A surrogate model for predicting dam displacement under seismic load for different orthotropic states of concrete

In this study, the seismic performance of a concrete dam was evaluated by incorporating lift joints through nonlinear finite element analysis and a surrogate model for prediction. Lift joints, which can weaken the dam structure at specific locations and directions, were accounted for by assuming orthotropic behavior for the concrete. Various orthotropic states arising from the lift joints were investigated. Subsequently, to predict the nonlinear response of the concrete dam, a FORTRAN program was developed. The program's objective was to expedite analysis time, enabling accurate prediction of response trends for the remaining loading time. Additionally, obtaining displacement history diagrams for other orthotropic states with varying anisotropy ratios can be achieved by training the program with both an isotropic state and an orthotropic state. The results indicate that the program can accurately predict these diagrams in a significantly reduced time frame. Furthermore, a relationship for predicting displacements in the orthotropic states was proposed.