Numerical simulation of nonlinear structural responses of an arch dam to an underwater explosion

摘要

This paper is a preliminary attempt to examine nonlinear structural responses of an arch dam to an underwater explosion (UNDEX) shock loading based on numerical simulation. The numerical simulation is based upon the explicit dynamics finite element program ABAQUS/Explicit. Both the dam-reservoir interaction and the contraction-joint non-linearity are considered. Our research has underlined the importance of the shear keys to the integrity of the arch dam. Failures of the shear keys make each monolith more independent and thus the dam structure as a whole more flexible. Two major failure modes of the arch dam have been identified: (a) a break-off failure of the monolith closest to the explosive source, and (b) tensile cracking of the dam base concrete. The presented simulation procedure based upon ABAQUS/Explicit is time-efficient and relatively undemanding owing to its cut-off computational strategy. We believe that it is more suitable for a large-scale three-dimensional UNDEX simulation involving an arch dam than the full-process simulation procedure.