A simplified numerical and analytical study for assessing the seismic response of a gravity concrete lock

ABSTRACT: This work presents the dynamic response of a lock subjected to the horizontal S0E component of the El Centro earthquake for empty and completely filled water chamber cases, by coupled fluid-structure analysis. Initially, the lock was studied by approximation, considering it similar to the case of a double piston coupled to a two-dimensional acoustic cavity (tank), representing a simplified analytical model of the fluid-structure problem. This analytical formulation can be compared with numerical results, in order to qualify the responses of the ultimate problem to be investigated. In all the analyses performed, modeling and numerical simulations were done using the finite element method (FEM), supported by the commercial software ANSYS.