Shaking table test of concrete dams with penetrated cracks and DEM analysis simulation

To evaluate the seismic performance of concrete gravity dams subjected to strong earthquakes such as the maximum credible earthquake, it is necessary to evaluate the seismic stability of the detached block of the dam body when tensile cracks in the dam body are predicted to penetrate from the upstream face to the downstream face. In this study, shaking table tests of a dam-shaped model specimen with penetrated cracks were performed considering hydraulic loading from the reservoir. The dynamic behavior of the detached block was analyzed using the pictures captured by a high-speed camera. The shaking table tests under two load conditions, with and without uplift pressure acting on the penetrated cracks, clarified the impact of uplift pressure on the behavior of the detached block. Numerical simulations of the dynamic behavior of the detached block during the shaking table tests were performed based on the Distinct Element Method (DEM).