Presented at the 2026 International Conference on Computational Dynamic Soil-Structure Interaction – CompDSSI, in Riva del Garda, Italy on July 3rd 2026
Seismic Safety Assessment of a Double-Curvature Arch Dam through Progressively Non-linear Time-History Analyses
Authors: Dr Alban Kita, Dr. Andrea Abati, Gruner Stucky Ltd, Switzerland; Dr Domenico Gallese, Gruner Italia S.r.l., Italy; Jonathan Fauriel, Alpiq, Switzerland.
Hydropower infrastructure plays a key role in achieving global energy transi-tion targets, making the seismic safety of existing dams a critical concern. This paper presents a comprehensive assessment of the seismic performance of an existing double-curvature concrete arch dam using advanced three-dimensional finite element modeling. A hierarchical modeling strategy with progressively increasing levels of complexity is adopted to evaluate the dam’s structural re-sponse under seismic loading.
The dam’s capacity to withstand the design earthquake without loss of global stability or uncontrolled water release is verified, while allowing localized dam-age pattern that does not compromise serviceability. A sequence of numerical models is developed to investigate the influence of modeling assumptions on seismic response. The analyses span from a simple model assuming line-ar-elastic monolithic behavior of the dam to advanced non-linear approaches that include joint interfaces, material non-linearity and fracture-based concrete cracking. Two modeling assumptions are considered for the foundation: a mass-less rock foundation and a rigorous formulation including the mass, the latter accounting for seismic wave propagation and radiation damping. Hydrodynam-ic effects are addressed using the simplified Westergaard assumption. Static, thermal and dynamic load combinations are evaluated, and non-linear time-history analyses are performed using spectrum-compatible ground motions.
The results indicate that simplified linear models tend to overestimate tensile stresses, whereas refined non-linear simulations capture realistic stress redistri-bution and detect localized cracking patterns consistent with expected seismic behavior. With limited tensile cracking, the dam maintains overall structural in-tegrity and stable post-seismic equilibrium. The study demonstrates that pro-gressive model refinement is essential for a reliable seismic safety evaluation of concrete arch dams
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