The traps behind the failure of Malpasset arch dam, France, in 1959

The case of the Malpasset arch dam failure in 1959 has been widely exposed in scientific and technical forums and papers. The focus here is on the many traps which have confused the whole chain of bodies and persons involved, owner, designer, geologist, contractor, up to the state management officers. When the first traps were hidden inside geology, many more appeared, as well geotechnical, technical, fortuitous, and administrative. In addition to such factual factors, human and organizational factors may be today easily identified, when none of them was yet suspected. Both dam safety and rock mechanics benefited from the studies done since the Malpasset case, most of them within one decade. (C) 2013 Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.