In Europe and elsewhere the economically feasible water resources have been greatly developed until the 1970s. R v6{ '\:
Although large dams belong to the first structures, which have been designed systematically against earthquakes lC +p2OG^[
since the 1930s, the seismic safety of these dams is unknown, as most of them have been designed using seismic o*\kg+8
design criteria and methods of analysis that are considered obsolete today. The fact that no major dams have gO?+:}!
failed during earthquakes and that few lives have been lost (except in the case of tailings dam failures) may give 0 iW]#O/
the impression that well-designed dams are safe against earthquakes. We need to re-evaluate the seismic safety I -i)D
of existing dams based on current state-of-the-art practice and rehabilitate existing dams if necessary. c/I.`@
Additionally, there are a large number of smaller dams, especially earth structures, which were built for "';'*x
irrigation or water supply by organisations or villagers with little experience in dam construction. Earthquake hNXPm~OK\
effects on these dams have rarely been considered
