Coupled hydro-mechanical modelling of the seismic response of a zoned earth dam

Global climate change is leading to prolonged periods of low rainfall followed by intense thunderstorms, causing severe droughts in vital water resources like rivers and reservoirs. Additionally, heavy rainfall events are causing landslides and significant damage in many countries. Dams and artificial water reservoirs are crucial in mitigating these risks. Given the limited availability of suitable sites for constructing new reservoirs, existing dams must be safeguarded, although they also pose seismic vulnerability risks due to the uncontrolled release of water. Therefore, it is crucial to assess the seismic performance of earth dams and plan rehabilitation works accordingly. This paper focuses on the coupled hydro-mechanical modelling of the seismic response of a zoned earth dam. The model was calibrated using results from a geotechnical centrifuge test, simulating the impoundment phase and applying increasing levels of seismic input. The comparison between the predicted and observed behaviour demonstrated the efficacy of the finite element (F.E.) model in accurately capturing the key characteristics of the response exhibited by this complex geotechnical system when subjected to dynamic loads.