Physical modeling of concrete gravity dam vulnerability to explosions

This study was designed to investigate the response of concrete gravity dams to explosions in their reservoirs. Small-scale models of a typical gravity dam design were subjected to blast loads in a large centrifuge, where the internal stress conditions of full-scale dams, resulting from their mass and the hydrostatic pressure of their reservoir, could be simulated. In addition to observations of visible damage, the models were instrumented to record their transient response to the dynamic loads produced by the explosions. This information provides a preliminary basis for developing formulas to predict damage to full-scale gravity dams from terrorist attacks with explosives. The results will also be used to aid in validating numerical computer models for calculating such similar damage effects in full-scale dams.