CALCULATION OF THE PERIODIC TEMPERATURE-FIELD IN A CONCRETE DAM

A transient thermal analysis of dams and their foundations has been fo rmulated and solved using a finite element program. The two-dimensiona l model takes into account ambient temperature variations, solar radia tion, snow cover, and the geothermal gradient. The dam has been divide d in two parts, with different thermal diffusivities corresponding to the saturated and unsaturated regions. Particular attention was paid i n formulating the boundary condition on the reservoir surface of the d am which was obtained from an energy balance taking into account the f ormation and melting of ice. The results of the simulation for a site in northern Quebec identify the zones where thermal strains can cause dangerous cracks.