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The first constructed dams were gravity dams, which are straight dam made
of masonry (stone brick) or concrete that resists the water load by means of
weight. ." Around 2950-2750 B.C, the ancient Egyptians built the first known
dam to exist. The dam was called the Sadd el-Kafara, which in Arabic means
"Dam of the Pagans. The dam was 37 ft tall, 348 ft wide at the crest and 265
ft at the bottom. The dam was made of rubble masonry walls on the outsides
and filled with 100,000 tons of gravel and stone. A limestone cover was
applied to resist erosion and wave action. The structure had no need for
cement because the shear weight of the structure was sufficient to ensure
stability. Using the expected hydrology for ancient times, the capacity was
estimated to be 20 million cubic ft or 460 acre-ft. The dam failed after a few
years and it was concluded that overflow was the cause of failure. The poor
workmanship from a hasty construction lead to the failure. The dam was not
watertight and water flowed through the structure quickly eroding it away.
Once the water overflowed the crest, it quickly eroded away the dam. The
dam was a failure and the Egyptians never attempted to build another dam
until modern times.