Seismic stability analysis of large arch dams

Ground shaking during a strong earthquake causes dynamic tensile stresses that exceed the dynamic tensile strength of mass concrete in the central upper portion of a large arch dam. As the tensile strength of the grouted vertical contraction joints and the horizontal lift joints is inferior to that of the parent mass concrete, the contraction joints may open and cracks may deveop along the lift joints as a result of the ground shaking prior to the formation of cracks at other locations. This paper describes a method for the seismic stability analysis of a detached concrete block using a two-dimensional model.