Numerical and Fracture Mechanical Evaluation of Safety Monitoring Indexes and Crack Resistance in High RCC Gravity Dams Under Hydraulic Fracture Risk

High concrete gravity dams, particularly Roller-Compacted Concrete (RCC) types, face long-term safety challenges due to weak interlayer formation and crack propagation. This study presented a comprehensive evaluation of safety monitoring indexes for the Guxian high RCC dam (currently under construction) using both numerical and mathematical models. A finite element method (FEM) is employed with a strength reduction approach to assess dam stability considering weak layers. In parallel, a fracture mechanical model is used to investigate the safety of the Guxian dam based on failure assessment diagrams (FADs) for calculating the safety factor and the residual strength curve for calculating critical crack depth for two different crack locations, single-edge and center-through crack, to investigate the high possible risk associated with crack location on the dam safety. Additionally, the Guxian dam's resistance to hydraulic fracture is assessed under two fracture mechanic failure modes, Mode I (open type) and Mode II (in-plane shear), by computing the ultimate overload coefficient using a proposed novel derived formula. The results show that weak layers reduce the dam's safety index by approximately 20%, especially in lower sections with extensive interfaces. Single-edge cracks pose greater risk, decreasing the safety factor by 10% and reducing critical crack depth by 40% compared to center cracks. Mode II demonstrates higher resistance to hydraulic fracture due to greater shear strength and fracture energy, whereas Mode I represents the most critical failure scenario. The findings highlight the urgent need to incorporate weak layer behavior and hydraulic fracture mechanisms into dam safety monitoring, and to design regulations for high RCC gravity dams.