Homogenous earth dam may be constructed of uniform and homogenous material when locally available. The percolation of water is not checked in such dams. It is suitable only on impervious foundations.

The outer zone is made of fairly pervious material like grit, gravel, and murrum. The innermost zone is done with fairly impervious material. The central core is covered by comparatively pervious transition zone which prevents piping through cracks which may develop in core.

Clay shrinks and swells and is highly impervious is not suitable. It is sometimes mixed with fine sand or fine gravel so as to make it a suitable material for impervious central core. Coarse sands and gravels are used in outer shell.

The thickness of core differentiates diaphragm embankment from zoned type embankment.

A blanket of relatively impervious material may be placed on upstream face. Since homogenous earth dam poses problems of seepage, a homogenous section is generally added with an internal drainage system. This keeps seepage line well within body of dam.

Earn dams are suitable for any type of foundation but re has to be a separate provision for spillway location. The mode of failure is sudden and requires high maintenance and overall life is not so long. It requires low to moderately skilled labors and moderate capital cost.

In this method, an embankment is created by water and earth slurry which is discharged inwards to form a central pool at site. When water is pumped to site it spreads coarser material drops out first and finest at last. Thus core material settles within central pool forming a zoned embankment and high pore pressures develop in core.

In rolled-fill method, embankment is constructed by placing suitable soil materials in thin layers and compacting layers with rollers. Power-operated rollers are used for dams and ordinary road rollers can be used for low embankments. The best compaction can be obtained at optimum moisture content (OMC).

The central core or hearting is done with fairly impervious material and it checks seepage. The transition zone of mediocre permeability prevents piping through cracks. The outer zone gives stability to central fill.

Zoned earth dam is also called a non-homogenous or heterogeneous earth dam and it is suitable on shallow pervious foundations. This dam is widely constructed and materials of zone are selected depending upon availabilities.