Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Simplified evaluation of embankment dam health due to ground vibration using dam health index (DHI) approach

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Civil Structural Health Monitoring Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In order to execute dam safety planning, it is necessary to develop a method to monitor dam health, which considers and simulates the actual physical failure processes of an embankment dam. The objective of this study is to monitor the behaviour of the earthen dam during the impact of ground force through experimental modal analysis. The model of an earthen dam was constructed on a steel plate, which could be easily moved by input force. Accelerometers were installed on the model in many positions to measure respondent acceleration. The post-processing data were processed to show signs such as natural frequency and mode shape using the least-square complex exponential method. Natural frequency shifts were tracked throughout the testing period and the effects of the varying water levels were identified. During vibration, the effect of liquefaction observed in tests was found to be the first factor to deteriorate on the upstream side of the embankment model. The measurement position of the accelerometer was found to be very important for the health monitoring of the embankment dam. The proposed dam health index is the comparison of acceleration at the crest and the upstream side in both time and frequency domains which can identify damage to the embankment dam.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Aktan AE, Chuntavan C, Lee KL, Toksoy T (1993) Structural identification of steel stringer bridge. Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Allen DE, Rainer JH (1995) Guidelines for the seismic evaluation of existing buildings. Can J Civ Eng 22(3):500–505

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Arango I (1996) Magnitude scaling factors for soil liquefaction evaluations. J Geotech Eng 122(11):929–936

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Braja M, Das (1997) Advanced soil mechanics. In: 2nd edn. Taylor & Francis Publishers

  5. Casas JR, Aparicio AC (1994) Structural damage identification from dynamic-test data. J Struct Eng 120(8):2437–2450

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Chinnarasri C, Jirakidlert S, Wongwises S (2004) Embankment dam breach and its outflow characteristics. Civ Eng Environ Syst 21(4):247–264

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Darbre GR, Proulx J (2002) Continuous ambient-vibration monitoring of the arch dam of Mauvoisin. Earthquake Eng Struct Dynam 31(2):475–480

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Ebrahimian B (2011) Numerical analysis of nonlinear dynamic behavior of earth dams. Front Archit Civ Eng China 5(1):24–40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Ewins DJ (2000) Modal testing: theory, practice and application. In: 2nd edn. Research Studies Press Ltd

  10. Flesch RG, Kernbichler K (1988) Bridge inspection by dynamic tests. In: Natke, Yao (eds) Proceedings of the structural safety evaluation based on system identification approaches, held in Lambrecht/Pfalz, Germany, June 29th–July 1st 1987

  11. Gazetas G (1987) Seismic response of earth dams: some recent developments. Soil Dyn Earthquake Eng 6(1):2–47

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Golub GH, Van Loan CF (1996) Matrix computation. In: 3rd edn. The Johns Hopkins University Press

  13. He J, Fu Z (2001) Modal analysis. Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  14. Hogue TD, Aktan AE, Hoyos A (1991) Regional identification of constructed facilities. J Struct Eng 117(1):128–148

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Iwasaki T (2006) Response analysis of civil engineering structure subjected to earthquake motions. J Disaster Res 1(2):274–295

    Google Scholar 

  16. Kuwabara T, Nakaya M, Koyama S, Sidiq ZM (1987) Study on the vibration characteristics of fill-dam with a rigid core: II Experimental study. Bull Univ Osaka Pref Ser B 39:101–109

    Google Scholar 

  17. Lemos JV, Oliveira S, Mendes P (2008) Analysis of the dynamic behaviour of Cabril Dam considering the influence of contraction joints. In: The 7th European Conference on Structural Dynamics. 7–9 July, Southampton: Paper number E255

  18. Marcuson WF III (1978) Definition of terms related to liquefaction. J Geotech Eng Div ASCE 104(9):1197–1200

    Google Scholar 

  19. Okamoto S, Hakuno M, Kato K, Kawakami F (1969) On the dynamical behavior of an earth dam during earthquake. In: Proceedings of the 4th world conference on earthquake engineering, Santiago

  20. Patjawit A (2005) Structural identification of concrete girder bridge for strength evaluation. D.Eng. Dissertation, Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand

  21. Patjawit A, Chinnarasri C, Kanok-Nukulchai W (2008) Dam health monitoring based on dynamic properties, Geotechnical Special Publication No. 178, GeoCongress 2008, March 9–12, New Orleans, Louisiana, pp. 223–230

  22. Patjawit A, Kanok-Nukulchai W (2005) Health monitoring of highway bridges based on a global flexibility index. Eng Struct 27(9):1385–1391

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Raghavendrachar M, Aktan AE (1995) Flexibility by multi-reference impact testing for bridge diagnostics. J Struct Eng 118(8):2186–2203

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Sakamoto T, Yoshida H, Yamaguchi Y, Satoh H, Iwashita T, Matsumoto N (2002) Numerical simulation of sliding of an earth dam during the 1995 Kobe Earthquake. In: Proceedings of the 3rd US–Japan workshop on advanced research on earthquake engineering for dams. 22–23 June, San Diego, California

  25. Salane HJ, Baldwin JW (1990) Identification of modal properties of bridges. J Struct Eng 16(7):2008–2021

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Salawu OS, Williams C (1995) Bridge assessment using forced-vibration testing. J Struct Eng 121(2):161–173

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Samman MM, Biswas M (1994) Vibration testing for nondestructive evaluation of bridges. J Struct Eng 120(1):290–306

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Towhata, Ikou (2008) Geotechnical earthquake engineering. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

  29. Yang JN, Lei Y, Lin S, Huang N (2004) Identification of natural frequencies and damping of in situ tall building using ambient wind vibration data. J Eng Mech ASCE 130(5):570–577

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the National Research University Project of Thailand’s Office of Higher Education Commission. Partial financial support from the Thailand Research Fund for providing research Grant Number BRG5280001 is highly appreciated.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy, Nakornnayok, Thailand

    Anun Patjawit

  2. Water Resources Engineering & Management Research Centre (WAREE), Department of Civil Engineering, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand

    Chaiyuth Chinnarasri

Authors
  1. Anun Patjawit
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Chaiyuth Chinnarasri
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chaiyuth Chinnarasri.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Patjawit, A., Chinnarasri, C. Simplified evaluation of embankment dam health due to ground vibration using dam health index (DHI) approach. J Civil Struct Health Monit 4, 17–25 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13349-013-0049-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13349-013-0049-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation