A new approximation in determination of vertical displacement behavior of a concrete-faced rockfill dam

A new simplified method based on one-dimensional displacement theory and 2-D finite element (FE) analysis was developed to predict the vertical displacement behavior of a concrete-faced rockfill dam. The FE analyses were carried out at the end of construction (EOC) and the end of first filling of reservoir. The proposed method was calibrated by using continuously monitored vertical displacement of the dam’s body to determine the mobilized modulus of elasticity of the rockfills at the EOC. The prediction capability of the method was demonstrated using field measurements against the findings from the 2-D FE analysis simulating characteristics of construction stages of the dam. The validity of the method was also examined on another membrane-faced rockfill dam by comparing the geodetic measurements of vertical displacement measurements of the dam’s body with the calculated vertical displacements from 2-D FE analysis at the EOC.