Masonry gravity dams: a numerical application for stability analysis

Abstract

This work presents a numerical application for stability analysis of masonry gravity dams. From the geometrical dimensions, the material characteristics, hydrostatic loads and seismic loads, the application automatically determines the following results: thrust line for the dead weight load and the dead weight together with the other loads; stress diagram and safety factors for the failure of the damfoundation contact as part of an overall analysis; safety factors for the failure of horizontal planes along the body of the dam; parametric properties analysis (volumetric mass) and the resistant characteristics (friction angle) on the base of the dam. The analyses of three historical masonry dams located in Algeria was made. This work highlights the versatility of the numerical application as it can work with different section geometry, including curved and discontinuous sections, and the importance of assessing several scenarios in order to obtain a safe result.