Hydrodynamic pressures on rigid dams during earthquakes

The hydrodynamic pressures acting on the surface of a rigid dam during earthquakes are examined both analytically and numerically by a two-dimensional potential-flow theory. Analytical solutions are obtained for the cases where the inclined upstream dam face has a constant slope and the reservoir has a triangular shape. A general numerical scheme via an integral-equation formulation is also presented for complex geometries. Analytical and numerical solutions are compared with experimental data (Zangar 1953) with good agreement.