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https://hdl.handle.net/11681/20998| Title: | Earthquake resistance of earth and rock-fill dams. Report 3, Feasibility of simulating earthquake effects on earth and rock-fill dams using underground nuclear events |
| Authors: | U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station. |
| Keywords: | Earth dams Earthquake-resistant structures Ground motion Nuclear explosions Rock-fill dams Simulation Underground explosions Hydraulic structures Earthquake effects Tests Testing Experiment |
| Publisher: | Soils and Pavements Laboratory (U.S.) Engineer Research and Development Center (U.S.) |
| Series/Report no.: | Miscellaneous Paper (U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station) ; S-71-17 Rept.3 |
| Description: | Miscellaneous Paper Abstract: Little information and experience are available regarding the earthquake resistance of earth and rock-fill dams, and the probability of collecting much data from strong-motion seismic instrumentation at existing dams within a few years is low. Because of the need to develop additional earthquake design criteria, the Advisory Board for Soil Mechanics of the Office, Chief of Engineers, suggested the possibility of subjecting a test embankment to ground motions produced by underground nuclear explosions. The Board suggested that the Waterways Experiment Station investigate the feasibility of such a test on a 50-ft-high, 300- to 400-ft-long embankment. This report is a preliminary study of some of the important aspects of the suggested experiment. Close-in ground-motion records from recent underground nuclear events Faultless, Boxcar, and Benham were obtained, analyzed, and compared to observed earthquake motion to evaluate the suitability of simulating earthquake motion by nuclear-generated motion. A comparison of nuclear and earthquake motions has been made and an estimate of the magnitude of permanent embankment displacement caused by both energy sources has been calculated. Several sites on Pahute Mesa, Nevada Test Site, appear to be satisfactory for constructing a test dam. A configuration for testing a 50-ft-high embankment, an estimate of the probable cost of the experiment, and a schedule for accomplishing the experiment have been proposed. |
| Gov't Doc #: | Miscellaneous Paper S-71-17 Rept.3 |
| Rights: | Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/11681/20998 |
| Appears in Collections: | Miscellaneous Paper |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MP-S-71-17-Report-3.pdf | 23.55 MB | Adobe PDF |  View/Open |