Large Dams the First Structures Designed Systematically Against Earthquakes

Abstract eng:
Large dams were among the first structures for which seismic design had been performed. The seismic analysis method developed by Westergaard in the 1930s has found worldwide acceptance among dam designers until the late 1970s. This relatively simple pseudostatic analysis method accounts for both the inertial effects of the dam and the hydrodynamic pressure. It was common practice to use a seismic coefficient of 0.1 if no information on the seismic hazard was available. It is nowadays recognized that earthquakes can produce ground accelerations considerably higher than the values assumed at the time of the design of many existing dams. The effect of earthquakes on the design of dams was first discussed at thee 5th Congress of the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD) in 1955. Since then the ICOLD Committee on Seismic Aspects of Dam Design, which at present comprises dam and earthquake experts from 28 different countries, has prepared a number of guidelines on various aspects of seismic analysis, design and seismic monitoring of dams. These guidelines are de facto considered as seismic codes in countries which do not have any specific codes or regulations for dams. The ongoing work of ICOLD’s Committee on Seismic Aspects of Dam Design is discussed. Moreover, aspects which need closer attention in the future are discussed such as good practice in dam engineering and the integral safety of dams, which includes structural safety, dam safety monitoring, operational safety and dam maintenance, and emergency planning.

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