Two case studies from engineering practice are presented to demonstrate how useful a sophisticated finite element analysis can be in providing a comprehensive understanding of how dams behave during earthquakes. The first example involves determining, from the recorded performance of a rockfill dam, the volume change characteristics of the rockfill which cannot be measured directly. The second example covers the full range of current capability for analysis. It involves dynamic effective stress analysis of a tailings dam to check the triggering of liquefaction and the analysis of post-liquefaction flow deformations
