DAMS CONSTRUCTION

ENGLISH WORKGROUP 2

DAMS CONSTRUCTION2014ACOSTA VASQUEZ EDERACOSTA VASQUEZ 05/09/2014

INTRODUCTIONWater availability has been from remote times one of the essential elements for the establishment of a population. Water consumption of a population is characterized by the need of the people and availability of this natural resource. The man noticed that many times the rivers that supplied their population were drying and sometimes these same rivers had the amount of water they needed.

For this reason is that all great civilizations were characterized by the construction of storage reservoirs to meet their needs, at the time that rivers suffering from drought.

The economic power of civilizations was linked to the experience and expertise in water resources engineering.One of the structures that allows to store water from rivers is called dam. To date a dam is one of the most important constructions in civil engineering.

DEFINITIONIn engineering, a dam is a obstruction made of stone, concrete or loose materials that is constructed to store water from a river for later use in supply of drinking water or irrigation, through sanitary processes that are performed with the uptake of water stored.

Two very important elements in the dams are the reservoir and the floodgates.

Reservoir is where the water is retained, and the floodgates are those which allow the controlled passage of water that is stored.

Like all great civil works, dam construction also brings a significant environmental impact. Is very timely construction of a dam because through the floodgates can pass stored water in a controlled manner, and thus never will need this amount of water in times of drought.

But to interrupt the natural course of a river will be left without water for the flora and fauna of the water supplied to their existence. In addition to causing flooding in areas that are where the water level rises due to obstruction of the dam.

HISTORYThe history of dam construction begins with the first civilizations of the Middle East and Far East. Many small dams composed by different types of fillers were constructed for irrigation, for example in China, Japan, India and Sri Lanka. Some of the first dams still exist.Kaffara Dam built in Egypt about 2600 BC, is the oldest known dam. It was built of stone with 14 meters in overall height. kaffara dam was built to store water and use it for agriculture in times of drought. This dam collapsed due to a flood.

The first civilizations built a large number of other important dams in the Middle East, especially in Iraq, Iran and Saudi Arabia as Marib Dam, built in 750 BC to serve a larger irrigation project, whose total final height was 20 meters. This dam was in operation for over a thousand years, and there are still impressive ruins on site.

Since 16th century, dam construction continued in its development in England, India, Spain and Saudi Arabia. These countries began to build dams composed of materials such as gravel, marble, lime and pozzolanic powder; these dams were more resistant than older dams, so much so that some are still in operation to date.

In France in 1859, is considered the first modern dam intended to use the stored water to make it drinkable and not just for use it in agriculture as previous dams.

The first truly gigantic dam, was built on the Colorado River in the United States in 1935, is called Hoover Dam. In the construction of the Hoover Dam, 221 meters high and 379 meters long, 3.36 million cubic meters of concrete were used; here the river is stored to form one of the largest artificial lakes in the world, Lake Mead, 284 kilometers in length and a width of about 13 kilometers. Its construction guarantees the supply of fresh water in large regions and electricity.

In 1963, India was built in what would become the world's largest dam, Bhakra Dam, with an embankment height of 226 meters.

Maybe these are the most important structures of antiquity, but currently there are important dams for their ability to storage and constant use.The most important dams so far are:Three Gorges China

The Three Gorges Dam in China is projected to be the absolute largest in the world. Expected to hold over 39,300,000,000 in volume, the reservoir is complete but the actual dam itself will not be completed until later this year. The construction of this dam had a huge impact on life in Sandouping, resulting not only in the relocation of dozens of villages but in the scenery as well. Because of the height of the Three Gorges Dam the mountains now look a bit lower than they actually are.These dams are not only amongst the largest, but are considered some of the most functional, beautiful, and aesthetically pleasing in the world. Dont hesitate to visit one if youre ever in the area. Seeing one of the enormous dams in person will prove to be an absolutely breathtaking experience.

Syncrude Tailings Canada

Located near Fort McMurray in Alberta, Canada, the Syncrude Tailings Dam is approximately 540,000,000 meters in volume. The dam is currently maintained by a company known as Syncrude Canada Ltd a company responsible for oil extraction in the Athabasca Oil Sands. The dam serves as a barrage used to store tailings or leftover slimes and residues that appear as byproducts of the oil extraction operation.Aswan Dam Egypt

The Aswan Dam is actually a pair of dams the Aswan High Dam and the Aswan Low Dam. In ancient times it was known that the River Nile would flood each summer as the waters flowed down from East Africa. As the population along the river grew it became necessary to find a way to control flooding in this area. Now the land is still fertile enough for farming and the people no longer have to worry about drought but the fields arent in danger of being wiped out due to flooding, either.Fort Peck United States

The Fort Peck Dam in northeast Montana is one of six dams found on the Missouri River. Construction of this dam began in 1933 as part of the New Deal put forth by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and enabled over 11,000 workers to have gainful employment during the course of construction. The dam, which is solely responsible for the formation of Fort Peck Lake, is used to control flooding and generate power.

TYPES OF DAMSDams are classified according to the different applications that you want to give to water, these uses are those that determine the choice of the most suitable type of dam.According to its structureGravity dam is that in which its own weight is responsible to resist the thrust of water. The thrust of the reservoir is transmitted to the ground, so it must be stable enough to support the weight of the dam and reservoir. The gravity dams are the most durable and do not require constant maintenance. These dams can be concrete or stony material.

Dam simple arc is that in which its form is responsible for resisting the thrust of the water, and requires it to be very hard and resistant rock. Dams are the most innovative in design and fewer concrete is needed for its construction.

Dam vault to achieve its complex forms are built with concrete and require great skill and experience of its builders, who must resort to unusual building systems.

According to materialsConcrete dams are the most commonly used in developed countries already than with this material can be made more stable and durable construction.

Earth dams are the most commonly used in underdeveloped countries as these are less expensive. Are those which consist of a landfill, which provide the necessary strength to counter the thrust of water. Most materials used in its construction are stone, gravel, sand, silt and clay.

ACOSTA VASQUEZ | ARREAGA PAREDES1