Guideline for FE Analyses of

Concrete Dams
ICOLD 2017 Prague
TW5 – Physical and Numerical Modelling – Role and Limits

Dr. Richard Malm

KTH Royal Institute of Technology / SWECO
 Background
Large focus in on digitalization within the field of civil & structural
engineering
• 3D computer aided-design (CAD), building information modelling
(BIM) and finite element analyses (FEA) are a vital part of most
design projects today

FE analyses are an important and common tool used for design and
evaluations of concrete structures.
• Rapid development in the field
• Softwares are becoming more advanced and easier to use
Source: Malm et al (2013)
Background cont.
Powerful and easy to use software's

+ Possibility to analyze more detailed and complex phenomenon's,

geometries etc.
• More optimized designs
• Cost effective structures & analyses

- Possible to perform analyses despite sufficient knowledge or

experience
• Risk for misinterpretations of the software or its functions
• Risk for misinterpretation of the results
• More difficult to review

Requires theoretical knowledge about FEA from both the analysist and reviewers
Purpose and aim
Develop a guideline for numerical (FE) analyses of
concrete dams
• Practical approach – give examples & recommendations
• Primarily intended for the industry but also
students, PhD students, researchers etc.
• Intended to be used regardless of the purpose;
• Design, Evaluations, Rehabilitation, Strengthening, Monitoring
etc.
Independent from choice of software and design codes
• However, material and load values are based on Eurocode and the
Swedish design code RIDAS.

Based on literature review and previous experience

Purpose and aim cont.
The report intends to highlight the following questions
• When is it suitable to use (mechanical) FE-analyses of concrete
dams?
• What kind of numerical model/analysis is needed?
• What would be the benefit from using (mechanical) FE-analyses of
concrete dams?
• How should the numerical analysis be performed?

Source: Malm (2016) Source: Malm et al. (2016) Source: Malm (2016)
Contents of the Guideline
s nn
1. Introduction
2. Numerical analyses of dams fct

1
3. Geometrical model mE Source: Goldgruber (2015)
4. Element discretization (Mesh)
mE
5. Material behavior 1
e cr enn

6. Boundary conditions and interactions

7. Static analyses
8. Seismic analyses
9. Solution techniques
10. Evaluation of results
11. Safety format for numerical analyses
12. Practical modelling tips Source: Malm (2016)
Practical modelling tips
and examples of application
Progressive failure analyses
Progressive failure analyses
In many cases it is sufficient to perform analytical stability
analyses. However, in some cases numerical analyses may
be required
• The dam safety is barely satisfied or not satisfied
• Complex geometry or load situation
• Uncertainties regarding the contribution of rock bolts etc.
• Existing cracks in the dam body
• Risk of material failure, internal failure modes or combined
failure modes
 Progressive failure analyses cont.
The analytical failure modes are typically evaluated for sliding
and overturning failures, where the safety factor for each
failure mode is calculated as:

Sliding failure:

Overturning failure:

This could be simulated with FE analyses instead

 Progressive failure analyses cont.
There are several methods that could be used to perform stability
analyses with finite element analyses
• Reduced strength – loads are kept constant, instead the strength of
the dam is reduced, reduced coefficient of friction etc.
• Not possible to combine with material failure analyses, i.e.
NLFEA
• How to obtained combined failure modes?
• Overload method
• Increasing density - the resultant force stays at a constant
position, it is only the value of the resultant force that increase
• Increasing overflow - If the water level is increased instead,
then the level arm moves during the load increase.

An alternative method based on increasing density is suggested

 Progressive failure analyses cont.
However, if the aim is to give the same definition of factor of safety
as the analytical calculation then the following approach is
suggested:

Requires models with non-linear behavior for the contact formulation

between the concrete and rock.
• Step 1: Apply gravity load
• Step 2: Apply all ”normal loads”
• Step 3: Increase the overturning
load effects only until failure occurs

To simulate pure sliding – prevent opening displacement in the joint

To simulate overturning failure – prevent sliding displacements
 Progressive failure analyses cont.
Significant variation in obtained factor of safety depending on
the chosen method

Failure mode

Type of analysis Sliding Overturning

Analytical 1.35 1.97
Increasing density (only destabilizing loads) 1.33 1.94
Increasing density 1.86 >8
Increasing overflow (only destabilizing loads) 1.33 3.84
Increasing overflow 1.86 3.84

Source: Fu and Hafliðason (2015)

 Progressive failure analyses cont.
In simple cases, there is minor difference between analytical
methods and the suggested approach with

Sliding failure Overturning

failure
Traditional stability calculation 1.35 1.97
3D numerical analysis 1.33 1.94

Source: Fu and Hafliðason (2015)

Progressive failure analyses cont.
In more complex cases, significant differences may occur between
analytical methods and the suggested approach
• Combined failure modes
• Influence from material failure (alone or in combination with
traditional failure modes)
• High level of conservatism in the traditional stability calculations
(rock bolts for instance)
Without rock bolts Sliding failure Overturning
failure
Traditional stability calculation 1.04 1.43
3D numerical analysis 1.00 -

With rock bolts Sliding failure Overturning

failure
Traditional stability calculation 2.22 2.54
3D numerical analysis 3.05 -
Source: Malm et al (2017)
 Progressive failure analyses cont.
Methodology applied to analyze the
factor of safety of an arch dam

Source: Enzell & Tollsten (2017)

Conclusions
• The aim was to develop a guideline that can be used regardless
of FE software or design codes.
• Focus is on practical applicability – gives examples on how to
perform analyses of different aspects/effects
• Several practical tips and recommendations to model or analyse
different effects
• Progressive failure
• Extracting sectional forces from solids
• Combining FE analyses with programing
• Modelling tensioning of tendons
• etc
 Thank you!

Contact: [email protected]

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fe-analyses-of-concrete-dams-energiforskrapport-2016-270.pdf