Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Construction materials of composite dams are the same used for concrete and embankment dams. Gravity dams can be classified by plan (shape): Most gravity dams are straight (Grand Coulee Dam). Some masonry and concrete gravity dams have the dam axis curved (Shasta Dam, Cheesman Dam) to add stability through arch action. [6]
Embankment dams come in two types: the earth-filled dam (also called an earthen dam or terrain dam) made of compacted earth, and the rock-filled dam. A cross-section of an embankment dam shows a shape like a bank, or hill. Most have a central section or core composed of an impermeable material to stop water from seeping through the dam.
The tallest embankment dam and second tallest dam in the world is the 300 m (984 ft) Nurek Dam in Tajikistan. The tallest gravity dam is the 285 m (935 ft) high Grande Dixence Dam in Switzerland. The tallest natural dam, the 567 m (1,860 ft) Usoi Dam in Tajikistan, is 262 m (860 ft) taller than the tallest existing man-made one.
Gravity dams are classified as "solid" or "hollow" and are generally made of either concrete or masonry. The solid form is the more widely used of the two, though the hollow dam is frequently more economical to construct. Grand Coulee Dam is a solid gravity dam and Braddock Locks & Dam is a hollow gravity dam. [citation needed]
The following table lists the largest man-made dams by volume of fill/structure. By general definition, a dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams, hence tailings dams are relegated to a separate list.
Name State(s) Height Type River Coordinates Built ft m; Oroville Dam [1] CA 770.5 234.8 Embankment Feather River: 1968 Hoover Dam [2] AZ NV 726 221 Arch-gravity dam
A detention dam is a dam built to catch surface runoff and stream water flow to regulate the water flow in areas below the dam. [1] Detention dams are commonly used to reduce the damage caused by flooding or to manage the flow rate through a channel. [2] Detention dams can also be constructed to replenish groundwater and trap sediment. [2]
Gravity style diversion dams are built to counteract the force of the water pushing on the dam by building a dam with enough weight to withstand the force. Gravity dams are commonly constructed using masonry or cement. The foundations of the gravity dams are generally constructed on top of a solid bedrock foundation. However, gravity dams can ...