The present state of the art of dam engineering has been ronmental, and political factors, which, though important, attained by a continuous search for new ideas and methods are covered in other publications. while incorporating the lessons of the past. In the last 20 The rapid progress in recent times has resulted from the years particularly there have been major innovations, due combined efforts of engineers and associated scientists, as largely to a concerted effort to blend the best of theory and exemplified by the authorities who have contributed to this practice. Accompanying these achievements, there has been book. These individuals have brought extensive knowledge a significant trend toward free interchange among the pro to the task, drawn from experience throughout the world. fessional disciplines, including open discussion of prob With the convergence of such distinguished talent, the op lems and their solutions. The inseparable relationships of portunity for accomplishment was substantial. I gratefully hydrology, geology, and seismology to engineering have acknowledge the generous cooperation of these writers, and been increasingly recognized in this field, where progress am indebted also to other persons and organizations that is founded on interdisciplinary cooperation. have allowed reference to their publications; and I have This book presents advances in dam engineering that attempted to acknowledge this obligation in the sections have been achieved in recent years or are under way. At where the material is used. These courtesies are deeply ap tention is given to practical aspects of design, construction, preciated.

Expansion of water resources is a key factor in the socio-economic development of all countries. Dams play a critical role in water storage, especially for areas with unequal rainfall and limited water availability. While the safety of existing dams, periodic re-evaluations and life extensions are the primary objectives in developed countries, the design and construction of new dams are the main concerns in developing countries. The role of dam engineers has greatly changed over recent decades. Thanks to new technologies, the surveillance, monitoring, design and analysis tasks involved in this process have significantly improved. The current edited book is a collection of dam-related papers. The overall aim of this edited book is to improve modeling, simulation and field measurements for different dam types (i.e. concrete gravity dams, concrete arch dams, and embankments). The articles cover a wide range of topics on the subject of dams, and reflect the scientific efforts and engineering approaches in this challenging and exciting research field.

This book gathers contributions from the 15th ICOLD Benchmark Workshop on Numerical Analysis of Dams. The workshop provided an opportunity for engineers, researchers and operators to present and exchange their experiences and the latest advances in numerical modelling in the context of the design, performance and monitoring of dams. Covering various aspects of computer analysis tools and safety assessment criteria, and their development over recent decades, the book is a valuable reference resource for those in the engineering community involved in the safety, planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of dams.