Behavior of traditional concrete dams and three-dimensional printed concrete dams under the debris flow impact

This study investigated the resilience of traditional concrete dams compared to 3D printed concrete dams (3DPC) when subjected to debris flow. Three types of dams, namely check dams, arch dams, and curve dams, were numerically analyzed using a three-dimensional Coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian (CEL) methodology. The research focused on critical factors such as impact force and viscous energy dissipation to compare dam performance. Additionally, the study examined the printing and service phases of 3DPC models, determining potential failure modes and analyzing printing parameters. The results demonstrated that 3DPC dams outperformed traditional concrete dams, with filament deposition orientation, perpendicular to the debris flow direction, identified as a pivotal factor. Infill percentage and pattern were also found to influence the behavior of 3DPC models. Notably, curved dams exhibited superior performance based on dam geometry. These findings have significant potential for advancing the development of resilient dam structures capable of withstanding debris flow impacts.