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Hybrid method of limit equilibrium and finite element internal force for analysis of arch dam stability against sliding

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Abstract

A hybrid method of limit equilibrium and finite element internal force for analysis of arch dam stability against sliding is presented. The finite element internal force method (FEIFM) is used to provide more accurate thrust forces acting on the faces of a slip body, and the limit equilibrium method (LEM) is employed to evaluate the factor of safety of the slip body. The method presented can deal with a slip body with large amount of geometrically complex slip faces. In addition, compared with the traditional LEM, it can meet the balance condition of the forces in the slip faces. An example shows that the factor of safety obtained by the method presented agrees well with the theoretical solution. A practical example is also presented to demonstrate the application of the method in the stability analysis of an arch dam project. The results from the examples show that the method is promising in analysis of arch dam stability against sliding.

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Correspondence to TengFei Bao.

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Bao, T., Xu, B. & Zheng, X. Hybrid method of limit equilibrium and finite element internal force for analysis of arch dam stability against sliding. Sci. China Technol. Sci. 54, 793–798 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-011-4312-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-011-4312-5

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