In this study, a nonlinear model is presented for analysis of damage-cracking behavior in arch dams during strong earthquakes using different seismic input mechanisms. The nonlinear system includes a plastic-damage model for cyclic loading of concrete considering strain softening and a contact boundary model of contraction joint opening. Two different earthquake input mechanisms are used for comparison, including massless foundation input model and viscous-spring boundary model considering radiation damping due to infinite canyon. The results demonstrate that effects of seismic input mechanism and radiation damping on nonlinear response and damage-cracking of the dam are significant. Compared with the results of using massless foundation input model, the damage-cracking region and contraction joint opening are substantially reduced when using viscous-spring boundary model to take into account radiation damping. However, if the damping ratio of the dam is artificially increased to about 10%―15% for massless foundation input model, the joint opening and damage-cracking of the dam are comparable to the results obtained from the viscous-spring boundary model.
By micro- and macro-observations, the deterioration mechanisms of concrete under alternate action between repeated sub-high temperature/cooling by water and sodium sulfate solution attack （TW-SA） were studied; meanwhile, the single sodium sulfate solution attack （SA） was also done as comparison. Micro-observations included the analysis of attack products by thermal analysis method and the determination of sulfate-ion content from surface to interior by chemical titrating method （modified barium sulfate gravimetric method）. Macro-observations mainly included the mechanical behaviors such as compressive strength, splitting strength. The experimental results indicate, in both cases, the main attack product is ettringite, only in the first layer of case SA some gypsum is checked; in case SA, the sulfate ions mainly concentrate in the surface layer, so the attack is relatively mild; but in case TW-SA, the repeated sub-high temperature/cooling by water promotes the sulfate ions diffusing inwards, which leads to obvious strength degradation.
