Numerical simulation of reservoir sediment and effects on hydro-dynamic response of arch dams

Based on the dynamic theory for saturated porous media by Biot (Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 1956; 28:168-178), a numerical model is p resented to analyse the reflection behaviours of reservoir sediment and com pared with those from the visco-elastic model. It is concluded that the two models give very similar results of reflection coefficient a within the fr equency range of interest. Then, using the two models, the change of the re flection coefficients a with various sedimentation parameters and excitatio n frequencies are studied in detail. The results are farther used in the an alysis of response functions of hydro-dynamic pressures on, and structural displacements of the Xiang Hong Dian arch dam, for which some results from a field vibration test are available. It appears that effects of water comp ressibility with sediment reflection on hydro-dynamic pressures and structu ral response are not significant for this specific case. Copyright (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.