A New Approach for Dam Safety Assessment Using the Extended Cloud Model

To address the uncertainty problem in the assessment of the overall safety trend of dams and in the selection of safety trend warning indicators, an Extended Cloud Model (ECM) combined with the Extended Analytic Hierarchy Process (EAHP) method is proposed in this study. In this new approach, different factors reflecting dam safety monitoring have been considered as a fuzzy system. Considering the characteristics of the forward cloud model and the backward cloud model, the original data have been extended to classify the division interval and determine the respective indicators. The weight distribution for each indicator level has been determined using the EAHP method. The model developed was applied to evaluate the safety trend of the Jilintai concrete panel rockfill dam. Simulation results showed that the proposed model can generate reliable results, in addition to being used to assess the uncertainty problem and the safety warning indicator. The proposed model is also more flexible and easier to use than other methods.

Automated summary

To address the uncertainty problem in dam safety trend assessment and indicator selection, this study proposed a method that combines Extended Cloud Model with Extended Analytic Hierarchy Process. By considering multiple factors and using a fuzzy system, this method can generate reliable results and is more flexible and easy to use than other methods.