ABSTRACT
The history of the development of dam engineering shows that it is the constant competition between concrete and soil dams as well as competition between different types of concrete dams that led to the revision of the criteria for optimality and overcoming the stereotypes of traditional solutions that brought to life new effective ideas. The experience in the construction and long-term operation of massive gravity and arch dams has shown their effective operation and high reliability in a variety of natural conditions, including complex engineering-geological conditions, severe climate, and high seismicity. A characteristic trend is the further movement of their construction to foothill and mountainous regions, in many cases characterized by extremely difficult natural conditions and increase in the height of the dam, and their safety remains the top priority in the design, construction, and operation of dams.
