Modelling the structural behaviour of a dam affected by alkali–silica reaction

Abstract

Abstract In this work we present an alkali–silica reaction (ASR) thermo‐chemo‐mechanical expansion model, whose main feature is to represent the stress‐induced anisotropy by means of a classical smeared cracking model. This model considers the influence of temperature and humidity in the development of ASR. Since cracking occurs generally at the beginning of the swelling process, it is suggested that the assessment of the reaction characteristics in free expansion tests could be attained considering a cracked specimen. Hence, an inverse analysis is used to determine ASR parameters. The model was applied to the 3D simulation of alkali–silica expansion in a real gravity dam. We computed the displacements at the crest of the block comparing it with measures taken in situ for the last 25 years. The good correlation between experimental and numerical data displays the accuracy of the model, indicating its potentialities for engineering applications. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.