Seismic responses evaluation of asphaltic concrete core dam through fragility curves - a case study from Meijaran dam

Seismic evaluation of rockfill dams with asphaltic concrete cores remains limited despite their growing use in high-seismicity regions like Iran. This study investigates the seismic performance of the Meijaran dam, a rockfill dam with an asphaltic core, located in Mazandaran, Iran. Fragility curves were developed using incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) in FLAC 2D software, employing the relative crest settlement ratio as the damage index and peak ground acceleration (PGA) as the intensity measure. Fragility curves for minor, moderate, and severe damage states indicate no failure at the Design Basis Earthquake (DBE, 0.3g) and an 80% probability of minor damage at the Maximum Credible Earthquake (MCE, 0.5g), with no moderate or severe failure expected. These findings highlight the dam’s resilience, attributed to its robust rockfill materials and flexible asphaltic core. The results provide critical insights for enhancing seismic design, retrofitting strategies, and safety assessments of asphaltic core rockfill dams in earthquake-prone regions, contributing to improved infrastructure resilience.