Numerical Simulation of Prenotched Gravity Dam Models

The aim of this work is to investigate the behavior of a 96-m-high gravity dam (the prototype) with a preexisting crack. For this purpose, four different gravity dam models were simulated through the cohesive crack model in mixed-mode conditions. Three of the models (1:40, 1:100, and 1:150 scale) were tested under equivalent dead-weight and hydraulic loads. To obtain correct dead-weight scale ratios, the laboratory tests were performed in an artificial gravity field produced by a system of additional vertical forces and by using a centrifuge. The initial notch in the upstream face served as the starting point of a crack that propagated toward the foundation during the loading process. The structural response and the crack trajectories were reproduced satisfactorily by the cohesive crack model. The behavior of the prototype is discussed on the basis of the behavior of the models.