SUMMARYBased on the damage mechanism of rock during excavation, the maximum tensile strain criterion for pinpointing relaxation region or excavation-disturbed (damage) zone (EDZ) is introduced. To simulate the deformation and stress redistribution caused by the deterioration of the deformation and strength parameters in the EDZ, the 'restraint-relaxation' finite element algorithm is formulated using the deformation and strength parameters of pre-and post-relaxation. The Xiaowan arch dam project (292 m high) is studied by the proposed method, in which the permissible tensile strain and fluidity parameter are evaluated using back analysis. The computation results have good agreement with the field monitoring. An important inference from the study is the necessity of considering the relaxation effects on the dam/foundation system during the construction and operation period.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.