Quantifying Durability and Failure Risk for Concrete Dam-Reservoir System by Using Digital Twin Technology
This study presents a digital twin approach to quantifying the durability and failure risk of concrete gravity dams by integrating advanced numerical modelling with field monitoring data. Building on a previously developed finite element model for dam–reservoir interaction analysis, this research extends its application to the assessment of existing, fully operational dams by using digital twin technology. One such case study of a digital twin is given for the concrete gravity dam, Salakovac. The numerical model combines finite element formulations representing the dam as a nonisothermal saturated porous medium and the reservoir water as an acoustic fluid, ensuring realistic simulation results of their interactions. The selected finite element discrete approximations enable the detailed analysis of the dam failure mechanisms under varying extreme conditions, while simultaneously ensuring the consistent transfer of all fields (displacement, temperature, and pressure) at the dam–reservoir interface. A key aspect of this research is the calibration of the numerical model through the systematic definition of boundary conditions, external loads, and material parameters to ensure that the simulation results closely align with observed behaviour, thereby reflecting the current state of the ageing concrete dam. For the given case study of the Salakovac Dam, we illustrate the use of the digital twin to predict the failure mechanism of an ageing concrete dam for the chosen scenario of extreme loads.