Centrifuge modeling testing and multiscale analysis of cemented sand and gravel (CSG) dams

Cemented sand and gravel (CSG) dams have become quite popular in recent times but research focusing on their mechanical behavior is still hard to find in the literature. This paper presents an experimental and computational study, which combines centrifuge modeling tests and multiscale simulations. A centrifuge modeling test was carried out to investigate the deformation characteristics of CSG dams under self-weight stabilization and water storage conditions. The test results show that the gravity settlement dominates the deformation of the tested dam model. The experimental tests were then simulated by means of the Lattice Discrete Particle Model (LDPM), which was calibrated to simulate the CSG materials. The simulations demonstrated that LDPM is capable of capturing well the CSG linear and nonlinear behavior. Furthermore, the behavior of a prototype CSG dam was simulated via a multiscale technique based on the so-called Homogeneization Coarse Graining (HCG). The HCG LDPM simulations showed that this approach predicts well the deformation characteristic of CSG dams under different loading conditions and it can be considered a viable tool for engineers to use in practical applications.