Arch dam

Arch dam

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. [cite web
url=http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/dam/arch_forces.html
title=Arch Dam Forces
publisher=
accessdate=2007-02-05]

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.cite web
url=http://www.dur.ac.uk/~des0www4/cal/dams/conc/concf12.htm
title=Introduction to Arch Dams
publisher=
accessdate=2007-02-05]

Variations

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.

The highest arch dam in the world is Inguri Dam in Georgia. It is 272 meters high and it was completed in 1980. [cite web| url = http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9042423/Inguri-Dam| title = Inguri Dam| accessdate = 2007-01-01|publisher = Britannica]

ee also

* El Atazar Dam
* Glen Canyon Dam
* Hoover Dam
* Parker Dam
* Stewart Mountain Dam
* Idukki Dam
* Gravity dam
* Arch-gravity dam

References

External links

* [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/dam/basics.html PBS Dam Basics]
* [http://www.uq.edu.au/~e2hchans/arch_dam.html Historical Development of Arch Dams. From Cut-Stone Arches to Modern Concrete Designs] Website
* [http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view.php?pid=UQ:9351 Historical Development of Arch Dams : from Cut-Stone Arches to Modern Concrete Designs] Article
* [http://simscience.org/cracks/advanced/arch_hist1.html Key Developments in the History of Arch Dams]


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • arch dam — noun : a dam built in a gorge in the form of a horizontal arch having the convex side upstream and abutting against the side walls * * * a dam resisting the pressure of impounded water by an arch principle, esp. a dam having in plan the form of a …   Useful english dictionary

  • arch dam — a dam resisting the pressure of impounded water by an arch principle, esp. a dam having in plan the form of a single arch abutted by natural rock formations. * * * …   Universalium

  • arch dam — a curved masonry or concrete dam with a convex upriver shape. The water pressure is transferred by the arch to abutments …   Dictionary of ichthyology

  • Dam — /dam, dahm/, n. (Carl Peter) Henrik /kahrl pee ter hen rik/; Dan. /kahrddl pay teuhrdd hen rddik/, 1895 1976, Danish biochemist: Nobel prize for medicine 1943. * * * I Barrier built across a stream, river, or estuary to conserve water for such… …   Universalium

  • Arch-gravity dam — Arch gravity Hoover Dam Architectural Plans An arch gravity dam, curved gravity dam or arched dam is a dam with the characteristics of both an arch dam and a gravity dam. It is a dam that curves upstream in a narrowing curve that directs most of… …   Wikipedia

  • arch-grav|i|ty dam — «AHRCH GRAV uh tee», a dam that resists the thrust of the water by using the thrust of the sides of the valley, as in an arch dam, and the thrust of its own weight, as in a gravity dam …   Useful english dictionary

  • Dam — This article is about structures for water impoundment. For other uses, see Dam (disambiguation). Hoover Dam, a concrete arch gravity dam in Black Canyon of the Colorado River. Lake Mead in the background is impounded by the dam …   Wikipedia

  • dam — dam1 /dam/, n., v., dammed, damming. n. 1. a barrier to obstruct the flow of water, esp. one of earth, masonry, etc., built across a stream or river. 2. a body of water confined by a dam. 3. any barrier resembling a dam. v.t. 4. to furnish with a …   Universalium

  • dam — Synonyms and related words: arch dam, arrest, artificial lake, backstop, bamboo curtain, bank, bar, barrage, barrier, bayou lake, bear trap dam, beaver dam, bind, block, block up, blockade, boom, bottle up, brake, breakwater, breastwork, brick… …   Moby Thesaurus

  • arch-gravity dam — noun Etymology: arch (I) : an arch dam having also sufficient mass and breadth of base to provide gravity stability …   Useful english dictionary

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