Durability of Dams Against Severe Weather Conditions

Abstract

Dams play an essential role in today's water management. However, the vulnerability of dams in case of extreme weather caused by climate change remains a crucial issue. The present literature review analyzes studies on the strength of different dams: earth-fill, concrete gravity, arch, and rockfill. In particular, the paper examines the performance of such structures in terms of floods, heavy rains, earthquakes, fast water-level reduction caused by lengthy drought periods, and significant wind loads. Historical cases of failures of Vajont Dam in Italy (1963), Banqiao Dam in China (1975), Teton Dam in Idaho, United States (1976), Oroville Dam in California, United States (2017), and Derna dam collapses in Libya (2023), as well as recent monitoring findings will be considered. It will be explored how design, building material, functioning of spillways, and maintenance procedures impact the reliability of a structure. Findings indicate that overtopping, especially as a result of incorrect estimation of the Probable Maximum Flood (PMF), is the most frequent reason for failure. Meanwhile, seepage and internal erosion lead to most other cases of dam breakage.