Critical appraisal of piping phenomena in earth dams

This paper presents a comprehensive review of published literature on soil piping phenomena. The first tools to design earth dams to resist piping were developed during 1910–1935. Filter criteria for dispersive soils was refined in the 1970’s. Piping phenomena are generally defined as: (1) heave, (2) internal erosion, (3) backwards erosion, although other modes are possible. Recent work on piping highlights the limitations of the occurrence of piping and the role that design and construction may play in a large percentage of piping failures. Standardized laboratory procedures are available to assess piping potential in cohesive materials, but no such methods exist for non-cohesive soils. However, methods are available for evaluation of self-filtration potential. Recent advances in computer technology have facilitated the evaluation of seepage and deformation in embankments but computational methods for evaluation of piping potential are currently limited.