Influence of seismic input mechanisms and radiation damping on arch dam response

In this study, two different earthquake input models are introduced, i.e. massless foundation model and viscous-spring boundary input model considering radiation damping. Linear elastic and nonlinear contraction joint opening analyses of the 210 m high Dagangshan arch dam under construction in China are performed using the two different earthquake input models. First, the responses of the three-dimensional (3-D) canyon without the dam are analyzed, respectively, with massless-truncated foundation and with viscous-spring boundary; second, linear and nonlinear analyses of the dam–foundation system are performed and compared by using the two input models. Hydrodynamic effects are considered using finite element discretization for incompressible reservoir fluid. It is concluded that stresses and displacements and contraction joint opening in the dam are significantly reduced both in linear and nonlinear analyses when using viscous-spring boundary model. Interestingly, in the case of linear analysis of the Dagangshan, the massless foundation input model with a relatively higher damping ratio of 10% leads to a comparable response of the dam to that using viscous-spring boundary model. In addition, the maximum tensile stresses from nonlinear analysis are 10–25% larger than that of the corresponding linear cases due to a partial release of the arch action.