• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.593-615
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• 2011

This study determines the water length effects on the modal behavior of a prototype arch dam using Operational and Analytical Modal Analyses. Achievement of this purpose involves construction of a prototype arch dam-reservoir-foundation model under laboratory conditions. In the model, reservoir length was taken to be as much as three times the dam height. To determine the experimental dynamic characteristics of the arch dam using Operational Modal Analysis, ambient vibration tests were implemented for empty reservoir and three different reservoir water lengths. In the ambient vibration tests, the dam was vibrated by natural excitations provided from small impact effects and the response signals were measured using sensitive accelerometers. Operational Modal Analysis software process signals collected from the ambient vibration tests, and Enhanced Frequency Domain Decomposition and Stochastic Subspace Identification techniques estimated modal parameters of the dams. To validate the experimental results, 3D finite element model of the prototype arch dam was modeled by ANSYS software for empty reservoir and three different reservoir water lengths, and dynamic characteristics of each model were determined analytically. At the end of the study, experimentally and analytically identified dynamic characteristics compared to each other. Also, changes on the natural frequencies along to water length are plotted as graphs. Results suggest that reservoir water complicates the modal behavior of the arch dam significantly.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.231-244
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• 2017

This paper presents the structural identification of an arch dam model for the damaged, repaired and strengthened conditions under different water levels. For this aim, an arch dam-reservoir-foundation model has been constructed. Ambient vibration tests have been performed on the damaged, repaired and strengthened dam models for the empty reservoir (0 cm), 10 cm, 20 cm, 30 cm, 40 cm, 50 cm and full reservoir (60 cm) water levels to illustrate the effects of water levels on the dynamics characteristics. Enhanced Frequency Domain Decomposition Method in the frequency domain has been used to extract the dynamic characteristics. The dynamic characteristics obtained from the damaged, repaired and strengthened dam models show that the natural frequencies and damping ratios are considerably affected from the varying water level. The maximum differences between the frequencies for the empty and full reservoir are obtained as 16%, 33%, and 25% for damaged, repaired and strengthened model respectively. Mode shapes obtained from the all models are not affected by the increasing water level. Also, after the repairing and strengthening implementations, the natural frequencies of the arch dam model increase significantly. After strengthening, between 46-92% and 43-62% recovery in the frequencies are calculated for empty and full reservoir respectively. Apparently, after strengthening implementation, the mode shapes obtained are more acceptable and distinctive compared to those for the damaged model.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.277-294
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• 2012

The aim of the study is to determine the modal parameters of a prototype damaged arch dam by operational modal analysis (OMA) method for some damage scenarios. For this purpose, a prototype arch dam-reservoir-foundation model is constructed under laboratory conditions. Ambient vibration tests on the arch dam model are performed to identify the modal parameters such as natural frequency, mode shape and damping ratio. The tests are conducted for four test-case scenarios: an undamaged dam with empty reservoir, two different damaged dams with empty reservoirs, and a damaged dam with full reservoir. Loading simulating random impact effects is applied on the dam to crack. Cracks and fractures occurred at the middle of the upper part of the dams and distributed through the abutments. Sensitivity accelerometers are placed on the dams' crests to collect signals for measurements. Operational modal analysis software processes the signals collected from the ambient vibration tests, and enhanced frequency domain decomposition and stochastic subspace identification techniques are used to estimate modal parameters of the dams. The modal parameters are obtained to establish a basis for comparison of the results of two techniques for each damage case. Results show that approximately 35-40% difference exists between the natural frequencies obtained from Case 1 and Case 4. The natural frequencies of the dam considerably decrease with increasing cracks. However, observation shows that the filled reservoir slightly affected modal parameters of the dam after severe cracking. The mode shapes obtained are symmetrical and anti-symmetrical. Apparently, mode shapes in Case 1 represent the probable responses of arch dams more accurately. Also, damping ratio show an increase when cracking increases.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.101-116
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• 2018

As one of the most important engineering structures, arch dams are huge constructions built with human hands and have strategical importance. Because of the fact that long construction duration, water supply, financial reasons, major loss of life and material since failure etc., the design of arch dams is very important problem and should be done by expert engineers to determine the structural behavior more accurately. Finite element analyses and non-destructive experimental measurements can be used to investigate the structural response, but there are some difficulties such as spending a long time while modelling, analysis and in-situ testing. Therefore, it is more useful to conduct the research on the laboratory conditions and to transform the obtained results into real constructions. Within the scope of this study, it is aimed to determine the structural behavior of arch dams considering experimentally validated prototype laboratory model using similitude and scaling laws. Type-1 arch dam, which is one of five arch dam types suggested at the "Arch Dams" Symposium in England in 1968 is selected as reference prototype model. The dam is built considering dam-reservoir-foundation interaction and ambient vibration tests are performed to validate the finite element results such as dynamic characteristics, displacements, principal stresses and strains. These results are considered as reference parameters and used to determine the real arch dam response with different scales factors such as 335, 400, 416.67 and 450. These values are selected by considering previously examined dam projects. Arch heights are calculated as 201 m, 240 m, 250 m and 270 m, respectively. The structural response is investigated between the model and prototype by using similarity requirements, field equations, scaling laws etc. To validate these results, finite element models are enlarged in the same scales and analyses are repeated to obtain the dynamic characteristics, displacements, principal stresses and strains. At the end of the study, it is seen that there is a good agreement between all results obtained by similarity requirements with scaling laws and enlarged finite element models.

• Advances in Computational Design
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.87-112
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• 2018

In this study, it is aimed to present engineering software to estimate the structural response of concrete arch dam. Type-1 concrete arch dam constructed in the laboratory is selected as a reference model. Finite element analyses and experimental measurements are conducted to show the accuracy of initial model. Dynamic analyses are carried out by spectrum analysis under empty reservoir case considering soil-structure interaction and fixed foundation condition. The displacements, principal stresses and strains are presented as an analysis results at all nodal points on downstream and upstream faces of dam body. It is seen from the analyses that there is not any specific ratio between prototype and scaled models for each nodal point with different scale values. So, dynamic analyses results cannot be generalized with a single formula. To eliminate this complexity, the regression analysis, which is a statistical method to obtain the real model results according to the prototype model by using fitting curves, is used. The regression analysis results are validated by numerical solutions using ANSYS software and the error percentages are examined. It is seen that 10% error rates are not exceeded.