The three main forces acting on a gravitydam are the thrust of the water, the weight of the dam, and the pressure, orreaction exerted by the foundation, while is necessarily inclined in respect tothe superstructure. It is also essential to consider the thrust exerted on theupstream face by silt deposited in the reservoir or by ice on the watersurface, the inertia forces that can be caused by seismic action, and, inparticular, the buoyant uplift force of water seeping under the dam or into thehorizontal joints.