Reclamation’s 100 Years of Embankment Dam Design and Construction
by Richard Lyman Wiltshire
pp. 140-149, (doi 10.1061/40738(140)18)
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| Document type: |
Conference Proceeding Paper |
| Part of: |
Water Resources and Environmental History |
| Abstract: |
The design and construction of earthfill and rockfill embankment dams in the Western United States have evolved dramatically during the past century (1902.2003). The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) has played a significant role in that evolution of embankment dam engineering, construction, and dam safety during the 20th Century. This paper discusses how Reclamation’s embankment dam design and construction have evolved since its creation in 1902. A central component of the evolution of embankment dam engineering has been the birth and maturation of geotechnical engineering as a civil engineering specialty. The development of Reclamation’s publications is also noted. The failure of Teton Dam and the lessons learned from that event are briefly discussed in the paper. |
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