The use of asphaltic concrete cores for sealing embankments and rockfill dams is very important. The self-healing properties of bitumen, simple construction in cold and rainy conditions compared to clay cores, good flexibility and connection with embankment materials are the essential characteristics of asphaltic concrete. The main concern regarding the use of asphaltic concrete cores in Iran is mainly the performance of these dams under seismic loads. The evaluations of the performance of these types of dams in other countries show that asphaltic concrete cores perform satisfactorily in the static state, but in earthquake conditions, the situation may be different. In this paper, the static and seismic behavior of the Meijaran dam in Iran, Mazandaran, is evaluated for three core angles of 90°, 60° and 45°. This evaluation was conducted at the end of the impounding stage and after applying seismic loads using FLAC 2D software and Mohr–Coulomb consitutive models. The results were matched with the ICOLD recommendation to use angled cores in dams with asphaltic cores and showed that the dam performs better with angled cores. Finally, for the Meijaran dam, the results from the dynamic analysis are compared with the results from the centrifuge test.

Asphaltic core rockfill dams (ACRDs) are increasingly utilized due to their self-healing properties and construction advantages, yet their seismic performance, particularly with inclined cores, remains underexplored. This study aims to investigate the influence of asphaltic core inclination on the seismic fragility of ACRDs, using the 84-meter Shur dam in Iran as a case study. Three core configurations of vertical, partially inclined, and fully inclined were modeled using FLAC 2D software, with peak ground acceleration (PGA) as the intensity measure and relative crest settlement ratio as the damage measure (DM). Incremental Dynamic Analysis (IDA) was employed, involving 450 finite difference simulations with 15 seismic records scaled from 0.1 g to 1.0 g. Fragility curves were derived to assess the probability of minor, moderate, and severe failure states. Results indicate that core inclination significantly reduces crest settlement and failure probabilities, with the fully inclined core showing the best performance (e.g., 0% severe failure probability at 0.8 g PGA compared to 41.1% for the vertical core). These findings align with ICOLD recommendations and highlight the potential of inclined cores to enhance seismic safety. This study provides actionable insights for designing ACRDs in high-seismicity regions, emphasizing the benefits of inclined core configurations to improve resilience and reduce retrofitting costs.

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.