Seepage stability analysis of panel rockfill dams considering cavity an daily water level variability

In China, the panel rockfill rockfill dams are mainly located in the western region. When staging water, the rapid and substantial daily water level fluctuations and the associated seepage can lead to stability issues, such as the potential for insufficient stability in rockfill dams. This paper carries out finite element simulation and numerical calculation of the face rockfill dam, mainly analyzes the influence of different daily water level amplitude and cavity position of the dam body on its stability. The results show that the water level decrease will increase the seepage flow of the rockfill dam, a critical threshold for the dam’s slope stability. Secondly, the influence of the cavity on the upstream slope, the seepage stability decreases and the flow rate increasing in the model without a cavity. In addition, by changing the depth of the cavity, the seepage stability factor of safety and the flow rate increase or decrease insignificantly; by increasing the cavity diameter, the value of the seepage stability factor of safety decreases significantly, and increasing the number of cavities at the same depth significantly reduces their stability.