ABSTRACT
Many cases of embankment dam failure along the periphery of the conduit due to massive leakage have been reported in literature in past and recent times. The mechanism of failure is, however, not fully understood at the present time. Two case studies supplemented by FEM analysis are presented to elucidate the mechanism from the point of view of hydraulic fracturing and some measures to help cope with this problem are recommended for consideration in current dam design and construction.
