Chapter 2
Embankment dam
engineering
2.1 Introduction
An introductory presentation on the position of embankments in the
history of dam engineering, as well as of the principal variants and their
key components, was included in Chapter 1. The structure and contents of
this chapter, which is necessarily concise, are dictated by the need to intro-
duce basic elements of soil mechanics and applied geology in sections
dealing with the nature and classification of engineering soils and with
their characteristics. The text is also influenced by the design approach to
embankment dams being in many respects less formalized than is the case
for concrete dams (Chapter 3). After briefly reviewing embankment dam
design principles and construction methods this chapter concentrates on
the discussion of seepage, stability and settlement as the key factors in
design. It concludes with a brief section dealing with rockfill and rockfill
embankments.
For comprehensive background texts on soil mechanics, reference
should be made to Craig (2004), or to Das (1997). Comprehensive discus-
sion of earth and rockfill dam engineering is provided in texts by Fell,
MacGregor and Stapledon (1992), Jansen (1988), Thomas (1976), and in
Hirschfeld and Poulos (1973). Selected geotechnical issues are addressed
in Penman (1986).2.2 Nature and classification of engineering soils
2.2.1 The nature of soils
Soil is defined for engineering purposes as a natural aggregate of mineral
grains separable by gentle mechanical means, e.g. agitation in water. Rock,