The Teton Dam Failure

Engineering failures always leave us with lessons learned. The failure of Teton Dam in 1976 triggered an overhaul in how we manage dam construction and regulation. As Grady describes in this Practical Engineering video, the earthen dam was built with fundamental flaws that allowed water to carve pathways beneath and through the sediment meant to hold it. Although the dam cost $100 million to build, its failure cost the federal government over three times that in claims. (Video and image credit: Practical Engineering)