In Europe and elsewhere the economically feasible water resources have been greatly developed until the 1970s. 9X/c%:)\=
Although large dams belong to the first structures, which have been designed systematically against earthquakes 1-!u=]JDE
since the 1930s, the seismic safety of these dams is unknown, as most of them have been designed using seismic ^(r?k_i/
design criteria and methods of analysis that are considered obsolete today. The fact that no major dams have S;[9
hI+
failed during earthquakes and that few lives have been lost (except in the case of tailings dam failures) may give n(\5Z&
the impression that well-designed dams are safe against earthquakes. We need to re-evaluate the seismic safety HZ* <BjE:"
of existing dams based on current state-of-the-art practice and rehabilitate existing dams if necessary. a=>PGriL
Additionally, there are a large number of smaller dams, especially earth structures, which were built for <nOK#;O)
irrigation or water supply by organisations or villagers with little experience in dam construction. Earthquake
s>~ h<B
effects on these dams have rarely been considered
