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Design Standards No.

13: Embankment Dams

2.2.2.4 General Construction Methods


The designer assumes that certain construction methods are used, such as
placement in lifts, and that equipment such as rollers are used for compaction of
the embankment. The success of the design depends on implementation of these
assumptions; therefore, it is necessary to monitor construction to ensure that
appropriate equipment and construction methods are used. These considerations
are discussed in detail in Design Standard No. 13, Chapter 10, Embankment
Construction.

2.2.3

Foundation Design for Earthfill Dams

2.2.3.1 General
The term foundation, as used herein, includes both the valley floor and the
abutments upon which the embankment will be built. A foundation for an
earthfill dam has two essential requirements: (1) it must provide stable support
for the embankment under all conditions of saturation and loading, and (2) it must
provide sufficient resistance to seepage to prevent internal erosion or excessive
loss of water.
Although the foundation is not actually designed, certain provisions for treatment
of the foundation are provided in designs to ensure that the essential requirements
will be met. Such measures may include excavation of unsatisfactory materials,
foundation grouting, material densification, use of filters, and surface treatment
measures such as shaping, slush grouting, and dental concrete. Each foundation
presents its own separate and distinct problems that require corresponding special
treatment and preparation. Various methods for stabilizing weak foundations,
reducing seepage in permeable foundations, shaping to reduce differential
settlement to acceptable levels, and types and locations of devices for intercepting
underseepage must be adapted to local conditions.
Surveys and compiled statistics vary [1, 2, 9, 10], but it appears that between
10 and 20 percent of embankment dam failures, and close to 50 percent of
incidents at embankment dams, can be attributed to the foundation. These
statistics indicate the importance of understanding the foundation. The
foundation must be adequately explored to characterize its properties. The data
from the exploration program is interpreted by engineering geologists and must
reveal subsurface conditions to permit safe and economical design of foundation
treatment. The exploration program should be a continuing process (see Final
Design Process [11]) that begins with inception of the project and continues
through construction. The program should build on data from previous
investigations as the design progresses. It is guided and adjusted by geologic
interpretation of the data. The accuracy of the geologic picture should be
continuously evaluated as additional data become available during all phases of
design and construction.

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December 2012

Chapter 2: Embankment Design

Theoretical solutions based on principles of soil and rock mechanics can be


obtained for problems involving seepage, settlement, and stability of foundations.
However, it is difficult to model embankments and foundations precisely because
it is difficult to determine strengths and permeabilities, and their variability,
accurately. Therefore, sound engineering judgment plays an extremely important
role in applying theory to practice, as does the incorporation of redundant design
features (multiple lines of defense).
Because certain types of treatment are appropriate for particular foundations, they
are grouped into three main classes according to their predominant characteristics:
1. Foundations consisting of rock
2. Foundations consisting of coarse-grained material (sand and gravel)
3. Foundations consisting of fine-grained material (silt and clay)
However, many foundations are comprised of materials which originate from
various sources such as river alluvium, glacial outwash, talus, and other processes
of erosion, disintegration, and deposition. They are not characterized by a single
material, but, rather, by a complex combination of structural arrangement and
physical characteristics of their constituent materials. Foundation deposits may
be roughly stratified, containing layers of clay, silt, sand, and gravel; or they may
consist of lenticular masses, pockets, and channels of the various materials
without any regularity of occurrence and of varying extent and thickness. In spite
of this, the character of a foundation can be revealed adequately by geologic
exploration. Once the geology is properly understood, design and construction
techniques can usually be employed to achieve an adequate and safe embankment
foundation.
Analyses and construction techniques required for the different types of
foundations are discussed in specific chapters of Design Standard No. 13,
Embankment Dams.
The foundation of a dam will usually consist of a combination of the three main
types of foundations listed previously. For example, the stream portion of the
foundation is often a sand-gravel foundation, while the abutments are rock which
is exposed on steep slopes and may be mantled by deposits of clay or silt on the
gentler slopes. Therefore, the design of any one dam may involve a variety of
foundation design considerations.
2.2.3.2

Rock Foundations

2.2.3.2.1 General

Foundations consisting of rock are generally considered more competent than soil
foundations. Even foundations of weaker rock are generally preferred over soil
foundations. The preference for a rock foundation is undoubtedly justified where
the rock mass is generally homogeneous and competent; however, because rock

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