Abstract
The 2008 Wenchuan earthquake is one of the major natural disasters in China and caused serious casualties, enormous property losses, and further earthquake-induced geo-hazard. Among them, Tangjiashan barrier dam is the most dangerous potential hazard formed by a large consequent bedding rock landslide to block the Tongkou River in Beichuan County. Based on accurately obtained data of geological structure and relevant permeability parameters of Tangjiashan barrier dam, using the three-dimensional visualization software named Visual Modflow, the seepage field of dam under four conditions of water levels (710, 720, 730 and 740 m) of the dammed lake were simulated. According to the results of simulated calculation, each soil layer’s seepage velocity and seepage gradient were calculated, and the analytical results show that the first and the second layers have the characteristics of coarse particles and high permeability, with the overall performance of a stable flow, presenting the characteristics of seepage and stable change of overall gradient, and it will not have turbulent conditions like low-permeability clay, inflexion of seepage gradient and the characteristics of piping between the two layers. The maximum seepage gradient in gravel soil of the first layer is more than allowed gradient in the transition between the first layer and the third layer, so it will cause sporadic or partial seepage destruction on downstream of barrier dam. And simulated results also show that gravel soil of the first layer will experience seepage failure when the water level of dammed lake is more than 726 m. With the uplift of water level, the dam-breaking mode of overall barrier dam is that gravel soil of the first layer will be eroded and washed away by the seepage failure and head erosion, also by the down-cutting caused by overflow. The blocks and gravels of the second layer will be gradually washed away and down-cut because the first layer is washed as well as the water velocity is increased, but overall breaking will not happen. The quasi-lamellar cataclastic rocks of the third layer will remain stable, and the depth of erosion and down-cutting is the top of the third layer.
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Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful for funding from the National Natural Science Foundation Project (Grant No. 41372293), and from the National Natural Science Foundation Project-mutual fund of Yunnan Province (Grant No.U1033601).
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Hu, X.W., Luo, G., Lv, J.L., Hu, Y.Y., Liang, J.X., Fang, L. (2015). Seepage Stability and Dam-Breaking Mode of Tangjiashan Barrier Dam Induced by the Wenchuan Earthquake. In: Lollino, G., et al. Engineering Geology for Society and Territory - Volume 2. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09057-3_203
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09057-3_203
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