Analysis of Stability of Dam Slope during Rapid Drawdown of Reservoir Water Level

The stability of dam slope during rapid drawdown of reservoir water level was computed using slipping arc stability analysis based on finite element computation according to unsaturated soil shear strength theory in combination with a specific reservoir. In the analysis, the dissipating process of pore-water pressure was simulated using unsaturated-unstable seepage theory and the impact of matrix suction on shear strength of soil body was taken into consideration. The computation results disclose the law of changes in the least safety coefficient with the changes of water level and reflect the impact of different parameters and computation methods on the analyzing results with the stability of slope.