Research on the Seepage Safety Monitoring Indexes of the High Core Rockfill Dam

The study on developing the reasonable safety monitoring indexes plays a most importantly role in the health monitoring of high core rockfill dams. However, researches on this topic are relatively scarce both at home and abroad. In this paper, the characteristics and failure modes of seepage in high core rockfill dam are analyzed firstly. Then, a safety monitoring index based on seepage quantity, which reflects the overall seepage behavior, is developed, using the real-time monitoring data and its safety monitoring model. Moreover, another safety monitoring index based on seepage gradient, reflecting the local seepage behavior, is proposed, combining the spatial layout of osmo- meters and local failure mechanisms of core wall. Additionally, one more safety monitoring index based on permeability coefficient, which considers the overall and local seepage behaviors, is developed, on the basis of establishing the finite element analysis model and real-time seepage coefficient inversion analysis model of high core rockfill dam. A case study on these indexes of Nuozhadu high core rockfill dam is developed, which improves the reliability of seepage safety evaluation of the dam.