Study on the mechanical characteristics and impact resistance improvement of substation masonry wall under flood load

This study examines the stress characteristics and deformation modes of masonry walls under flood loads in a 500kV substation project in Xinyang City, Henan Province. A simplified finite element model of substation masonry walls is developed in ABAQUS, considering dynamic water loads, the stress characteristics and deformation modes of masonry walls under flood loads are studied. Flood depth, water velocity, and erosion depth are selected as variables to carry out the parametric analysis of masonry enclosure walls under flood load, to investigate the dynamic response of walls under various parameters, and to examine the damage mechanism of the wall. The research findings suggest that stress levels are elevated at critical locations, such as the bottom center of the wall, the junction between the inner wall and structural column, and the connection between the foundation and structural column during flood loading. The safety of a masonry wall is significantly compromised when flood depth exceeds 0.8 m, water velocity exceeds 2.3 m/s, or erosion depth reaches 0.4 m. A proposed measure aims to enhance the performance of masonry walls by improving stress distribution and reducing stress concentrations, thereby significantly augmenting their load-bearing capacity.