Read: earth dam
Also known as earth fill dam, earthweir
Abbreviations: Japanese "E" (English: Earth Dam), global "TE" (French: Barrage en terre, English: Earth Dam)
A dam is made by layering soil as a material. Because it is relatively easy to construct, it is not suitable for large-scale dams, but for small-scale dams such as reservoirs.
Most dams in Japan are of this type, but the exact number is unknown if those with a bank height of 15 m or less are included.
Historically, this is the oldest type of dam, and the oldest in Japan is the Sayama Pond Dam in Osaka Prefecture.
In addition, due to its nature of being made of earth, it is said to have durability problems during earthquakes and floods, and there are no high dams in Japan that exceed 100 m in height. The tallest earth dam in Japan is the Seiganji Dam in Kumamoto Prefecture, with an embankment height of 60.5 m. Overseas, the Nurek Dam in Tajikistan is 300 m high, making it the tallest existing earth dam in the world at present.
Earth dams with high embankments, including the Nurek Dam, sometimes have an earth barrier (core) in the center of the embankment to ensure safety.
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