Sharif Digital Repository

One of the major reasons causing cracks in external surfaces of concrete arch dams are thermal loads. Therofore, in order to avoid instabilities due to function of thermal loads in association with hydrostatic and hydrodynamic pressures, a precise evaluation of temperature distribution through dam body is indispensable. In this study, effects of thermal loads mostly on upstream surface of Karun-3 concrete arch dam in Iran were examined using a 3-D finite element method considering water level fluctuations. Also the influence of operatvie boundry conditions in our problem which are water temperature, air temperature and solar radiation was precisely taken into account. Moreover, nonlinear...