The aim of the technical guide is to assist in the training of technical personnel in charge of the design, construction and maintenance of small earth dams undertaken in the context of Labour-intensive Public Works (LIPW).
The presented methods and design principles are simple, easily implemented and can be applied to small structures of limited height and storage capacity where labour-intensive techniques are appropriate.
On the other hand, this guide does not presume to set forward all design methods and construction techniques. For more comprehensive works, it may be necessary to call in specialists in this type of civil engineering.
This document can be used as a technical reference guide for site personnel, as a reminder of basic principles involved in dam design and construction. It can also be used as a training guide. In this case, the trainer should refer to the trainer’s notes at the start and in the footnotes provided.