Nonlinear dynamic analysis of a concrete gravity dam considering an elastoplastic constitutive model for the foundation

Dam failure can result in a catastrophic break followed by a ood wave, oftenwith considerable loss of life or property. one of the main causes of dam failure is loss ofshear strength and the existence of discontinuity within the foundation. dynamic analysisof concrete dams usually considered concrete behavior to be nonlinear and the foundationrock is assumed to be linear. in this study, seismic analysis of a concrete gravity damwas conducted to investigate the eect of the foundation on the nonlinear response. anite element model of a dam-reservoir-foundation was considered to properly model thefoundation as well as dam body nonlinear behaviors. an elasto-plastic formulation was usedto model the foundation. the mohr-coulomb model was utilized for the yield and potentialfunctions of the foundation. the dam body was modeled using a smeared crack model.after modeling the dam-reservoir foundation, the horizontal recorded ground accelerationof the kobe 1995 earthquake was applied to the model and results were studied. it wasfound that cracks form at the crest and hill of the dam. using the elastoplastic modelfor the foundation is more realistic, and under dierent boundary conditions, a signicantamount of energy will be dissipated in the foundation.