Seismic failure analysis for a high concrete face rockfill dam subjected to near-fault pulse-like ground motions

The numerical analysis results indicate that although the near-fault pulse-like ground motion has a moderate impact on the dam acceleration, it has a remarkable impact on the residual deformation of dam and concrete slab damage, especially for the dam crest. The seismic response of the dam increases with an increasing ratio of the peak ground velocity to the peak ground acceleration (PGV/PGA). In addition, even with the similar Arias intensity, the residual deformation of the dam under pulse-like records is larger than those under non-pulse ones. The pulse-like ground motion often generates a high input energy which will cause large deformation of concrete face slab in a short period of time. Therefore, when a CFRD is constructed in the vicinity of an earthquake, the effects of the pulse-like ground motion should be investigated to comprehensively evaluate the seismic safety of the dam.