Abstract

The first impounding process in the foundation pit of an arch dam will lead to stress redistribution, and the working state of the dam needs to be reanalyzed. Taking the Wudongde Arch Dam under construction in China as the engineering background, ABAQUS finite element analysis software simulates the dam stress distribution and transverse seam opening of Wudongde Dam under four different impounding elevations. According to stress distribution and the opening degree of transverse seams, the optimal impounding elevation with the most negligible influence on the joint grouting process is determined. The simulation results indicate that the pressure generated by impounding will increase the dam deformation to the downstream river and banks. The maximum compressive stress of the upstream dam heel and the maximum tensile stress of the left and right arch abutments would decrease to some extent after impounding. The transverse seams have a tight compression tendency after impounding, and this tendency increases as the water level rises. According to the simulation results, the working performance of the dam is the best when the elevation difference between the impounding elevation and the joint grouting elevation is 36 m. Timely impounding is beneficial to the stress state of the dam and joint grouting process during the construction period.

1. Introduction

Developing hydropower is of great significance for reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainable energy development. There are abundant hydropower resources in Southwest China, and several super-high arch dams are under construction. The first impounding process has a negligible impact on the stability of dams (Akhtarpour and Salari, 2018). Whether the dam can keep a stable working state and the dam construction process can be fully controlled are closely related to the construction quality and safety of the dam. Therefore, the research on the actual working state of the dam during the impounding process of the foundation pit has essential engineering significance (Zhang et al., 2019). Many scholars have studied the working behavior of the dam during the first impounding period.

Keywords:
reservoir geomechanics, society iop publishing iop conf, elevation, distribution, deformation, geology, geological subdiscipline, wudongde arch dam, conference, geologist
Subjects:
Reservoir Characterization, Reservoir geomechanics
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