Failure behavior of earth dam simulated using material point method: Effect of strength parameters

This study investigates the failure behavior of earth dams in response to various shear strength parameters using a two-phase material point method (MPM). A total of 20 numerical dam models are developed by systematically varying the cohesion and internal friction angle of the embankment fill material. The failure evolution and displacement distributions of these models are analyzed using the two-phase MPM, while the factor of safety (FS) is determined using the finite element method. Based on the numerical results, lower cohesion and friction angles lead to more pronounced displacements and lower FS values. For sand-filled dam models, the displacement and FS are both highly sensitive to changes in the strength parameters. Conversely, clay-filled dam models exhibit minimal displacement despite displaying significant reductions in FS to values near unity. Therefore, the response of earth dams to strength parameters depends strongly on the soil type, and interpreting the displacement and FS together can facilitate reliable stability evaluation.