ABSTRACT
Despite the intensive development of sophisticated dynamic analysis methods and their implementation in the field of dam engineering over the last decades, some well-established simplified methods are still widely used for a rapid evaluation of the most important response parameters of an embankment dam under earthquake excitation. The present work deals with the application of a sophisticated FEM analysis and two simplified methods to the analysis of the seismic response of a rockfill dam with asphalt-concrete core (ACRD) in Bulgaria. The results of the two approaches are compared and conclusions are drawn as to the applicability of the simplified methods used for a typical ACRD.
