Seismic analysis of concrete arch dams with contraction joint and nonlinear material models

This thesis presents a numerical model which accounts for the interaction and the coupling effects between the inelastic action of the concrete material and the movements at the contraction joints of an arch dam.; The proposed model is implemented in a new finite element computer program called CADNAP (Concrete Arch Dam Nonlinear Analysis Program). A zero-thickness joint element model is employed to simulate the opening, closing and sliding effects at the vertical contraction joints of the dam. A nonlinear concrete material model which combines a smeared crack model with a bounding surface model is developed in the present study to investigate the effects of high tensile and compressive stresses on the concrete material of the dam. A characteristic length parameter is incorporated in the constitutive law of the smeared crack model to ensure objectivity of the obtained crack patterns. The safety of the dam structure can be evaluated based on the stress and displacement response time histories and on the calculated patterns of damage.; The validity of the proposed finite element formulation is verified in the analysis of the seismic response and performance of the 142-m high Morrow Point dam. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...