Elasto-Plastic Damage Time-History Analysis of Dams: The Case of Ridracoli

FEM simulations arewidely recognized as essential tools in the analysis of the behaviour of dam systems. A detailed representation of the dam structure allows for a better understanding of the local response of important structural elements. The present paper intends to provide a FE modelling procedure of concrete arch-gravity dams. Case of study is the arch-gravity dam of Ridracoli. The vertical construction joints are included in the model as solid elements; their influence on the dynamic properties of the structure is investigate and, adopting the CDP—Concrete Damage Plasticity—model for the filling mortar, elasto-plastic damage time-history analyses are performed. Under MCE—Maximum Credible Earthquake—and varying the water level, the damage parameters evolution is analysed. All simulations integrate the structure-foundation and the fluid-structure interaction by means of rock mass solid and acoustic elements, respectively; moreover, the adopted damping coefficients of rock mass and structure are calibrated on linear elastic dynamic analyses. The inclusion of vertical construction joints into finite element models of dams allows us to verify the local behaviour of such real discontinuities under severe seismic events and therefore to verify the seismic vulnerability assessment of the whole structure.