Numerical analysis of the causes of face slab cracks in Gongboxia rockfill dam

• The features of the cracks in Gongboxia CFRD are described.
• Temperature-induced stress is the main factor that causes the Gongboxia face slab cracks.
• Structure-induced stress accounts for the fact that more cracks occur on both sides of the bank.
• The water level of the reservoir is the main reason that the cracks are vertical.

There are face slab cracks on the Gongboxia concrete face rockfill dam (CFRD), which is located on the Yellow River in China. They generally occur as vertical cracks at the top of the panel near the water level. The region where Gongboxia CFRD is located is subjected to low temperatures during the winter months and high temperatures during the summer months. Also, this region experiences large temperature fluctuations during the day and night. In this study, the causes of crack formation in the face slabs of the dam are numerically analyzed from the perspective of structural- and temperature-induced stresses. The results show that temperature-induced stress is the main reason for the slab cracks on the Gongboxia CFRD; the structure-induced stresses lead to more cracks in the steep dam section than in the riverbed dam section, and the occurrence of vertical cracks are likely caused by slight variations in the water level.