Breaching mechanisms of earth and rockfill dams under extreme dynamic loading conditions and associated risk assessment (Sponsor: NSFC 海外及港澳学者合作研究基金, PI (Hong Kong): Zhang, L.M.; PI (Beijing): Zhang J.M.)

Dams constructed in large rivers may be subjected to unexpected ship bumping or blasting loadings. The associated risks must be properly managed. The objective of this research project is to study the performance of earth and rockfill dams under the two extreme dynamic loading conditions and the corresponding dam breaching mechanisms. The main research contents include: (1) collecting and analyzing case histories of failure of earth and rockfill dams under blasting and impact loadings; (2) conducting physical model experiments on the effect of blasting and impact on earth and rockfill dams; (3) numerical analysis of performance of earth and rockfill dams during the course of blasting and vessel bumping; (4) the breaching process after extreme dynamic loading; (5) emergency countermeasures for dam breaching due to extreme dynamic loading. The applicant is accomplished in research on foundation construction control, dams  and slopes, geotechnical risk reassessment, limit state design, and multiphase flows, and has published 195 articles. The applicant and the co-worker have had good collaboration and are expected to produce high quality research results in this collaborative research project.