STRESSES IN GRAV I TY DAMS BY FINITE ELEMENT (ITERATION) METHOD

Abstract

Th3 ma thod commonly adopted for determining 'tb3 sere so s in a gravity dam Is "Gravity Analysis" developed by the U.S.8 .R . The analysis assumes linear variation of vertical stress. However, it was known that the above criterion to not always true and that tension wood develop at so i points in the dam, due to the elastic behaviour of the body mass and also dU to the ofXoct oi" foundation. Attempts were made in tea© past by many •ressarcners such as Brabtz, Ztonktewicz etc. to analyse the stress pattern with the help of elastic theories. Their results nave shown the fallacy of time linear variation of vertical normal stress. The vertical stressos have been found to be distributed in a non- .tx ar way, particularly in the lower 1/3rd height of a darn structure. Finite olemnt method in a powerful method, adopted in the recent years for the analysis of a complicated structure. 'fin this dissertation, the finite element approacby has been chosen, adopting iterative method of solving stitaneous oquattoe, for the study of gravity dai. Studies have been done, with the help of a computer,, to determine the stress distribution for various cases of upstream and downstream slopes and different cases of loading. The results ,obtained have been analysed and the chart and tables appended along with the concl"lions drawn from these studies are applicable to any hydraulic drat. It is hoped that the above conclusions, charts and tables would be of use to a darn designer.