Materials Used in Dams

Masonry

• Advantages 

  • This type of dam offers a high resistance to rotting, pests, weather and natural disasters such as hurricanes and tornados

  • These dams tend to last a long time because it is able to withstand large amounts of weight load

  • This material can be used to build tall dams, currently the tallest masonry dam is the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam in India which is 180 meters high

• Disadvantages

  • Masonry dam can be very heavy and as a result it is hard to transport the materials to the building site

  • If there is unsettling within the foundation, cracks are likely to occur which need to be fix right away to prevent moisture infiltration and damage

Concrete

• This is the material that is most used to build a dam
• It is commonly used in gravity dams where it is usually built-in large blocks divided by joints to make the construction more convenient and reduce the thermal stress

• Advantages

  • One of tallest concrete dam is called Grande Dixence Dam and it is 285 meters high meaning concrete can be used to build really tall dams
  • Concrete can last a really long time 
  • It is very easy to transport concrete to the construction sites

• Disadvantages

  • This material tends to crack when placed in areas that go from high temperatures to low temperatures and as a result a leak could occur.
  • The salt within the concrete would leave efflorescence if moisture reacts with it
    • This is important because the moisture can lead to structural damage, thus if efflorescence is present, it is an indication that moisture is occurring within the dam and immediate actions needs to be taken

Timber

• Advantages

  • timber is readily available 
  • due to the fact that timber is light, it is easy to move around and work with

• Disadvantages

  • This type of material tends to change when the climate condition changes

    • The timber can shrink, swell, twists, crack or even bend over

  • Timber also is prone to pests, rotting, mold and fungi attacks
  • This dam is suitable for a wall that is 9 meters high and since dams need to be relatively high, it is not a suitable wall to build
  • Dams that are built with timber are usually used for temporary purposes because the dam has a short life-span

Earth-filled Dam

• This type of dam is used when the foundational soil is weak and is not strong enough to carry a masonry dam
•  Advantages
  • These dams are made of ordinary soil which is generally cheap
  • The cost to build this dam is cheaper compared to other materials since it is using soil
  • This wall can be tall, in fact the tallest earth-filled dam is called Nurek Dam and it stand at 300 meters tall
• Disadvantages 

  • However, compared to other dams it cost more to maintain an earth dam

  • This dam is usually damaged or destroyed by water flowing in, over or against the wall

    • But if adequate spillway is constructed it can be prevented

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