Arch dams are increasingly being constructed as better techniques are now available for their analysis and design. Arch dams are built in seismic zones as well as in valleys having not very good abutments.
For the purpose of analysis, the dam has been treated as an assemblage of fiat finite elements”‘. The stresses obtained would be somewhat approximate as compared to the use of more refined finite elements”‘ but the analysis would be adequate for a relative comparison of the influence of various parameters
In moderate seismic zone, it is conventional to check the design for a horizotal seismic acceleration of the order of O. 109. Stresses due to these equivalent lateral load have been obtained and compared with static stresses. It is seen that these dynamic stresses are small compared to that of static stresses.