Abstract: Many high arch dams are or will be under construction in the southwest region of China for
hydropower development. Their safety against earthquakes is a great concern and presents an inevitable
challenge to be tackled. Ultimate capacity of high arch dams against earthquakes is one of the key issues for
prevention of uncontrollable water release from these reservoirs. For this study, numerical methods and
physical model tests can be adopted, and their results can verify and complement each other to obtain more
complete and concrete information for understanding the ultimate capacity, for which useful data of actual
dam damages are very rare at present. The results of experimental studies on the damage of arch dams are an
important supplement to the rare cases of in-situ observations on dam responses to strong earthquakes, and
they provide useful data and visible evidences on development of damages that could be related to the final
failures of arch dams.