Performance Based Earthquake Engineering of Concrete Dams

The seismic safety of dams is a critical concern worldwide, especially in seismically active regions where aging concrete infrastructure poses serious risks to communities, ecosystems, and economies. In recent years, there has been a growing shift toward Performance-Based Earthquake Engineering (PBEE)—a modern, risk-informed approach that allows for more realistic modeling, damage prediction, and decision-making in infrastructure resilience. Performance-Based Earthquake Engineering of Concrete Dams presents a unified and practical framework for the seismic evaluation and risk assessment of large-scale dam infrastructure. The book integrates classical engineering mechanics with modern computational techniques to assess seismic demands, predict damage states, quantify uncertainty, and support decision-making under risk. It builds upon established PBEE principles and adapts them specifically for the unique challenges of dam-reservoir-foundation systems, including nonlinear response, fluid-structure interaction, and potential failure modes. Structured as a step-by-step technical guide, the book is divided into six major parts covering failure mode identification, seismic hazard analysis, coupled numerical modeling, nonlinear simulations, fragility assessment, and risk-based safety evaluation. It incorporates case studies, regulatory perspectives, and hands-on modeling examples. While designed for practicing engineers and dam safety professionals, the book is equally valuable for graduate students and researchers seeking a clear entry point into seismic dam analysis. The concise format ensures focused, actionable content without unnecessary complexity.