Numerical analysis of concrete-faced rockfill dams considering effect of face slab - cushion layer interaction

In this study, the effect of concrete face slab - cushion layer interface behavior on the performance of face slabs in concrete-faced rockfill dams (CFRDs) is investigated using the finite element method. The body of the CFRD is simulated by the cap elastoplasticity model while the interface zone between the concrete face slab and the gravelly cushion layer is simulated explicitly by an advanced interface constitutive model, developed in the framework of critical state soil mechanics and state parameters, and capable of simulating volumetric behavior and stress path dependency. The effect of elastic and elastoplastic material behavior and water level on the stress and displacement responses of the concrete face slab is examined, and the influence of the roughness at the interface area between the concrete face slab at the contact face and the cushion layer on the performance of the concrete face slab is investigated. Comparison of the results with and without the explicit consideration of the interface behavior shows the importance of incorporating advanced constitutive interface modeling in the design and analysis of CFRDs.