Lecture

Gravity Dams: Construction and Safety

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In course

CIVIL-411: Dam engineering

Dams are paramount for human development around the world. The course is an introduction to the fascinating domain of dam engineering, from design to construction, for water storage and regulated supply, including for renewable energy generation (hydropowe ...

Description

This lecture covers the construction and safety aspects of gravity dams, including the reduction of pushing forces, treatment of concreting stoppages, and the importance of the friction angle. It also discusses the seismic actions, earthquake safety verification, and the impact of temperature on dam structures.

Instructors (2)

Laurent Mouvet

Pedro Filipe De Almeida Manso

Expertise Dams & hydraulic structures, Hydropower (large/small/pumped-storage), Hydrology & Water Resources, Hydraulic modellingRock scour, Sediment management, Air-water-rock interaction, Fluid-structure/interface interactionFeasibility studies, Project & Team Management Expertise Dams & hydraulic structures, Hydropower (large/small/pumped-storage), Hydrology & Water Resources, Hydraulic modellingRock scour, Sediment management, Air-water-rock interaction, Fluid-structure/interface interactionFeasibility s

Official source

Related concepts (32)

Dam

A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aquaculture, and navigability. Hydropower is often used in conjunction with dams to generate electricity. A dam can also be used to collect or store water which can be evenly distributed between locations.

Concrete

Concrete is a composite material composed of aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement that cures over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most widely used building material. Its usage worldwide, ton for ton, is twice that of steel, wood, plastics, and aluminium combined. When aggregate is mixed with dry Portland cement and water, the mixture forms a fluid slurry that is easily poured and molded into shape.

Hydraulic engineering

Hydraulic engineering as a sub-discipline of civil engineering is concerned with the flow and conveyance of fluids, principally water and sewage. One feature of these systems is the extensive use of gravity as the motive force to cause the movement of the fluids. This area of civil engineering is intimately related to the design of bridges, dams, channels, canals, and levees, and to both sanitary and environmental engineering.

Embankment dam

An embankment dam is a large artificial dam. It is typically created by the placement and compaction of a complex semi-plastic mound of various compositions of soil or rock. It has a semi-pervious waterproof natural covering for its surface and a dense, impervious core. This makes the dam impervious to surface or seepage erosion. Such a dam is composed of fragmented independent material particles. The friction and interaction of particles binds the particles together into a stable mass rather than by the use of a cementing substance.

Construction

Construction is a general term meaning the art and science to form objects, systems, or organizations, and comes from Latin constructio (from com- "together" and struere "to pile up") and Old French construction. To construct is the verb: the act of building, and the noun is construction: how something is built, the nature of its structure. In its most widely used context, construction covers the processes involved in delivering buildings, infrastructure, industrial facilities, and associated activities through to the end of their life.

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Related concepts (32)

Dam

Concrete

Hydraulic engineering

Embankment dam

Construction