Effects of Explosions on Embankment Dams

This thesis is a numerical study on effects of explosion on embankment dams using the high fidelity physics based finite element package, LS-DYNA. A numerical model was developed in and validated using field testing. The numerical results indicated that the LS-DYNA model was predicted the crater dimensions on the embankment dam when compared with the field testing. The effect of reservoir water level on crater dimensions was also investigated; the crater dimensions predicted were highest when the reservoir level was maximum and lowest when the embankment was dry. The dry embankment showed an increment in crater depth whereas there was a significant decrease in crater depth for the embankment with the water reservoir. Effects of negative pore water pressure (suction) above the phreatic surface was also investigated and the crater dimensions predicted showed a decrease in crater dimensions when compared to when suction is not incorporated into the model.