Photoelastic study of the foundation elasticity effect on the stresses in a gravity dam

Abstract

Stress distribution in gravity dams supported on foundation having same elastic modulus (homogeneous case) as well as having different elastic modulii (composite case) compared to the dam malerial has been obrained using two-dimensional photoelastic analysis. The pholoelastic composite model is prepared using two different materials having different modulus of elasticity at elevated temperature (110 C). Stress distributions in the dam with and  without opening have been obtained for hydrostatic loading only and are compared with some available solutions.