Pitch concrete is often used as seepage prevention of the bottom of pumped storage reservoir. Crack may be found in it if the filling rate is too larger or the filling water head is too high. In this study

based on an example of the upper reservoir of a pumped storage power station

the influences of the filling rate and filling water head on the settlement

settlement rate of the reservoir foundation

and the strain rate of the pitch concrete are analyzed. Before analyzing

the model parameters of some materials are obtained based on observed settlement data and initial model parameters using an optimum method. The 2D FEM and Biot consolidation theory are used in this study. The results of analysis indicated that the filling rate has little effect on the ultimate settlement of the foundation

but has larger influence on the settlement increment during filling

the maximum settlement rate of the foundation and the maximum strain rate of the pitch concrete; and the filing water head has little effect on the maximum strain rate of the pitch concrete

but has larger influence on the settlement increment during filling

the maximum settlement rate of foundation. The relationships between the settlement increment during filling and the filling rate and filling water head

between the maximum settlement rate and the filling rate and filling water head

and between the strain rate of pitch concrete and the filling rate are also given.