Long-term behaviour of embankment dams: seven Greek dams

The long-term deformation of embankment dams is one of the key safety issues. Mechanisms affecting the post-construction deformation of embankment dams are briefly described. The long-term deformation of seven large Greek dams is presented by examining the crest deformations. The older dams have attained a nearly constant rate of deformation that is very small. More than 100 years are required in order for the crest settlements to reach the design camber, and in some cases many hundreds of years. The crest deformations differ for each dam, but some patterns are identified for similar dams. Factors that influence the deformations include the materials of construction, the core location, the valley geometry and the reservoir fluctuations. Of particular interest are the horizontal crest deflections for dams with central cores, where movements towards upstream are occasionally observed.