http://simscience.org/cracks/intermediate/ebnk_char1.html
Wolf Creek Dam
photo courtesy of the Nashville District,
US Army Corps of Engineers
Embankment dams are massive dams made of earth or rock. They rely on their weight to resist the flow of water. Explore the links below to learn more about embankment dams.
Embankment dams usually have some sort of water proof insides (called the core), which is covered with earth or rock fill. Grass may even be grown on the earth fill. Water will seep in through the earth or rock fill, but should not seep into the core.
The main force on an embankment dam is the force of the water. The weight of the dam is also a force, but each material has a different weight, so it is not shown here as one force the way it is on the concrete dams. The uplift force is also acting on the embankment dam, but some of the water seeps into the dam so the force is not the same as on a concrete dam. Roll over the water force to see it on the dam.
The embankment dam is the only dam type we are introducing that is not made of concrete. Embankment dams may be made of earth or rock, both of which are pervious to water -- that is, water can get into it. You see above that the water will seep into the core material and should stop at the seepage line. The core material is usually more watertight that the rock or earth that is on the outside of the dam, but the core material is still not totally impervious to water. Concrete is not truly impervious either, but it does not allow as much seepage as these materials do.
The diagram shown above is only one configuration of what an embankment dam may look like. It could be any combination of earth, rock, and core material in any number of arrangements.
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