Abstract
This is an investigation on the vibrational response and the failure process of a fill-type dam using a model with a shake table. The model dam used has a two-dimensional cross section and compared to the prototype it is 1/100 in scale. The materials in the random and core zone are compacted almost to the same degree as the prototype.
The testing procedures mainly consists of (1) dynamic response measurements to the sinusoidal waves and seismic motions, which are digitally condensed in the time domain to one-tenth, that of actual earthquakes with different frequency characteristics under a maximum input acceleration of less than 150 gals, and (2) failure tests by those motions augmented to 300-500 Gal.
After giving consideration to the model test and the corresponding similitude law used in the present investigation, the detail features of the experiment are described. Then, the results obtained are examined taking into consideration the fundamental response characteristics and the failure process. In the former part, the effect of the sidewall on the response is discussed and then the shear beam theory is applied with respect to the fundamental frequency and also the results are compared with those of the two-dimensional FEM analysis. In the latter part, the failure process including the slope slides referred to actual dam failures which have already occurred in Japan.
