Investigation on the temperature of the asphalt-concrete facing of embankment dams

Abstract Asphalt concrete is a traditional material used for the constructions of upstream sealing of reservoir dams, particularly in upper reservoirs of pumped storage hydroelectric plants. The asphalt layer is often exposed to significant fluctuations of temperature caused, for example, by heating the facing from the sun and by its subsequent rapid cooling by water during reservoir periodical filling. To better understand the physical phenomena and behaviour of the facing in terms of vapour diffusion, the state of stress, etc., it is necessary to know temperature phenomena in the asphalt facing. This paper describes the measurement of temperature in the asphalt facing of the Dlouhe Strane pumped storage hydroelectric plant and its evaluation using 1D numerical model of heat flow in the asphalt concrete facing. Numerical simulation for selected load scenarios enabled the temperature phenomena that take place in the construction of the asphalt-concrete facing to be quantified. The analysis shows that during insolation, the asphalt facing is exposed to the significant temperature rise on its surface and also over its whole thickness. Similarly during frost weather the facing becomes frozen in its entire thickness. During the day cycle the temperature in the asphalt layers changes significantly. However, the temperature in the underlying rockfill dam body becomes steady approximately at the depth of 1.0 m.