Arch dam

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The Roosevelt Dam is an arch dam completed in 1911 and modified in 1996 (shown). The original design was the highest masonry dam ever constructed.
The Roosevelt Dam is an arch dam completed in 1911 and modified in 1996 (shown). The original design was the highest masonry dam ever constructed.

An arch dam is a thin, curved concrete or masonry dam structure which is built to curve upstream so that the force of the water against it squeezes the arch, compressing and strengthening the structure and pushing it into the ground. An arch dam is a good dam type for a narrow gorge in a mountainous area with steep walls of rock.[1]

An arch dam generally has steel rods or prestressed steel cables reinforcements and therefore requires less concrete than does a gravity dam or arch-gravity dam. However, the bedrock in the foundation and abutments must be sound to withstand the pressure of the water.[2]

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[edit] Variations

Gordon Dam, Tasmania
Gordon Dam, Tasmania

Arch dams with more than one contiguous arch or plane are described as multiple arch dams. A double arch dam has two contiguous arches. A dam that is curved in both its horizontal and vertical planes may be called a dome dam.[2]

The highest arch dam in the world is Inguri Dam in Georgia. It is 272 meters high and it was completed in 1980.[3]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Arch Dam Forces. Retrieved on 2007-02-05.
  2. ^ a b Introduction to Arch Dams. Retrieved on 2007-02-05.
  3. ^ Inguri Dam. Britannica. Retrieved on 2007-01-01.

[edit] External links