Vibration Tests and Three-Dimensional Analyses of an Earth Dam Model

Abstract

There are a bout 1, 500 earth dams for irrigation in Japan. It is important tomaintain their stability against earthquakes. Some problems about the dynamic behavior of earth dams still have yet to be unsettled. One of them is the three-dimensional dynamic behavior of earth dams.
This paper describes the results obtained from the experimental and the analytical approach regarding three-dimensional vibration of the dam body. A model of an earth dam was constructed, being scaled down from 250 m to 1 m. The model was made of silicon rubber, and with vibration tests being carried out using a shaking table. Three-dimensional eigenvalue analyses were performed on the above model.
These experiments and analyses showed that the vibration phenomenon of earth dams tended to concentrate in the upper half of middle area of the dam body. It was also found that the shape of the abutment influenced on the fundamental vibration mode of the dam body.