Risk of Embankment Dam Failure from Viewpoint of Hydraulic Fracturing: Statistics, Mechanism, and Measures

Dams and reservoirs are artificial structures built to actively and effectively manage and exploit water resources. However, dam failures may induce catastrophes that often threaten human life and all socio-economic activities. Among the causes of dam failures, hydraulic fracturing is considered to be one of the most probable as it brings about concentrated leakage that results in the failures or incidents of fill dams, especially at the first reservoir filling. This paper focuses on reviewing studies on the mechanism of hydraulic fracturing in embankment dams. The statistics for many dam failures and incidents related to hydraulic fracturing are provided. Some measures for preventing hydraulic fracturing are also reviewed. Based on the review, a summary of incidents and failures related to hydraulic fracturing in embankment dams is given and possible future studies are discussed.