NEHRP Clearinghouse
- Title
- Simulation of Strong Earthquake Motion with Contained-Explosion Line Source Arrays, Report on Task 6: Feasibility of Earth Dam Testing.
- File
- PB81174096.pdf
- Author(s)
- Agrawal, P. N.; Bruce, J. R.
- Source
- National Science Foundation, Washington, DC. Office of Planning and Resources Management., September 1980, 50 p.
- Abstract
- This study explores the feasibility, scope, and cost of dynamic testing of earth and rock-filled dams using explosives to generate the required earthquake-like ground motions. It was concluded that the response of dams to high-level sustained earth shaking, representative of actual earthquakes, can be investigated with explosive array techniques. The dams should be of small to moderate size and should be constructed in a special field test site with moderately strong native soil (not rock). Earth shaking would be provided by contained-explosion arrays that can produce the high-level sustained motion in repeated tests without replacement. It was also concluded that application of strong motion from explosive arrays is not practical because of the risk of damage to the dam or its surroundings. These dams can be tested for low-level linear response, but for testing at high levels to investigate damage mechanisms and more efficient dam design, test dams should be constructed at a site where damage can be tolerated and contained. Other conclusions and recommendations are presented.
- Keywords
- Earthquake resistant structures; Explosive charges; Seismic waves; Earth movements; Dynamic tests; Dynamic response; Ground motion; Earthquake engineering; Simulation; Earth dams; Soil structure interactions; Earthquakes