Design of a Transverse Seismic Bracing System for Spillway Piers

Abstract

In a hydroelectric project, the elements that comprise the spillway structure are perhaps the most demanding of the project in terms of performance during the maximum verification earthquake. Indeed, while significant permanent deformations are allowed during the event in the main closure structures, such as the dam itself, the spillway piers must ensure quasi-elastic behavior, so that the operation of the floodgates is not affected in the post-earthquake scenario. This paper describes the characteristics of the bracing system designed for the spillway of a gravity dam to be built in the Dominican Republic and assesses its performance through a nonlinear dynamic analysis, considering the interaction of the piers with the lateral dam blocks during an earthquake with a dominant component in the direction of the dam axis.