DENG Gang, DING Yong, ZHANG Yanyi, ZHANG Yinqi, HUANG Wenchao

In order to provide technical reference for quality and safety management of engineering planning, design, construction and operation, the evolution, configuration and material development of earth core embankment dams (ECEDs) are reviewed. The construction history of ECEDs is summed up as 5 stages, including early development, modernization transition, high speed development, low tide development and new upsurge of development. The representative progresses of each stage are introduced, including increasing of dam height,change in dam body configuration,expansion of dam building material,advance of construction technology, etc. The development of ECEDs adapts to requirements of the world economy and society, as well as the change in development condition. The stability and simple seepage problems were solved in early stage of development. And then,there was a continuous improvement. The emerging deformation problems and related new seepage control problems were dealt with. At the same time of the breakthrough of dam height, the body tended to standard, dam material source gradually expanded. The progress of geotechnical mechanics theory and construction control technology is one of the continuous driving forces for the development of ECEDs. Through continuous research and improvement of prediction and analysis ability, as well as construction control technology, the technical conditions for ECEDs to breakthrough to higher level will gradually mature.

Keywords: earth core, embankment dam, development, configuration, materials