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EMBANKMENT

United States Bureau of


FEMA 65 (2005) ANCOLD
Reclamation
Maximum design DSHA, PSHA DSHA, PSHA PSHA: Hazard, UHS
MCE MCE
MDE SEE
OBE OBE

Method of analysis General Deformations induced by the The dam and foundation materials
Dam and foundation materials are earthquake (settlement, cracking) and are not subject to liquefaction and do
not subject to liquefaction and do not the effects on dam freeboard. not include sensitive clays.
include loose The potential for liquefaction or strain The dam is well built and
soils or sensitive clays. softening of saturated or nearly compacted to at least 95 percent of
The dam is well built and saturated sandy and silty soils and the laboratory maximum dry density,
compacted to at least 95% of the gravels with a sand and silt matrix in the or to a relative density greater than 75
laboratory maximum dry foundation, and possibly in the percent.
density, or to a relative density embankment, and how this affects The slopes of the dam are 2.5:1
greater than 80%. deformations during the earthquake and (horizontal:vertical) or flatter, and/or
The slopes of the dam are 3:1 (H:V) stability immediately after the the phreatic line is well below the
or flatter, and/or the phreatic line is earthquake. downstream face of the embankment.
well below the The zoning and design of the dam, The PHA at the base of the
downstream slope of the particularly the provision of filters, to embankment is no more than 0.35 g.
embankment. prevent or control internal erosion of The static FS for all potential
The peak horizontal acceleration at the dam and the foundation, and failure surfaces involving loss of
the base of the embankment is no provision of zones with good drainage crest elevation (i.e., slides other than
more than 0.2 g. capacity (e.g. free draining rockfill). shallow surficial slides) are greater
The static factors of safety for all For tailings dams using upstream or than 1.5, with pore-water pressures
potential failure surfaces (other than centreline construction, the potential for that could reasonably be expected
shallow surficial liquefaction of loose to medium dense immediately prior to the earthquake
slides) are greater than 1.5 under partly saturated tailings where perched (typically steady-state seepage with
loading and pore-pressure conditions water tables or nearly saturated zones the reservoir at the top of active or
expected may exist above the measured phreatic joint-use storage).
immediately prior to the earthquake. surface. The minimum freeboard with
active or joint-use storage is at least 3
The freeboard at the time of the to 5 percent of the embankment
earthquake is at least 3% to 5% of the height, and never less than 3 feet.
embankment (Required freeboard to accommodate
height and not less than 3 feet (0.9 reservoir seiche waves or coseismic
m). movement of faults at the dam or in
Liquefaction Evaluation the reservoir is a separate issue.)
If the factor of safety against sliding is There are no appurtenant features
greater than 1.0 for expected that would be harmed by small
conditions following the earthquake, movements of the embankment, or
gross instability will presumably not that could create potential for internal
occur. However, because of the great erosion or other potential failure
uncertainty in such calculations, post- mode.
liquefaction factors of safety are
generally required to be a minimum of
1.2 to 1.3, along with some limit being
placed on the expected deformation. If
the factor of safety is below 1.0, the
only conclusion that can be drawn is
that large deformations would occur;
Evaluating results Stability Analyses. Stability Analyses.
If the results of post-earthquake Deformation analysis.
sliding stability analyses for critical
failure surfaces indicate a safety factor
well above 1.0 (e.g., 1.25 or greater)
using the strengths expected after the
earthquake, experience from past
earthquakes suggests that
deformations will be small and the
dam will perform satisfactorily.
Confidence in the safety of the dam
decreases when the factor of safety
against triggering of liquefaction is 1.0
or less and a post earthquake sliding
factor of safety less than or
approaching 1.0 is calculated using
residual shear strengths for materials
assumed to be liquefied.
Deformation analysis
SEE: safety evaluation earthquake

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