Committee on Materials for Embankment Dams

The Committee interacts with the ICOLD Committee on Materials for Fill Dams and studies the uses and characteristics of various materials, both natural and man-made, in embankment dams.

Among its several responsibilities are:

1. Studies of the use of various natural and man-made materials in new and existing embankment dams. Materials include:

a. earth and rock of varying quality

b. processed and unprocessed granular materials for filters, drains, slope protection and transition zones

c. soil-cement for facings

d. asphaltic concrete for cores or facings

e. portland cement concrete for facings

f. geosynthetic materials for use as impervious membranes, filters, drains and reinforcement

g. fill materials for use in watertight cut-off walls

2. Dissemination of information on the use of materials in embankment dams through USSD and ICOLD publications, seminars and lectures.
3. USSD representation on the ICOLD Committee on Materials for Fill Dams.

Recent and current activities include:

1. Preparation of a report entitled Materials for Embankment Dams.
2. Participation in the preparation of approximately ten published ICOLD bulletins during the last ten years. Two of these, Dispersive Soils in Embankment Dams and The Use of Filters and Drains in Embankment Dams, were co-authored by members of the USSD Committee.
3. Organized the Lecture Series for the 1991 USCOLD Annual Meeting on the use of geosynthetic materials in design and construction of embankment dams. The Lecture Proceedings, Use of Geosynthetics in Dams, are available from USSD.
4. Prepared the USSD publication, Construction Testing of Embankment Materials Containing Large Particles, 1988.
5. Organized the 1997 Annual Lecture in San Diego on water barriers for embankment dams other than clay with special emphasis on the use of asphaltic concrete. The Lecture Proceedings, Non-Soil Water Barriers for Embankment Dams, are available from USSD. The Foreword and Table of Contents includes the paper titles and authors.

Further information may be obtained by contacting the Committee Chairperson: