Based on the dynamic theory for saturated porous media by Biot (Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 1956; 28:168–178), a numerical model is presented to analyse the resection behaviours of reservoir sediment and compared with those from the visco-elastic model. It is concluded that the two models give very similar results of resection coefficient α within the frequency range of interest. Then, using the two models, the change of the resection coefficients α with various sedimentation parameters and excitation frequencies are studied in detail. The results are further used in the analysis of response functions of hydro-dynamic pressures on, and structural displacements of the Xiang Hong Dian arch dam, for which some results from a Celd vibration test are available. It appears that e2ects of water compressibility with sediment resection on hydro-dynamic pressures and structural response are not signiCcant for this speciCc case. Copyright