The dam was made of rubble masonry walls on the outsides and filled with 100,000 tons of gravel and stone. A limestone cover was applied to resist erosion and wave action. The structure had no need for cement because the shear weight of the structure was sufficient to ensure stability. The dam failed after a few years and it was concluded that overflow was the cause of failure. The poor workmanship from a hasty construction lead to the failure. The dam was not watertight and water flowed through the structure quickly eroding it away. Once the water overflowed the crest, it quickly eroded away the dam. The dam was a failure and the Egyptians never attempted to build another dam until modern times.Around 100 AD the Romans were the first civilization to use concrete and mortar in their gravity dams. The dam at Ponte di San Mauro has a great block of concrete among its remains. The evidence indicates that a large slab of concrete was used as the core and the outer layer finished with masonry.