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Department of Civil
and Environmental
Engineering
Spring 2017
Effect of Location of
Asperity and Shearing
Direction on Shear
Strength
Supervisor:
Leif Lia
Co-supervisor:
Dipen Bista
In cooperation with:
LTU, NORUT
Renate Musum Stangvik
Background
In Norway, a big number of concrete dams
have been built related to hydro power. Due
to the hydrostatical water pressure and ice
loads, the dams require sufficient stability
for safe operation. Several dams do not fulfill
the requirements for safety factor against
sliding, and several dam owners are facing big
investments to fulfill the requirements.
The shear strength of a rock-concrete interface
is often decisive for the sliding stability of a
dam, however, not all factors contributing to
shear strength are properly understood. If the
contribution of these factors can be understood
and included in the stability analysis, this could
help some of the dams to fulfill the stability
requirements. Research is still carried out
and currently focused on shear resistance and
criteria for sliding stability.
The scope of this thesis is to analyze how the
location of an asperity and the shearing direction
will affect the shear strength, by studying
existing models and conduct laboratory shear
tests. The work with this thesis is integrated in a
large laboratory test program hosted by NORUT.
The shear tests will be carried out at LTU in
Luleå.
MASTER THESIS
A concrete dam which do not fulfill the
requirements for sliding stability
Test apparatus used for shear testing
Photo: Master thesis by Simen Liahagen