Study on the Mechanism of the Peculiar Behaviors of the Aratozawa Dam During the 2008 Earthquake

During the Iwate-Miyagi Nairiku Earthquake (M7.2) of June 14, 2008, seismic motions with a maximum acceleration of 1,024 cm/s² in the stream direction were recorded at the foundation bedrock of Aratozawa Dam, a rockfill dam located approximately 16 km from the epicenter. However, the maximum response acceleration in the same direction near the center of the dam crest was 525 cm/s², and the acceleration amplification ratio of the dam body was far lower than that normally considered for a rockfill dam. Furthermore, it was measured that the crest settled down 19.8 cm after the earthquake. In this study, the dynamic properties of the embankment materials were identified using reproduction analysis of past earthquakes, and the recorded behaviors of the dam body during the mentioned strong earthquake were simulated. The generating mechanism of the peculiar earthquake behavior was investigated based on the results of the earthquake response analysis. Furthermore, in order to understand the deformation mechanism, sliding stability analysis and cumulative damage analysis were performed. According to the results, the residual deformation of the dam body after the strong earthquake is inferred to be caused by the shaking settlement of the embankment materials.