Long-term behavior and safety assessment of Sance Rockfill Dam

Safety assessment of the 62 m high Sance Rockfill Dam based on long-term monitoring results and their simulation by numerical models is presented in the paper. Unexpectedly large settlements and horizontal movements of the crest together with the steep downstream slope questioned the safety of the dam. Calibrated 2D and 3D models fitting the monitoring results were applied for the safety assessment of the dam including slope stability analysis and estimation of the clay core cracking and hydraulic fracturing hazard. The modeling results contributed to the rehabilitation concept and project of the dam.