Recent developments in the seismic analysis of concrete gravity dams

It is shown that standard finite element packages with appropriate concrete material models can be configured to handle the nonlinear behaviour of the dam, its reservoir and foundation. Important issues controlling the effectiveness and validity of non-linear dynamic analyses are raised. Examples of the use of such analyses to assess the seismic performance of typical UK dams are given. These analyses yield useful qualitative information. However, it is concluded that until reliable material property data are available, non-linear seismic analysis of gravity dams should not be regarded as a robust assessment tool.