Abstract
A dam is a massive structure built to block the flow of water in a river
or stream, creating a reservoir. The water stored in the reservoir can
be used for various purposes such as generating electricity, irrigation,
and drinking water. Dams come in different types, but one of the most
durable and reliable types is the gravity dam. It is built mainly with
concrete and designed to hold back water using its weight. The upstream
side is where the water flows in, while the downstream side is where it
flows out. The safety of a gravity dam is analyzed through the
First-Order Reliability Method (FORM) which determines the probability
of failure or safety index. The study shows that the safety factor and
reliability index decrease as the dam height increases or as the dam
slope increases at a constant height. Additionally, the upstream slope
of earth core rockfill dams has higher safety factors and reliability
indexes than the downstream slope, making the latter the critical
failure mode.