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Dam

Edited by – Ashis Roy

Dam

a structure built across a stream, river, or estuary to store water. A reservoir iscreated upstream of the dam to supply water for human consumption, irrigation, orindustrial use. Reservoirs are also used to reduce peak discharge of floodwater, to increasethe volume of water stored for generating hydroelectric power, or to increase the depth of water in a river so as to improve navigation and provide for recreation. Dams are usually of two basic types - masonry (concrete) and embankment (earth or rock-fill). Masonry damsare used to block streams running through narrow gorges, as in mountainous terrain;though such dams may be very high, the total amount of material required is much less.The choice between masonry and earthen dam and the actual design depend on the geologyand configuration of the site, the functions of the dam, and cost factors.Auxiliary works for a dam include spillways, gates, or valves to control the discharge of surplus water downstream from the reservoir; an intake structure conducting water to apower station or to canals, tunnels, or pipelines for more distant use; provision forevacuating silt carried into the reservoir; and means for permitting boats or fish to cross thedam. A dam therefore is the central structure in a multipurpose scheme aiming at theconservation of water resources.Water levels in the reservoir upstream is controlled by opening and closing gates of thespillway which acts as the safety valve of the dam. In addition to spillways, openingsthrough dams are also required for drawing off water for irrigation and water supply, forensuring a minimum flow in the river for riparian interests downstream, for generatingpower, and for evacuating water and silt from the reservoir. sediment in rivers seriouslyinfluences the effective life of a reservoir and therefore the financing of a dam. Somemodern dams have been rendered useless for storing water because the reservoir has beenfilled up with silt. In many others, effective storage capacity has been seriously reduced.Usually the heavy silt-laden floodwater is allowed to pass through the sluices and only thecleaner water at the end of the flood season is stored.The history of dams has been traced to about 2900 BC when a 49-ft (about 15m) highmasonry structure was built on the Nile at Kosheish to supply water to King Menes' capital

at Memphis. Evidence exists of a masonry-faced earthen dam built about 2700 BC at Sadd-el-Kafara, about 19 miles (about 30.5 km) south of Cairo. This dam failed shortly aftercompletion when it was overtopped by a flood in the absence of a spillway. The oldest damstill in use is a rock-fill structure about 20 ft (6.1m) high on the Orontes in Syria, built about1300 BC.Dam construction evolved quite independently in Asia. In 240 BC a stone crib was builtacross the Gukow river in China; this structure was 98ft (29.89m) high and about 985ft(300.23m) long. Many earthen dams of moderate height (in some cases, of great length)were built by the Sinhalese in Ceylon after the 5th century BC to form reservoirs or tanksfor extensive irrigation works. India and also Bengal were experienced in dam constructionsince that time. But none of those dams exist. In Bangladesh, a number of dams have beenconstructed for different purposes. Kaptai dam, Meghna crossdam and Feni closure dam arethe most important. In the recent past Bangladesh has also installed a few rubber dams.

Kaptai Dam

The most notable dam of the country which has been constructed on thekarnafuli river at Kaptai in Rangamati district, 65 km upstream of Chittagong. It is 670.56mlong and 45.7m high. The width at the foundation level is 45.7m and at crest level 7.6m.The crest level is 36m above mean sea level (MSL). The quantity of total excavation was113,400 cu m (4.05 million cubic ft). Since it is an earthen dam a 16-gated spillway (each12.2m by 11.3m) with discharge capacity of 625,000 cusec has been constructed on the leftside of the main dam. The catchment area of the reservoir is 11,000 sq km. Average annualrainfall is 2,500 mm over the catchment and average annual flow to the reservoir is 12million ac-ft. The full reservoir level above mean sea level is 33.23m and the reservoir areaand capacity at this level are 777 sq km and 5.25 million acr-ft, respectively. The deadstorage at 23.16m above MSL is 1.18 million ac-ft. Flood storage capacity is 0.83 million ac-ft.The generation of hydroelectric power is the main purpose of the lake. Other utilities includenavigation, flood control, fishery, recreation and tourism. The present generation capacity of the karnafuli hydro power station is 230 MW during peak load hours. The downstream floodpeak in the Karnafuli river can be reduced by 50% by storing water in the reservoir. Usuallyall floodwater during May to August is stored. A cargo transfer system with overheadtrolleys facilitates transfer of boats, timber logs and other commodities from the reservoirside to the downstream side in the river. The panoramic view and boating facilities of thereservoir upstream of the dam offer a good recreation area and attract many visitors.The Karnafuli Hydro Power Station was first contemplated in 1906 and a brief reconnaissance was carried out. The study was taken up again in 1923. In 1946, EA Mooresubmitted a report recommending a dam site at Barkal about 65 km upstream of thepresent dam site at Kaptai. In 1950, Merz Rendal Vatten, Consulting Engineers, proposed asite for the construction of a dam at Chilardak, about 48 km upstream of Kaptai and in 1951government engineers proposed a site at Chitmoram about 11 km downstream of Kaptai.Finally, in 1951 under the guidance of Khawja Azimuddin, then Chief Engineer (Irrigation),the dam site was selected at Kaptai. Preliminary work started in 1951 and the governmentengineers did some physical work. The US Government agreed to assist in theimplementation of the project and in 1952 the International Engineering Co Inc (IECO) was

engaged for a study of the project through the International Cooperation Administration of the USA. On the basis of these studies the project was taken up and IECO was appointed forthe engineering services of the project. Utah International Inc was engaged as theconstruction contractors and started working in October 1957.In 1962, the initial phase of construction was completed, comprising the dam, spillway,penstock and powerhouse with a generation capacity of 80 MW by means of two units, eachwith a capacity of 40 MW. The third generating unit with an installed capacity of 50 MW wascompleted in November 1981. The project was financed by government, ICA and DLF loanand the total cost including the dam with ancillary structures, Units 1, 2 and part of Unit 3was Rs 503 million with a foreign exchange component of Rs 171.6 million. The governmentand USAID financed the remaining cost of the third unit. The total cost was Tk 274 millionwith a foreign exchange component of Tk 156 million. In October 1988 construction of the4th and 5th units of the Kaptai station was completed raising the total generation capacityto 230 MW. The total cost of the extension work was Tk 1,900 million, which included aforeign exchange component of Tk 1,080 million.Although the Kaptai dam has provided increased economic opportunities which include floodcontrol and power generation, many local inhabitants have lost their homes and means of livelihood owing to inundation, making way for a storage reservoir. There has also been ageneral destruction of wilderness and open spaces, and an accompanying loss of wildlife andwildlife habitats.

Meghna Cross Dams

A major channel of the meghna used to flow between Ramgati andthe Noakhali mainland. The channel gradually silted up over a period of 20 to 30 years. In1957 the Irrigation Department constructed a 12-km long embankment, known as MeghnaCross Dam 1, across the channel to divert the flow westward. The construction cost of thisdam was Rs 1.4 million. As a result a new land area of 207 sq km was formed in the slackwater adjacent to the cross-dam up to 1964. In 1964 the bangladesh water developmentboard constructed another cross-dam having a length of 16 km, Meghna Cross Dam 2,between Char Jabbar and mainland of the Noakhali at a cost of Tk 9 million. This led toreclamation of another 563 sq km of land up to 1985 and the total reclaimed land areaincreased to 717 sq km.

Feni Closure Dam

A 3.41-km closure dam constructed across the feni river in 1965-66 at acost of Tk 593.5 million to divert the flow through the Feni regulator. This closure dam islocated in Mirsharai and Sonagazi, respectively in the Chittagong and Feni districts. The Feniregulator with 40 gates was constructed to prevent saline water intrusion from downstreamand retain fresh water upstream for use in the Muhuri Irrigation Project.

Rubber Dams

These are made of reinforced rubber bags inflated either by water or air andanchored to the channel bed for retention of water in small rivers and stream channels. Thebody of the rubber dam is made of rubber reinforced by woven synthetic fabric. Thereinforcement provides the tensile strength with rubber acting as the adhesive and water-proofing element. The fabric reinforcement is used in layers as decided by the designstrength requirement. Rubber for the dam is produced in long strips of fixed widthsdependent on machines producing the fabric. The strips are then joined by using glue and

Category:	Research > Science
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Upload Date:	06/25/2009
Copyright:	Attribution Non-commercial
Tags:	Bangladesh Bangladesh (fewer)

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