Effect of Impounding on Bedrock Temperature of High Arch Dam Site: A Case Study of the Xiluodu Project, China

The 300 m-level high arch dams built in China have different degrees of valley-narrowing deformation the initial impoundment. This unexpected phenomenon may increase long-term safety risk dams. There are several explanations for phenomenon, and one explanations—that it is caused by a drop bedrock temperature—is still under debate. In this paper, coupled thermo-hydromechanical (THM) simulations temporal spatial evolutions temperature seepage fields Xiluodu dam site were performed. results showed that mechanism after impoundment can be divided into two types: short-term type long-term. For type, maximum 9 °C heat exchange between surface layer reservoir water during 15 front grouted curtain infiltration cold from upstream to downstream bypassing grout curtain. monitoring data mainly occurred impoundment, which corresponds type. Notably, overestimated if considered. Taken together, these findings demonstrate change due dominated applied study effect on impounding.