FAILURE OF EARTHEN DAMS

NAME- ANIKET GUPTA

M.TECH -1ST YEAR
BRANCH- GEOTECH
ROLL NO- 2K15/GTE/03

FAILURE F EARTHEN DAM

Earth dams are less rigid and
hence more susceptible to
failure.

An earthen dam may fail due to

improper designs, faulty
constructions, or lack of
maintenance etc.

FAILURE OF EARTHEN DAMS

The various causes leading to
the failure of earth dam can be
grouped into following three
categories1. Hydraulic failures
2. Seepage failures
3. Structural failures

FAILURE OF EARTHEN DAMS

1. HYDRAULIC FAILURES-

. About 40% of earth dam failures

have been attributed to these
causes.
. The failure under this category may
occur due to the following reasons:

FAILURE OF EARTHEN DAMS

a) Overtopping failure:
The water may overtop the dam , if
)
)
)

The design flood is under-estimated.

The spillway is of insufficient capacity.
The spillway gates are not properly
operated.
) Sufficient freeboard should, therefore
be provided.

FAILURE OF EARTHEN DAMS

b) Erosion of upstream face:
The wave action due to the wind and
tides will cause the erosion of the dam
material at the upstream face, if the
material could not sustain wave velocity.
It will lead to washing out of the dam
material or overturning of the protection
slab or slip of the upstream face.

FAILURE OF EARTHEN DAMS

Safety measures:
Upstream stone pitching .
Provision of riprap.
Proper design.

FAILURE OF EARTHEN DAMS

c) Cracking due to frost action:
Frost in the upper portion of the dam
may cause heaving and cracking of
the soil with dangerous seepage and
consequent failure.
An additional freeboard allowance
should be provided for dams in areas
of low temperatures.

FAILURE OF EARTHEN DAMS

d) Erosion of the downstream slope
by gully formation:
Heavy rains falling over the
downstream face
The erosive action of moving water
The formation of gullies on the
downstream face , leading to dam
failure.

FAILURE OF EARTHEN DAMS

Proper maintenance.
Filling the cuts from time to time ,
especially during rainy season.
Grassing the slopes.
Providing proper berms at suitable
heights.

FAILURE OF EARTHEN DAMS

Provision of berms in an earthen dam

FAILURE OF EARTHEN DAMS

e) Toe erosion:
Similar to the wave action at the
upstream of the dam, downstream
dam slope is also susceptible for
erosion by the downward water.
Erosion due to the cross-currents that
may come from the spillway buckets.
Erosion due to tailwater.

FAILURE OF EARTHEN DAMS

Provision of a downstream slope
pitching or a riprap up to a height
slightly above the normal tail water
depth.
By providing the rock toe drainage.
Sidewalls of the spillway must be of
sufficient height and length.

FAILURE OF EARTHEN DAMS

2. SEEPAGE FAILURES Uncontrolled or concentrated seepage
through dam body or foundation may
lead to failure of the dam.
Piping (through foundation and dam
body)
Sloughing

FAILURE OF EARTHEN DAMS

Piping is the progressive erosion and
subsequent removal of soil grains
from within the body or foundation of
the dam.
Sloughing is the progressive removal
of soil from the wet downstream
face.
More than one-third of the earth

FAILURE OF EARTHEN DAMS

(a)Piping through foundations:
() When highly permeable cavities or
strata of coarse sand or gravel are
present in the foundation, water may
seep at a huge rate through them.
() This concentrated flow at a high
gradient may erode the soil.
() Increased flow of water and soil results
in creation of hollows below the
foundation, into which the dam may
sink down.

FAILURE OF EARTHEN DAMS

Piping through the dam foundation

FAILURE OF EARTHEN DAMS

(b) Piping through dam body:
When concentrated flow channels get
developed in the body of the dam, soil may
be removed as in case of foundation piping.
Formation of hollows in the dam body and
subsequent subsidence of the dam body.
Flow channels develop due to faulty
construction, insufficient compaction,
cracks in embankment due to settlement,
shrinkage cracks etc.

FAILURE OF EARTHEN DAMS

Piping through the dam body

FAILURE OF EARTHEN DAMS

All these can be removed by better
construction and better maintenance
of dam embankment.
Thorough compaction of soils near
the outlet conduits and preventing
the leakage through them to avoid
contact seepage.
For pervious seams in foundation,
relief drain with filter can be

FAILURE OF EARTHEN DAMS

(c) Sloughing:
If the seepage line exists at the
downstream face of the dam, the portion
of the toe of the dam below the exit point
will always remain in the wet condition.
This will cause the reduction of the
stability of the slope and small size sliding
may occur.
The repetition of wetting and sliding will
continue further to cause dam failure,
termed as sloughing.

FAILURE OF EARTHEN DAMS

3. STRUCTURAL FAILURES About 25% of overall dam failures.
Generally, these are caused by
shear failures leading to sliding.

FAILURE OF EARTHEN DAMS

(a)Failure due to the pore water
pressure:
()Excessive pore water pressure in confined
seams of sand and silt, artesian pressure in
abutments, etc. may reduce shear strength
of soil.
()Loose sand foundation may fail by
liquefaction or flow slides.
()Adequate compaction of soil.

FAILURE OF EARTHEN DAMS

(b) Upstream slope failure:
Steep slope, weak embankment soil,
sudden drawdown of reservoir.
Cause the seepage force acting along
the sliding direction causing increase of
the driving force for slope direction.
Seldom lead to catastrophic failures.
Can be avoided by flatten slopes,
provision of rock berms and better
operating rules.

FAILURE OF EARTHEN DAMS

Upstream slope slide due to sudden drawdown

FAILURE OF EARTHEN DAMS

(c) Downstream slope failure:
When the reservoir is at maximum
level and if the steady stage seepage
is at maximum rate, the downstream
slope is more vulnerable to slide due
to seepage force acting in the
direction of driving force for the
sliding.
Flatten slope, better soil, increased
compaction, internal drainage with

FAILURE OF EARTHEN DAMS

Downstream slope slide during full reservoir condition

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(d) Foundation slide:
The dam body as a whole may slide,
if the foundation is from the silt or
soft soil.
The slow consolidation process and
expansion of clay soils due to the
saturation will decrease the shear
strength of the foundation soil.
Flatten slopes, broad berms,
stabilization of soil, deep drain

FAILURE OF EARTHEN DAMS

Sliding due to soft or weak foundation

FAILURE OF EARTHEN DAMS

(e) Other modes:
Failure by spreading.
Failure by leaching.
Failure due to earthquake most
devastating of all types of failures.
Proper design, regular inspection and
better operating rules.

THANK
YOU