The statistics of embankment dam failures and accidents

Abstract

The paper describes the results of a statistical analysis of failures and accidents of embankment dams, specifically concentrating on those incidents involving piping and slope instability. The compilation of dam incidents includes details on the characteristics of the dams, including dam zoning, filters, core soil types, compaction, foundation cutoff, and foundation geology. An assessment of the characteristics of the world population of dams was also carried out. By comparing the characteristics of the dams which have experienced failures and accidents to those of the population of dams, it was possible to assess the relative influence of particular factors on the likelihood of piping and slope instability.Key words: dams, failures, piping, instability database.