Chapter 13: Dams built with hydraulic fill

Hydraulic fill is a technique for constructing backfills and dams which was developed at the end of the nineteenth century. Although apparently abandoned nowadays for the construction of dams for water storage, it is still used in some domains of civil engineering for constructing quays and in general land reclamation works or in the restoration of eroded beaches and construction of coastline defences, as well as for environmental and habitat restoration.

Because of the risk of earthquake-induced liquefaction in saturated sands in the dam or its foundations, hydraulic fill is no longer considered suitable for dam construction - particularly in seismic areas. Examples are given of dams of this type where densification of the fill or improved drainage has been provided.