Earth dam compaction: avoid thick lifts, wrong moisture and the wrong roller. My practical lift, moisture and pass targets for tight dam walls.
Category Archives: Dam Building Basics
Dam Building
A Beginner’s Guide To Building Your First Earth Dam
Short answer: Building your first earth dam involves selecting a suitable site with impermeable soil, ...
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Dam Building
Roy Hill Project: Delivering A Major Dam In Mining Country
Short answer: The Roy Hill project involved constructing a major water storage dam in the ...
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A straight, practical guide to when you need council or water approvals to build a farm dam in NSW or Queensland, based on 30 years of dam building experience.
Short answer: heavy clay with a plasticity index above 15 is the best soil for building a farm dam. It compacts tight, holds water without treatment, and seals well under load. Sandy loam, gravelly subsoil, and anything with high organic content will cause you problems — the wall leaks or it will not compact properly …
Dam spillway design is one of the most important parts of any dam build. After 30 years and 341 dams, Angus explains why spillways fail and how to get the design right from the start.
What type of soil is best for building a farm dam? A simple guide to clay, loam and sand, plus quick DIY tests to avoid leaks.