Hydrodynamic Pressure Analysis in Dams with Infinite Reservoirs Considering Dam–Reservoir Interaction

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar 47416-13534, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor of Geotechnical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran.

10.22060/ceej.2026.24051.8251

Abstract

Dams, due to their critical importance for a country's infrastructure, must be analyzed and evaluated with high precision. One of the key considerations for dam analysis in seismic regions is the estimation of hydrodynamic pressures and dam deformations. In this study, an analytical method was developed to assess the responses of two types of dams—rigid and flexible—connected to a reservoir of infinite length. Frequencies, pressure distribution, and deformation for a dam–reservoir system with an incompressible, irrotational, and non-adhesive fluid were calculated using the differential transform method. In the analyzed dams, surface waves were neglected, and the reservoir floor was assumed to be perfectly rigid and horizontal. The analyses considered the effects of dam–reservoir interaction. The influences of parameters such as dam height, fluid density, horizontal ground acceleration, and elasticity modulus on the hydrodynamic pressure and dam deformation were evaluated for both rigid and flexible dams. The most significant effect of dam–reservoir interaction on hydrodynamic pressure was the absence of maximum pressure at the base of the flexible dam. Results also indicate that, in the flexible dam, a 40% increase in dam thickness reduces displacement, while the maximum pressure on the dam increases by more than 150%. Increasing the elasticity modulus by 20% leads to an approximately 22% increase in maximum pressure. Moreover, with increasing dam height, displacement increases due to the softer behavior of the dam, resulting in a reduction in hydrodynamic pressure.

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Amirkabir Journal of Civil Engineering
Volume 57, Issue 11
February 2026
Pages 1961-1980

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