Using the FE-Method for Lock Repair Measures at the Main-Danube-Canal

Abstract

This paper focuses on the experiences and benefits of using the Finite Element Method (FEM) in order to describe soil-structure interaction behavior taking the example of two successfully completed lock repair projects. lt turned out that the influences and interactions of the repair works on the existing lock, in particularly the deformation of the lock, earth pressures acting on the lock and structural forces in different lock sections, could only be determined in a realistic way by calculations with the FEM. Based on the calculation results, limit values for the monitoring system, which is necessary to check the system behavior and to verify the calculation assumptions during the repair works, were defined. An additional focus is on the relevance of small-strain stiffness in the analyses. For this purpose, an extension of the Hardening Soil model (HS-model) that accounts for a higher stiffness at small strains was used.