Risk Evaluation for Earth-fill Dams due to Heavy Rains : Probability of Failure due to Heavy Rains
Year: 2020
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: In recent years, many small earth-fill dams have collapsed due to heavy rains.Local governments, managing a large number of these dams, have been forced to formulate a rational policy for measures to counteract heavy rains.In this study, a risk assessment method, in which the probability of failure and the damage costs are identified, is proposed to determine the priority of the measures.In terms of the damage modes for earth-fill dams, two primary modes are examined, namely, the overflow of the reservoir and the slip failure at the downstream face of the dam.In the former case, the inflow into the dam due to rainfall is calculated, taking the catchment area and the land-use conditions at the upstream of the dam into consideration.A check is made as to whether the inflow exceeds the discharge capacity of the existing spillway.In the latter case, the safety factor of the slope in relation to the assumed rainfall is calculated by a saturated-unsaturated seepage analysis, and a stability analysis is done based on the circular slip surface.As a result, the return periods, corresponding to the expected dam failure, are obtained for 10 dams of different sizes.Evaluations to prioritize the countermeasures to heavy rains for earth-fill dams have traditionally been based only on the damage loss at the downstream area.This study proposes a method that includes the probability of failure along with the damage loss.
DOI: 10.15083/00079833
Language: English
Topic: Dam Engineering and Safety
Subfield: Civil and Structural Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7207575658