Mathematical Modelling of Reservoirs
Computer model of an arch
dam and reservoir
Civil engineers need to do calculations
to check that dams will not be damaged
by earthquakes. They can do fairly simple calculations by hand,
but these only give an approximate idea of how a dam may behave
during an earthquake.
A more accurate idea can be gained from computer
simulations that use mathematical models
to describe the dam, the rock it sits on, the reservoir
behind it and the movement of the ground during an earthquake.
Researchers at the EERC developed a
mathematical model to describe the behaviour of the reservoir and
the way that it moves with the dam. Data was collected from vibration
tests on a real dam and reservoir to check that the model worked.
|
