Spatial estimation and assignment of finite element model parameters for rockfill dams under digitized construction

The compaction quality of rockfill dams at any location can be estimated based on the information of compaction parameters timely acquired with the support of the digitized construction technology. According to the results of laboratory large-scale triaxial tests, the quantitative relationship between dam compaction quality and Duncan-Chang constitutive model parameters is established. Then the spatial estimation for the model parameters at any location of rockfill dams can be achieved. On this basis, the parameters of each finite element, which can reflect the actual conditions of dam compaction quality, are assigned through customizing the Abaqus software. The proposed method considers the spatial difference of the constitutive model parameters caused by the spatial difference of actual dam construction quality, so it can avoid the low accuracy of the conventional methods which usually make assignment of the same parameters for the elements in the same dam zone, but provide a prerequisite for fine and realistic finite element analysis on the stress and deformation of rockfill dams in the future work.