Experimental and numerical study of an arch dam on a jointed foundation

Abstract

A study of an arch dam by means of physical and numerical models was carried out, with the aim of assessing the influence of rock joint slip on the safety of the structure. A physical model was built, in a geomechanical material, with the foundation composed of blocks defined by three joint sets.  Numerical analyses performed with a discrete element model provided a good agreement with the observed behaviour.