| Abstract: |
Hydraulic structures such as weirs, barrages, and spillways form the backbone of water resource management systems worldwide, and their structural reliability directly governs flood safety, irrigation continuity, and energy generation. This paper presents a meta-analytical review of structural integrity assessment and life cycle evaluation of hydraulic infrastructure, with specific emphasis on the integration of Khosla's theory of independent variables with modern finite element analysis (FEA) tools such as ANSYS. Khosla's method, developed in the early twentieth century, remains a standard analytical approach for determining uplift pressures and exit gradients beneath hydraulic structures founded on permeable soil [1]. However, its simplifying assumptions regarding two-dimensional flow and homogeneous soil behavior limit its applicability to complex geometries and heterogeneous foundation conditions [2]. ANSYS-based finite element simulation addresses these limitations by enabling three-dimensional seepage modeling, stress-strain analysis, and fatigue prediction under variable loading conditions [3]. This review synthesizes findings from over thirty studies published between 2005 and 2025, comparing analytical and numerical outcomes, identifying convergence and divergence patterns, and evaluating the sustainability implications of design choices on structure life cycle. The analysis reveals that hybrid approaches combining Khosla's analytical rigor with ANSYS's computational flexibility yield more accurate uplift pressure predictions and longer service-life estimates than either method used in isolation [4]. The paper concludes that future hydraulic infrastructure design should adopt integrated analytical-numerical frameworks supported by life cycle assessment (LCA) protocols to achieve both structural safety and environmental sustainability. |
