Theoretical methods for estimating the dynamic response and predicting the performance of modern rockfill dams subjected to strong earthquake shaking are reviewed. The focus is on methods accounting for nonlinear material behavior, for 3-Dimensional canyon geometry, and asynchronous base excitation. It is shown that both strong nonlinearities and lack of coherence in the seismic excitation tend to reduce the magnitude of the deleterious whip-lash effect computed for tall dams built in rigid-wall narrow canyons. Particular emphasis is accorded to Concrete-Faced Rockfill dams and a case study involving an actually designed dam in a narrow canyon points to some potential problems and suggests some desirable modifications. In the light of theoretical results the paper concludes with a discussion on design rules and defensive measures that would lead to robust design schemes of Earth-Core and Concrete Faced Rockfill dams
