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Computation of spatially varying ground motion and foundation-rock impedance matrices for seismic analysis of arch dams

Zhang, Liping; Chopra, Anil K.

UCB/EERC-91/06, Earthquake Engineering Research Center, University of California, Berkeley, 1991-05, 128 pages (630/Z52/1991)

This work develops analytical procedures to solve two problems that are motivated by the earthquake analysis of arch dams. The report is organized in two parts. In the first part, a direct boundary element method (BEM) is presented to determine the three-dimensional seismic response of an infinitely long canyon of an arbitrary but uniform cross section in a homogeneous viscoelastic halfspace. The seismic excitation is represented by P-, SV-, SH-, or Rayleigh waves at arbitrary angles to the axis of the canyon. In the second part, a direct BEM is presented to determine the foundation impedance matrix defined at the nodal points on the dam-foundation rock interface. The accuracy of the procedure is demonstrated by comparison with previous solutions for a surface-supported square foundation and results obtained by a three-dimensional BEM for a foundation of finite width supported on an infinitely long canyon.

Available online: http://nisee.berkeley.edu/documents/EERC/EERC-91-06.pdf (4 MB)