Aseismicstabilityassessmentofarchdam-foundationsystemsispresentedusingacomprehensiveapproach,inwhichthemainfactorsthatsignificantlyinfluencetheseismicresponseofanarchdam-foundationsystemareconsidered.Alargescalefiniteelementmodelwithover1milliondegreesoffreedomisconstructedfortheBaihetanarchdam(289mhigh),whichisunderconstructionintheSouthwestofChina.Inparticular,thecomplicatedgeologicalconditionswithfaultsintersectinginterlayershearweaknesszonesatthedambaseandthedamabutmentresistingforcebodyismodeledintheanalysis.Threeperformanceindicesareadoptedtoassesstheseismicstabilityofthearchdam.TheresultsdemonstratethattheopeningofthejointsoftheBaihetanarchdamissmallandthewaterstopinstalledbetweenthejointswouldnotbetornduringadesignearthquake.Theyieldingformedintheinterfacebetweenthedamandfoundationdoesnotreachthegroutingcurtainthatwouldremaininanelasticstateafteranearthquake.Theyieldingzonesoccurringontheupperportionofthedamfacesextend1/8thicknessofblocksectionintothedambodyandthuscantileverblocksneednotbeconcernedwithslidingstability.Thefaultsandinterlayershearweaknesszonesinthenearfieldfoundationexhibitsevereyielding,andapotentialslidingsurfaceispenetrated.Althoughthefactorofsafetyagainstslidingofthesurfacefluctuateswithadecreasedtrendduringanearthquake,theminimuminstantaneousvaluereaches1.02andisstilllargerthan1.0.Therefore,aconclusionisdrawnthattheBaihetanarchdam-foundationsystemwillremainstableunderthedesignearthquake.
