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<br />. <br /> <br />,r <br /> <br />.. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />EM 1110-2-1913 <br />31 Mar 78 <br /> <br /> <br />CHAPTER 1 <br /> <br />INTRODUCTION <br /> <br />1-1. Purpose. The purpose of this manual is to present basic princi- <br />ples used in the design and construction of earth levees. <br /> <br />1-2. Applicability. This manual applies to all Corps of Engineers <br />Divisions and Districts having responsibility for designing and con- <br />structing levees. <br /> <br />1-3. References. Applicable references are listed in Appendix A. <br /> <br />1-4. Objective. The objective of this manual is to develop a guide <br />for design and construction of levees. The manual is general in nature <br />and not intended to supplant the judgment of the design engineer on a <br />particular project. <br /> <br />1-5. General Considerations. <br /> <br />a. General. <br /> <br />(1) The term levee as used herein is defined as an embankment whose <br />primary purpose is to furnish flood protection from seasonal high water <br />and which is therefore subject to water loading for periods of only a <br />few days or weeks a year. Embankments that are subject to water loading <br />for prolonged periods (longer than normal flood protection requirements) <br />or permanently should be designed in accordance with earth dam criteria <br />rather than the levee criteria given herein. <br /> <br />(2) Even though levees are similar to small earth dams they differ <br />from earth dams in the following important respects: (a) a levee em- <br />bankment may become saturated for only a short period of time beyond <br />the limit of capillary saturation, (b) levee alignment is dictated <br />primarily by flood protection requirements, which often results in con- <br />struction on poor foundations, and (c) borrow is generally obtained from <br />shallow pits or from channels excavated adjacent to the levee, which <br />produce fill material that is often heterogeneous and far from ideal. <br />Selection of the levee section is often based on the properties of the <br />poorest material that must be used. <br /> <br />(3) Numerous factors must be considered in levee design. These <br />factors may vary from project to project, and no specific step-by-step <br />procedure covering details of a particular project can be established. <br />However, it is possible to present general, logical steps based on <br /> <br />1-1 <br />