simulate the prototype concrete faced slab, three kinds of thin fiberglass plates with different thickness were adopted in three model tests. Finally, the centrifuge test results were compared with field measurements of domestic dams, which showed that the centrifuge tests were performed successfully.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.26 no.5C
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• pp.351-358
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• 2006

The purpose of this study is to recommend the simulation method and procedure of behaviors of CFRD(Concrete Faced Rockfill Dam) concrete face slab with impoundment by centrifuge tests, to examine the effects of the flexural rigidity of the concrete face slab on the face slab deformation from the centrifuge tests, and to evaluate the effects of the stiffness of face supporting zone on the displacement and moment of face slab by numerical analysis which is verified by the centrifuge tests. In this study, the centrifuge tests on the two model dams with the concrete face slab of different flexural rigidity were carried out. Also, the centrifuge tests were simulated by numerical analysis of which input material properties were obtained by the triaxial tests on the model materials. The validity of numerical analysis was evaluated by comparison between the results of centrifuge tests and numerical simulation. The deformation pattern of the concrete face slab was examined with the various stiffness of the face supporting zone by numerical analysis. From the results of centrifuge tests, the effects of face slab thickness on the deformation of face slab were negligible. From the results of centrifuge tests and numerical analysis, it was found that the amplitude of the maximum displacement of face slab and the position where the maximum displacement was mobilized with impoundment were affected by the stiffness of face supporting zone rather than the flexural rigidity of concrete face slab.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.211-224
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• 2018

In this paper, a predictive method accounting for the scaling effects of rockfill materials in the numerical deformation analysis of rockfill dams is developed. It aims to take into consideration the differences of engineering properties of rockfill materials between in situ and laboratory conditions in the deformation analysis. The developed method is based on the modification of model parameters used in the chosen material model, which is, in this study, an elasto-plastic model with double yield surfaces, i.e., the modified Hardening Soil model. Datasets of experimental tests are collected from previous studies, and a new dataset of the Nam Ngum 2 dam project for investigating the scaling effects of rockfill materials, including particle size, particle gradation and density, is obtained. To quantitatively consider the influence of particle gradation, the coarse-to-fine content (C/F) concept is proposed in this study. The simple relations between the model parameters and particle size, C/F and density are formulated, which enable us to predict the mechanical properties of prototype materials from laboratory tests. Subsequently, a 3D finite element analysis of the Nam Ngum 2 concrete face slab rockfill dam at the end of the construction stage is carried out using two sets of model parameters (1) based on the laboratory tests and (2) in accordance with the proposed method. Comparisons of the computed results with dam monitoring data indicate that the proposed method can provide a simple but effective framework to take account of the scaling effect in dam deformation analysis.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.319-329
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• 2020

Structural damage to an arch dam is often of major concern and must be evaluated for probable rehabilitation to ensure safe, regular, normal operation. This evaluation is crucial to prevent any catastrophic or failure consequences for the life time of the dam. If specific major damage such as a large crack occurs to the dam body, the assessments will be necessary to determine the current level of safety and predict the resistance of the structure to various future loading such as earthquakes, etc. This study investigates the behavior of an arch dam cracked due to water pressure. Safety factors (SFs), of shear and compressive tractions were calculated at the surfaces of the contraction joints and the cracks. The results indicated that for cracking with an extension depth of half the thickness of the dam body, for both cases of penetration and non-penetration of water load into the cracks, SFs only slightly reduces. However, in case of increasing the depth of crack extension into the entire thickness of the dam body, the friction angle of the cracked surface is crucial; however, if it reduces, the normal loading SFs of stresses and joints tractions reduce significantly.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.27-38
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• 2001

A mechanical lumped parameter model is proposed for the dynamic modeling of a semi-infinite reservoir. A semi-analytic transmitting boundary is derived for a semi-infinite 2-D reservoir of constant depth. The characteristics of the solution are examined in both frequency and time domains. Mass, damping and spring coefficients of the mechanical model are obtained to preserve the major features of the solution such as eigenfrequencies and the shapes of Bessel functions that appear as kernels in the convolution integrals. The lumped parameter model in its final form consists of two masses, a spring and two dampers for each eigenfrequency. Application examples demonstrated that the new lumped parameter model could be used for the time domain analysis of dam-reservoir systems.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.171-177
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• 2017

Water pressure test operation is used before the grouting to determine the rate of penetrability, the necessity and estimations related to grouting, by the penetration of water into the borehole. One of the parameters which have the highest effect is pressure of water penetration since the application of excessive pressure causes the hydraulic fracture to occur in the rock mass, and on the other hand, it must not be so small that prevents from seeing mechanical weaknesses and the rate of permeability. Mathematical modeling is used for the first time in this study to determine the optimum pressure. Thus, the joints that exist in the rock mass are simulated using cylindrical shell model. The joint surroundings are also modeled through Pasternak environment. To obtain equations governing the joints and the surroundings, energy method is used accompanied by Hamilton principle and an analytical solution method is used to obtain the maximum pressure. In order to validate the modeling, the pressure values obtained by the model were used in the sites of Seymareh and Aghbolagh dams and the relative error rates were measured considering the differences between calculated and actual pressures. Modeling in the sections of Seymareh dam showed 4.75, 3.93, 4.8 percent error rates and in the sections of Aghbolagh dam it rendered the values of 22.43, 5.22, 2.6 percent. The results indicate that this modeling can be used to estimate the amount of pressure for hydraulic fracture in water pressure test, to predict it and to prevent it.