Novel numerical and experimental methods for efficient assessment of the structural safety and rehabilitation strategies of dams and water-structure systems

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This research program proposes novel numerical and experimental methods for efficient assessment of the structural safety and rehabilitation strategies of dams and water-structure systems. Dam and water-structure failures may lead to catastrophic consequences, extending far beyond the immediate neighbourhood of the damaged structure due to water release. Most of these structures have been in service over 50 years, and their initial design may fail to meet modern safety criteria. This work will focus on developing reliable 2D/3D numerical tools to effectively and rigorously simulate ice cover effects on the seismic and flood safety of concrete dams. Finite Element (FE) and Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) Methods will be used. Guidelines and a catalogue of illustrative case studies on the significance of including ice cover effects in the seismic and flood safety assessment of dams in northern climates will be provided. Reliable and accurate prediction of hydrodynamic pressure is of uppermost importance to the seismic safety evaluation of structures vibrating in contact with water including dams, gates, storage tanks, intake towers, and navigation locks. Most of these structures are critical post-earthquake lifeline systems along with electric and water distribution networks. Part of this research aims at developing novel simplified and yet rigorous methods for practical assessment of the seismic vulnerability of water-structure systems. The proposed methods will account for water compressibility, energy dissipation at the fluid domain boundaries, foundation flexibility, ice cover and 3D effects. The methods will be programmed in computer applications and implemented in a format amenable to optimized design and rapid seismic vulnerability screening. Finally, this proposal will address novel shake table testing procedures for studying large scale new and rehabilitated concrete dams subjected to reservoir, ice and seismic loadings. An original added-mass system to account for static, hydrodynamic and ice loads on large scale gravity dam specimens will be developed and used to experimentally assess the nonlinear response of gravity dams, identify failure modes and validate the numerical predictive models.