An Introduction to Levee Construction

The An Introduction to Levee Construction online PDH course is a part of the Civil Engineering category of courses. This course will introduce you to design and construction of levees  for flood protection and in connection with a variety of water resources projects such as dams, reservoirs and aqueducts.

A levee is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels. It is usually made of earth and often parallel to the course of a river in its floodplain or along low-lying coastlines. Levee design and construction involves a wide variety of conditions and environments. This course summarizes an approach for civil engineers to take in order to identify project specific issues and to address them in a rational manner.

This course in intend for civil engineers and other professional engineers and construction managers interested in design and construction of levee systems for a wide variety of water resources projects including flood control facilities, dams and reservoirs.

Learning Objectives

At the end of the course, you will learn:

• about preparation of foundations for levees;
• when levee construction should be preceded by clearing, grubbing and stripping;
• the purpose of an exploration trench at the levee site;
• how to dewater a levee construction site;
• how to address final foundation preparation issues;
• what measures may be needed to achieve an acceptable level of levee stability;
• when to use staged construction; and
• the importance of construction control, including inspection and testing.