Dams

Dams are constructed for a specific purpose

https://constructionreviewonline.com http://www.civileblog.com/irrigation / http://soilfundambassador.blogsppot

Water supply Irrigation Sedimentation control

https://trca.ca/conservation/flood-risk-management http://edmdigest.com/mitigation/

Flood Control Inland Navigation Hydropower

Dams
Principal Parts
Dams
Principal Parts
History of Dams
Jawa Dam

 located in the Mesopotamia-modern day Jordan that

was originally constructed around 3,000 BC and
considered to be architectural feat those times
 reinforced with rock fill behind the up stream wall https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/
File:Tall_Jawa_Amman_Jordan.jpg

 the Jawa Dam was 15 feet tall, 80 feet long, with a base
of 15 feet. It created the Jawa Reservoir that had a
capacity of 1.1 million cubic feet
 most important archaeological site in the history of
large-scale water projects

http://thefirst.website/2016/12/27/the-first-dam-in-the-world/
History of Dams
Ancient Dams Sadd el-Kafara, or Dam of the Pagans
 supply water to the local quarries outside of Cairo rather
than for irrigation

 after ten years of construction, the masonry dam was 37

feet tall, 348 feet long, with a base of 265 feet, contained https://structurae.net/structures/sadd-el-kafara-dam/photos

over 100,000 tons of gravel and stone, and had a

limestone cover to resist erosion.

 failed in the near completion due to poor design and lack

of a spillway, the dam washed away during a heavy rainfall
and was never repaired or completed.
History of Dams
Roman Empire
Subiaco Dams
-were constructed around 60 AD to create a pleasure lake for Emperor Nero.
-were a series of three gravity dams on the Aniene River in Subiaco, Italy, the largest of which
stood 165 feet tall and held the honor of being the tallest dam in the world until its destruction in
1305

Glanum Dam
- first arch dam in the Roman province of Gallia Narbonensis, now modern-day southwest France, in the
1stcentury BCE
the first recorded true arch dam in history, were discovered in 1763.
- a modern arched gravity dam replaced the ancient structure in 1891, and all remnants of the Dam were lost

-romans were also responsible for constructing the world’s first buttress dams, although they tended to fail
due to their too-thin construction
-one third of all dams on the Iberian Peninsula were buttress dams.
History of Dams
Asian cultures
 As early as 400 BCE, Asians built earthen embankments
dams to store water for the cities of Ceylon, or modern-
day Sri Lanka
 5th century AD, the Sinhalese built several dams to form
reservoirs to catch the monsoon rains for their intricate
irrigation system, and many of these reservoirs are still in
use today
 12th century AD, about 4,000 dams were built by an
egotistical Sinhalese ruler, King Parakrama Babu.

 -oldest operational dam in the world, the Lake Homs

Dam in Syria, was built around 1300 which is masonry
gravity dam is over one mile long, 23 feet high, and
creates Lake Homs, which still supplies water to the
people of Homs today
History of Dams
Middle Age
 1850s, when civil engineering professor William John
Macquorn Rankine at Glasgow University
demonstrated a better understanding of earth stability
and structural performance, that dam engineering
improved. In fact, Rankine’s work was so innovative, it
contributed to the acceptance of civil engineering as a
valid university subject and improved the status of civil
engineers

 Since Rankine, geological, hydrological, and structural

scientific contributions have been extensive, and the
understanding of dam engineering has improved
significantly as a result
History of Dams
Modern Times
 1910, further advances were made as engineers
began to take a more three dimensional
approach to dam engineering, examining the
effect of individual stresses and deflections on
multiple points rather than on the structure as a https://www.groupon.com/deals/hoover-dam-tour-company-3

whole
 concrete arch-gravity Hoover Dam constructed in
the Black Canyon of the Colorado River in 1936, is
a prime example of the major advances made in
dam engineering
Economic Aspect
Purpose of Dams

Irrigation
-irrigated land covers about 277 million hectares i.e.
about 18% of world's arable land but is responsible for
around 40% of crop output and employs nearly 30% of
population spread over rural areas
-it is estimated that 80% of additional food production
by the year 2025 will need to come from irrigated land
Types of Dams
1. Embankment Dam
Embankment dams are mainly made from
natural materials. The two main types are
earthfill dams and rockfill dams. Earthfill
dams are made up mostly from compacted
earth, while rockfill dams are made up
mainly
from dumped and compacted rockfill. The
materials are usually excavated or quarried
from nearby sites, preferably within the
reservoir basin.
Most embankment dams have
a central section, called the core, made from
impermeable material to stop water passing
through the dam. Clayey soils, concrete or
asphaltic concrete can be used for the core.
Types of Dams
1. Arch Dam

Arch dams are made from concrete. They

are curved in the shape of an arch, with the
top of the arch pointing back into the water.
An arch is a strong shape for resisting the
pushing force of the water behind the dam.
Arch dams are usually constructed in narrow,
steep sided valleys. They need good rock for
their foundations, and for the sides of the
valleys, to resist the forces on the dam.
There are only a few arch dams in the UK,
including Monar Dam in Scotland.

Types of Dams
1. Gravity Dam

A gravity dam is made from concrete or

masonry, or sometimes both. It is called a
gravity dam because gravity holds it down
to the ground stopping the water reservoir
pushing it over.
A cross-section (or slice) through a gravity
dam will usually look roughly triangular.
Gravity dams are suited to sites with either
wide or narrow valleys, but they do need to
be built on sound rock.
Types of Dams
1. Buttress Dam

Buttress Dams are made from concrete or

masonry. They have a watertight upstream
side supported by triangular shaped walls,
called buttresses. The buttresses are spaced
at intervals on the downstream side. They
resist the force of the reservoir water trying
to push the dam over.
The buttress dam was developed from the
idea of the gravity dam, except that it uses a
lot less material due to clear spaces between
the buttnesses. Like gravity dams, they are
suited to both narrow and wide valleys, and
they must be constructed on sound rock.
Technology in construction
Embankment Dam (Rock Fill)

Modification of earth material for the core

-exploiting and mixing vertically in soil field

-mixing with artificial gravel

-spreading and rolling on dam

Technology in construction

Modification of earth material core

Technology in construction

Construction monitoring system using “Digital Dam”

-monitor and control the quality of high earth rock-fill dam
construction by employing the global positioning system (GPS),
personal digital assistant (PDA), and information technology
-enhance compaction / grading of rock fill by monitoring vibrating
rollers speed, rolling pass and exciting vibration force
-monitors transportation vehicles from dam to stockyard providing a
reference for correct material unloading and optimized dispatched of
transportation vehicles
Technology in construction
Construction monitoring system using “Digital Dam”
Technology in Safety Monitoring
Safety assessment and early warning is done for the
following

Reservoir water level

Seepage stability
Structure stability
Dam slope stability
Dam cracking-dam horizontal displacement along the
river, dam settlement, seepage discharge, pore
pressure, soil pressure and cracking
Economic Aspect
Purpose of Dams
Irrigation
-irrigated land covers about 277 million hectares i.e.
about 18% of world's arable land but is responsible
for around 40% of crop output and employs nearly
30% of population spread over rural areas

-it is estimated that 80% of additional food

production by the year 2025 will need to come from
irrigated land
Economic Aspect
Purpose of Dams
Hydropower
-electricity generated from dams is by very far the
largest renewable energy source in the world

-more than 90% of the world's renewable electricity

comes from dams
Economic Aspect
Purpose of Dams

Water Supply for Domestic and Industrial Use

- the main sources of Metro Manila’s water

supply are the Angat, Ipo, and La Mesa Dams.
The water from these dams are then processed
by the La Mesa and Balara Treatment Plants,
which converts it from a raw state to clean and
potable water.
 Aerial view of Lock and Dam No. 15 on the Mississippi
Economic Aspect River between Rock Island, Illinois and Davenport, Iowa.

Purpose of Dams

Inland Navigation Natural river conditions, such as changes

in the flow rate and river level, ice and changing river channels
due to erosion and sedimentation, create major problems and
obstacles for inland navigation. The advantages of inland
navigation, however, when compared with highway and rail are
the large load carrying capacity of each barge, the ability to
handle cargo with large-dimensions and fuel savings. Enhanced
inland navigation is a result of comprehensive basin planning
and development utilizing dams, locks and reservoirs which are
regulated to provide a vital role in realizing regional and Cheatham Lock is located at Mile 148.6 on the
national economic benefits. In addition to the economic Cumberland River in Cheatham County, Tennessee and is
benefits, a river that has been developed with dams and approximately 10 miles northwest of Ashland City, Tenn.
reservoirs for navigation may also provide additional benefits ofCheatham Lock is open to pass navigation traffic 24
flood control, reduced erosion, stabilized groundwater levels hours-a-day, 365 days a year.
throughout the system and recreation.
Economic Aspect
Purpose of Dams
Flood Control Dams and reservoirs can be effectively used to
regulate river levels and flooding downstream of the dam by
temporarily storing the flood volume and releasing it later. The
most effective method of flood control is accomplished by an
integrated water management plan for regulating the storage and
discharges of each of the main dams located in a river basin. Each
dam is operated by a specific water control plan for routing floods
through the basin without damage. This means lowering of the
reservoir level to create more storage before the rainy season. This
strategy eliminates flooding. The number of dams and their water
control management plans are established by comprehensive
planning for economic development and with public involvement.
Flood control is a significant purpose for many of the existing dams
and continues as a main purpose for some of the major dams of the
world currently under construction.