Rockfill dams with stone pitching are specific hydraulic structures generally built in the early XXth century where stones used to be hand‐placed without mortar to constitute the upward and downward dam faces. Few studies have been carried out to quantify the specific and critical role of the pitching in the dam stability against both static and seismic forces.
Herein, a numerical model is proposed to model pseudo‐static tests performed on four different scaled‐down rockfill dams with a stone pitching. A mixed FEM–DEM approach is used, and two different constitutive models were considered for the backfill. A validation of the numerical model is first proposed based on the scaled‐down tests. Then, the stone pitching displacement profiles and the dams safety factors against failure are analyzed and compared for the four studied cases. This study allows qualitative conclusions to be drawn and pave the way to upcoming investigations on actual structures of the same kind.
The French project of deep geological storage for nuclear waste (Cigéo) gives rise to a lot of innovative issues for underground space technologies. For example, the nuclear activity of the waste generates temperature effects on the lining, needing to mitigate the number of waste containers in the gallery section. For the Intermediate-Level waste (ILW), thanks to lower temperature effects, the number of containers in the cross section can safely be increased. Therefore, a largest diameter gallery (10 meters) could be more cost effective. The challenge is to design the lining of such a gallery for 100 years in a context of high displacements, due to 500 meters overburden and the creeping behaviour of the rock mass (COx argillite). To improve our understanding of long term behaviour of large galleries, this paper details the experience of the road tunnel of Chamoise (France), including an advanced processing of the available data (rock and lining displacements, linings yielding) recorded since the tunnel excavation, more than 20 years ago. Besides, a numerical modelling of the tunnel has been carried out, using two constitutive laws accounting for a viscoplastic mechanism: L&K (EDF) and H&B-Lemaitre (ANDRA). The simulations results have then been compared with the processed records on 20 years. Finally, the calculations have been carried on until 100 years, improving the demonstration of feasibility of a large gallery in claystone for the challenging Cigéo project.
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