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Title |
Seismic Behavior of an Earth-Fill Dam Using Coupled Stress-Seepage Analysis
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Authors |
최홍석(Hong-Suk Choi) ; 김병근(Byung-Geun Kim) ; 심윤태(Yun-Tae Sim) ; 최병일(Byoung-Il Choi) |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.11112/jksmi.2026.30.4.96 |
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Keywords |
필댐; 내진거동; 응력-침투 연계해석; 유효응력; 응력경로; 소성거동 Earth-fill dam; Seismic behavior; Coupled stress-seepage analysis; Effective stress; Stress path; Plastic behavior |
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Abstract |
This study evaluates the seismic behavior of an earth-fill dam using finite element-based coupled stress-seepage analysis to address the limitations of conventional pore-pressure-based stability approaches. Construction history, reservoir impoundment, and time-history seismic loading were simulated to capture nonlinear dynamic responses. The results showed a typical pore pressure distribution, with higher values near the upstream foundation and gradual dissipation downstream. Mean effective stress remained compressive throughout the dam body, while deviatoric stress increased with depth due to self-weight confinement. The minimum principal stress locally decreased near the crest and upstream slope but did not reach tensile failure. Stress path analysis in the p′-q space indicated that the upper zone experienced reduced p′ and increased stress ratio under seismic loading, whereas deeper zones remained stable due to higher confinement. A localized plastic zone developed near the core-filter interface beneath the crest; however, the stress state remained below the failure envelope, suggesting stress redistribution and strain accumulation rather than shear failure. Furthermore, liquefaction potential was evaluated based on effective stress behavior and stress-path characteristics. Although a reduction in mean effective stress was observed in the upper zone, no effective stress loss or stress-path convergence toward the origin was identified, indicating a low likelihood of liquefaction under the considered seismic loading. The crest displacement and the Newmark permanent displacement of approximately 1.2 cm indicated limited seismic-induced deformation. Overall, the coupled analysis effectively captured localized stress redistribution, deformation concentration, and liquefaction-related response characteristics that conventional methods may not identify, demonstrating its applicability to realistic seismic performance assessment of earth-fill dams.
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