Dam Safety Measures Against Earthquakes in Seismic Regions

Dams are important water resource projects because they provide water for irrigation, hydroelectric power, domestic and industrial needs, fisheries, navigation and recreation activities. Dams are generally constructed in hilly terrains. These dams are susceptible to be affected with earthquake forces, and hence, the safety of dams against earthquake loads is an important aspect during assessment of stability. Failing to consider the earthquake loads at design stage may result in under-safe dam construction which may cause damages in the dams during seismic activities. Dam failure may lead to loss of lives and properties resulting huge economical loss. The safety of dams is required to be ensured by applying the site-specific seismic design parameters during design of the dam. In this paper, the site-specific seismic design parameters obtained by deterministic and probabilistic seismic hazard assessments for Bhatsa dam, Maharashtra, lying in seismic Zone-III, are presented.