Civil Engineering Dams
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aquaculture, and navigability. Hydropower is often used in conjunction with dams to generate electricity. A dam can also be used to collect water or for storage of water which can be evenly distributed between locations. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees (also known as dikes) are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. For details see: Purposes of Dams
Dams could be of temporary or permanent nature. Dams may be built by constructing an embankment across the river at some suitable location.
Design of Coffer Dams
Designing a cofferdam involves several steps to ensure its stability, functionality, and safety during construction activities. Here is a general overview of the design process for a cofferdam: Site Investigation and Assessment: Conduct a thorough site investigationDesign of Dam Filters
Dam filters play a crucial role in the overall stability and functionality of embankment dams. These filters are designed to control and manage seepage through the dam structure, preventing erosion and maintaining the long-term integrity of the dam. In this article, we will explore the significance of dam filters and discuss Terzaghi's rules, a set of
Prospects of Large Dams
The aggregate storage capacity of large dams, based on dam design, is about 6000 km3. Assuming that half the design storage is achieved in reality, the aggregate real storage capacity of large dams globally is similar to total freshwater withdrawals estimated at around 3800 km3. The construction of large dams has led to the displacement of some
Planning and Design of Large Dams
Any dam project is carried out in the following stages: 1. Initial screening is conducted based on river profile and topographic maps. 2. Reconnaissance plan is developed using only already available data. 3. Pre-feasibility plan is developed with a little exploration and additional field data. 4. Feasibility plan is developed with
Purposes of Dams - Importance, Functions and Applications
Dams and reservoirs are built to raise water level for storage and safe retention of large quantity of water. Water is subsequently released to achieve various purposes. Dams may be constructed to meet one or more purposes as: Irrigation, Hydropower development (Tarbela Dam, Mangla Dam), Domestic, municipal, industrial waterEl Caj贸n Dam Mexico - Design and Construction
El Caj贸n dam, Mexico, has a 188 m high concrete-face rockfill dam. The El Caj贸n Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the R铆o Grande de Santiago in the Mexican state of Nayarit. Construction began in 2003 and was completed in June 2007. It cost US$800 million to build. It is 640 m (2,100 ft) long and is 178 m (584 ft) high. The reservoirEl Caj贸n Dam Mexico - Design and Construction
El Caj贸n dam, Mexico, has a 188 m high concrete-face rockfill dam. The El Caj贸n Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the R铆o Grande de Santiago in the Mexican state of Nayarit. Construction began in 2003 and was completed in June 2007. It cost US$800 million to build. It is 640 m (2,100 ft) long and is 178 m (584 ft) high. The reservoir
Environmental Impacts of Dams
In this way, serious accidents can occur: the dams are only built to withstand a certain amount of water pressure; with the pressure from the sediment in some time the wall either explodes or water is caused to go above the dam, creating a waterfall; in both cases, a lot of organisms, including humans are in great danger. Dams are created in order to change the currents
Typical Cross Section of Earth Filled Dams
1. Sheet Pile wall 2. Core wall + Sheet pile wall or Cut off wall 3. Core wall + Cut off trench 4. Core wall + Impervious blanket at the upstream surface 5. Flattening the downstream face 6. Rockfill toe on the downstream 7. Horizontal drainage / filter on the downstream side 8. Providing coarse section on the downstream face of the dam. There are three
Parameters considered in Designing Spillways
The topography, hydrology, hydraulics, geology and economic considerations all have a bearing on these decisions. For a given inflow flood hydro graph, the maximum rise in the reservoir level depends on the discharge characteristics of the spillway crest and its size and can be obtained by flood routing. Trial with different sizes can then help in getting the optimum combination
Tunnels in Dams - Advantages and Application
The type of intake structure depends on its location and function and on the various appurtenances, such as fish-screens, trashracks, stoplog arrangements, or operating platforms that must be furnished. A means for dissipating the energy of flow before returning the discharge to the river should normally be provided. This can be accomplished by a flip bucket
Stability and Failure of Earth Filled Dams
This type of dam is made up of only one type of material. Usually porous materials is used. These dams are easy and cheap to construct but cannot be used to make multipurpose large dams. For large multipurpose dams zoned type method is used. Over topping failures result from the erosive action of water on the embankment. Erosion is due to
Spillway Control Devices - FlashBoards and Stop Logs
The simplest form of control for a spillway is the free, or uncontrolled, overflow crest, which automatically releases water whenever the reservoir water surface rises above crest level. The advantages of the uncontrolled crest are the elimination of the need for constant attendance and regulation of the control devices by an operator and the freedom from maintenance
Spillway - Definition, Types of Spillways and Classification
There are different types of spillways that can be provided depending on the suitability of site and other parameters. Generally a spillway consists of a control structure, a conveyance channel and a terminal structure, but the former two may be combined in the same for certain types. The more common types are briefly described below: Drop, Ogee, Siphon Chute,
