Technologies and geotechnical problems for construction of modern rockfill dams

In the construction of modern high rockfill dams, the key technologies concerning the design and construction of high rockfill dams mainly include: selection and application of dam construction materials, foundation treatment measures and the interaction of seepage control structures and dam, dam deformation control and prevention of local structure damages. For high earth core rockfill dams, the main consideration of materials is the application of gravel soil. For concrete faced rockfill dams, the key issue is rockfill deformation control and coordination. For construction of rockfill dams in future, the dam construction scale will be very huge and the construction conditions will be more and more complicated. Great challenges will be faced in geotechnical engineering. Among these, the engineering properties of rockfill (mainly particles breakage and long-term deformation), constitutive models of rockfill and gravel soils, back analysis of the parameters of dam construction materials, hydraulic fracture of earth core are the main geotechnical problems for construction of high rockfill dams.