INVESTIGATION OF CONSTRUCTION METHODS OF WET CORE EARTH DAMS IN WET CLIMATES

Building embankment dams in areas with wet climate and no considerable dry season has some problems, the most important of which is the core material compaction. As core is the impervious part of the dam, fine grain materials, including clayey soils with low permeability, are the first choice. But the finer the material, the more difficult is its compaction in wet areas, especially if it is not possible to dry the soil due to continued rainfall and humid weather. Common heavy compactors sink in these wet soils and are not able to gain the Proctor standard factors and compaction effort. So the standard tests and compactors are not practical in these cases. This article contains a literature review of the trends which have successfully been used in this regard. Countries like Japan, Sweden and England are of those which have wet climates and are well experienced in this subject, these experiences are pointed out briefly, in addition to some case studies of old and recent dams built with wet construction methods all over the world.