Dams

Obbiba Rabab
Rourou sara
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
01 02 03
STRUCTURE OF
Introduction DEFINITION
DAM

04 05 06
TYPES OF DAMS: REASONS TO BUILD CONCLUSION
• BY STRUCTURE A DAM
• BY USE
• BY MATERIAL
01 Introduction
Dams are massive barriers built
across rivers and streams to
confine and utilize the flow of
water for human purposes.
These purposes may be
Irrigation, Hydropower, Water-
supply, Flood Control,
Navigation, Fishing and
Recreation. This confinement of
water creates
lakes or reservoirs.
 DEFINITION
• A dam is a hydraulic structure of impervious material built
across a river or stream to create a reservoir on its upstream
side for storing water for various purposes.
• These purposes may be irrigation, hydro-power, water-
supply, flood control, navigation, fishing and recreation.
STRUCTURE OF DAM
REASONS TO BUILD A DAM

Dams have two main functions

• The first is to store water to compensate for fluctuations in river
flow or in demand for water and energy.
• The second to raise the level of the water upstream to enable
water to be diverted into a canal or to increase 'hydraulic head’
- the difference in height between the surface of a reservoir and
the river downstream.
 REASONS TO BUILD A DAM
• The creation of storage and head allow
• Dams to generate electricity (hydropower
provides nearly a fifth of the world's
electricity)
• To supply water for agriculture, industries
and households
• To control flooding
• To assist river navigation by providing
regular flows and drowning rapids.
Types of dams
The type of dam depends upon the condition of dam site, the
main Type of dam are as follows :
• Earthen dam
• Gravity dam
• Arch dam
• Buttress dam
 Earthen dam
• The dams which are constructed of earthen materials such as gravel sand, silt
and clay are called as ' Earthen Dam’.
• They are 'trapezoidal’ in shape. Earthen
dams are relatively smaller in height and
broad at the base.
• Earthen dams are constructed where the
foundation or the underlaying materials or
rocks are weak to support the masonry dam
or where the suitable competent rock are
at greater depth.
 Gravity dam
• Gravity dam is a solid structure
made up of masonry or concrete
and are constructed across the
river to resist the forces exerted
upon it by its own weight.

• These dams are heavy and

massive wall like structures of
concrete which the whole weight
act vertically downwards.
Arch dam
• These types of dams are constructed
of concrete or masonry dams which
are curved or convex upstream in
plan.
• This shape helps to transmit the
major part of the water load to the
abutment.
• Arch dams are built across narrow,
deep river gorges, but now in recent
vears they have been considered
even for little wider valleys.
 Buttress dam
• 'Buttress' means a support that
transmits a force from a root or
wall to another supporting
structure.
• Buttress dam is a gravity dam
reinforced by structural supports
.This type of structure can be
considered even if the
foundation rocks are
little weaker.
conclusion Dams are very costly projects so their
construction in seismic areas needs careful
study to ensure their safety when earth
quakes occurs a dam is subjected to two
forces are due to the dam and due to
reservoir water.