The design of arch dams usually involves a prolonged process of successive trial and error redefinitions. The current computer technology however enables to automate this task, in order to achieve the most economic solution overall. In the paper, the implemented optimization method of the geometry of concrete arch dams is presented as well as case studies of its application in the design of two...

In this paper, optimal design of arch dams is performed under frequency limitations. Colliding Bodies Optimization (CBO), a recently developed meta-heuristic optimization method, which has been successfully applied to several structural problems, is revised and utilized for finding the best feasible shape of arch dams. The formulation of CBO is derived from one-dimensional collisions between bo...

Uplift and pore pressures are fundamental loading conditions that affect the strength and stability of concrete dams. Historically, these loads have been difficult to quantify and to implement in finite element analysis (FEA). Some dam design guidelines propose different techniques to apply the estimated uplift pressure for its use in FEA of concrete dams. These methodologies are, in general, q...

Nowadays, Alkali Aggregate Reaction is considered as one of the most dangerous weak points of concrete and its occurrence has been widely reported in various structures. In the current study, a program is developed for predicting and examining the effects of mentioned reaction on the three-dimensional analysis of concrete structures such as arch dams. In this regard, a program provided for dam ...

This study aims at determining the critical seismic intensity at which cracks are expected to develop in a concrete arch dam. This intensity is referred to as crack initiation intensity. The crack initiation intensity measure implies that earthquakes with the intensity measure higher than this value are expected to induce cracks in the arch dam. This quantity is an indicator for seismic evaluat...

In this paper, optimal design of arch dams is performed under frequency limitations. Colliding Bodies Optimization (CBO), a recently developed meta-heuristic optimization method, which has been successfully applied to several structural problems, is revised and utilized for finding the best feasible shape of arch dams. The formulation of CBO is derived from one-dimensional collisions between bo...