Back-analysis of soil parameters of the Malutang II concrete face rockfill dam using parallel mutation particle swarm optimization

Deformation control is a central problem in earth-rockfill dam design. The finite element method (FEM) is the primary method used to analyze and predict the deformation of earth-rockfill dams. The parameters of the constitutive model of soil used in earth-rockfill dams determine the FEM analysis results. Using prototype monitoring displacements, the soil parameters of the Malutang II concrete face rockfill dam were back-analyzed using parallel mutation particle swarm optimization. The calculated displacements of the back-analyzed soil parameters are consistent with the prototype monitoring results. The parallel mutation particle swarm optimization has a high optimization rate and can be used in large-scale practical engineering applications. The back-analysis results indicate that the deformation moduli of rockfills in the Malutang II are affected by construction situ.