Vers l'adaptation aux Eurocodes de la justification des barrages-poids

In France as in others countries, design of dams is not considered into probabilistic format and is deterministic. In addition, there are no formal rules for the design of dams that remains based on guidelines, leading to strong heterogeneities in French practice. In this context, the French Committee of Dams and Reservoirs produced a work which aims at examining the feasibility of a limit states method for the design of gravity dams. This article synthesises the study leaded over two years by a group of experts representing French engineering and dam public organizations. It establishes a synthesis of the current practices, develops a limit state methodology and examines the feasibility of its calibration. The medium-term prospects for this work are to build up guidelines to design gravity dams in a limit state format.