Crack Growth in Concrete Gravity Dams Based on Discrete Crack Method

Abstract

Seepage is the most parameter in water management safety and in stable agricultural. This seepage is passed through the cracks that are present to some degree in hydraulic structures. They may exist as basic defects in the constituent materials or may be induced in construction or during service life. To avoid such failure in concrete dams, safety would be an important factor. Over-design carries heavy penalty in terms of excess weight. So the fracture mechanics theory is a principal necessity of evaluating the stability of such crack propagation. For the process of crack propagation analysis in concrete structures, there are two general models: discrete crack and smeared crack. This study surveys the crack propagation in concrete gravity dams based on discrete crack methods. Moreover, we use a program provided specifically for this purpose.