Adaptive Techniques in the Block Element Analysis

Abstract

This chapter begins with a laboratory experiment showing that the conventional BEA performs well in the safety calibration for the rock wedge, but it is not equally competent in the deformation assessment. Since the foundation deformation could be important for indeterminate structures (e.g. arch dams), a pertinent improvement is desirable. The crucial breakthrough is achieved by the displacement interpolation within the block element using mapped nodal displacements bound at an overlay element. Then, with the deformation compatibility condition of rock blocks and discontinuities as well as their elasto-viscoplastic constitutive relation, the operation of the virtual work principle produces the governing equation for the solution of these mapped nodal displacements. A practical $p$-refinement strategy is further implemented by checking and controlling the energy norm error tolerance of each block element. This chapter is closed with a number of validation examples (cantilever, gravity dam) and one engineering application case concerning dam-foundation system, to the latter a parallel physical test is demonstrated for cross-reference.