Volume 33, N. 3, September-December 2010 | DOWNLOAD PDF(4 downloads)
Abstract
This paper shows the use of fuzzy logic to evaluate the effectiveness of the reinforcement of Santa Branca dam. The embankment reinforcement was found imperative once the dam had shown signs of instability process, as undesirable seepage and unexpected movements, just after the first impoundment. Stability analyses were carried out considering fuzzy variation of the strength parameters in order to assessing the non-random uncertainties associated with their evaluation. These uncertainties are mostly connected to values varying within a specified interval, whose boundaries express the possibility of occurrences that, in turns, account for vagueness in information. Finally, the fuzzy Factor of Safety distribution resulting from these analyses is then compared to pre-defined fuzzy class intervals in order to classify the failure potentiality of the embankment, before and after the reinforcement has been constructed, reflecting, thus, its effectiveness.
