Choice of mathematic models of soils in static and seismic analyses of embankment dams

Relevance. Numerical analyses of behavior or stress-strain state (SSS) of embankment dams are usually performed using various computational programs, which use different, often complex mathematical models of soils. However, the right choice of these models is left to the program user, who usually has not enough experience in this field of knowledge, and therefore the results of these analyses are often obscure and erroneous. The aims of the work - development of recommendations for selecting the most reliable mathematical models of soils in numerical analyses of embankment dams and comparing these models with the most common models in modern world practice of their application. Methods. Deep comparative analysis of many soil models was conducted on the use of the soil models in numerical analyses of embankment dams during author’s work in ICOLD Committee on Analysis and Dam Design. Results. On the basis of the evaluation of the reliability of soil models, recommendations were obtained on the choice and application of these models in the numerical analyses of SSS of embankment dams under action of static and seismic impacts; interactions between the results of these analyses and dam monitoring data were identified.