While dams have often been mentioned as the major, if not only, concrete structure in which Fracture Mechanics can be applied, very little work in this area has been performed. As such this thesis represents a major attempt to bridge the gap between theory and application, or between the academic and the engineering worlds.; This is accomplished by first thoroughly reviewing the existing literature and then developing appropriate models still needed for a comprehensive fracture dam analysis. Thus three major models are first addressed: (1) Mixed mode crack propagation for homogeneous anisotropic concrete, (2) Solution for the contact/impact problem arising in crack closure under dynamic excitation, and (3) Mixed mode crack propagation under transient excitation.; Following the development of those models, two static and dynamic case studies are undertaken. The static case study addresses the Upper Stillwater roller compacted concrete dam in which effects of anisotropy and thermal gradients are studied, and in the other, Lloyd Shoals dam, various uplift pressure models are investigated. Finally, the dynamic case study analysed the fracture response of Koyna dam.
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