Discussion on monitoring and deformation aspects of concrete face rockfill dam

Safety of Concrete Face Rockfill Dams(CFRDs)depends on the proper design,construction,and monitoring of actual behaviour during the construction and the operation of the structure.Geotechnical and geodetic monitoring may provide information on the state of deformation and provide a warning system in case of an abnormal behaviour of the dam.CFRDs undergo deformations during their construction and the reservoir filling.During construction,the rockfill settles and compacts until the end-of-construction stage.During impounding,the rockfill deforms under the water pressure.The upstream concrete face deforms as a result of the rockfill deformation.The displacements of the concrete face during the reservoir filling should not exceed the maximum allowed values in order to maintain the structural integrity of the concrete face.Due to the uncertainty of the model parameters,careful monitoring of the dam and its surroundings is required in order to verify and enhance the model.The paper presents a study of development of deformation of a CFRD using FEM analysis.The discussion is illustrated using the example of CFRD in P.R.China.