Analysis of Three Dimensional Nonlinear Coupled Finite Element Based on some Concrete Rock-Fill Dam

As the future highest dam in the world, Shuang Jiang Kou rock-fill dam was the water retaining structure of homonymous hydropower station, a controlling engineering on Da Du River hydropower development, which is under design now. This dam is a central earth core dam with a height of 312 meters. A type of gravel soil stiffer than clay, which is made by artificial compounding of clay and gravel, is introduced to reduce the difference in displacement of earth core and rock filled shell zone. Because of the introduced less flexible central core, a more remarkable arching effect of the abutment on earth core might occur simultaneously. A three dimensional coupled nonlinear finite element analysis is carried out to study the three dimensional arching effect of Shuang Jiang Kou rock-fill dam. Computation results show that the arching effect is much notable. Then an innovation is proposed in design, in which a contact high-plasticity clay layer is introduced. It is verified that this innovation is effective and necessary.