New method for seismic design of earth and rockfill dams and slopes.

Abstract

A description is presented of some of the traditional two-dimensional methods used in practical engineering and a new two-dimensional analytical method to design and evaluate the stability of earth and rockfill dams. The methods covered in this article focus on the analysis of medium height dams and slopes that compose the reservoir in regions with intermediate seismic risk and do not merit three-dimensional analysis due to the geometry of the dam site (in the case of dams), the geological characteristics and the nearness to populated sites. For this purpose, the principal factors that influence the slope stability of dams and hillsides are discussed, as well as the geotechnical, geologic and seismic information necessary to conduct stability analyses. Also, the common methods used in engineering practices to determine the stability of dams and slopes are reviewed, according to the importance of the work, and the limitations of each method are discussed. Based on this analysis, a new method is proposed which overcomes some of the main deficiencies in the methods currently used, leading to more realistic models. Furthermore, the capabilities of the proposed method are evaluated through comparisons with results obtained from a shaking table test.