Advantages of Dams
Dams serve a variety of functions and provide numerous benefits to local areas and industry. They are primarily used to store water, control flooding and generate electricity. Many dams serve to store water to function as standing lakes. In general, dams provide various advantages for communities but still other disadvantages.
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit IWHR.
In general, dams are important structures that are constructed for the purpose of water storage. The water held by dams, generally from a channel, can later be used for generating electricity and used for irrigation purposes. Dams are also critical in flood control.
How Are Dams Constructed?
One of the most well known dams, Hoover Dam, was constructed to provide irrigation water to local communities as well as to control floods and generate hydroelectricity. The federal government authorized construction of Hoover Dam, which spans 30 miles across the Nevada-Arizona border. Its large structure depicts the various advantages that dams have for local areas.
A dam is a structure commonly built across a river or stream to create a large reservoir behind it. There are various types of dam spillways and operational dam gates that help control the flow of water.
With dam engineering there are different categories to consider for construction including structural type, usage and materials required. Construction of dams is complex. Dam projects require substantial labor, materials, and other resources. Knowing how dams work can provide clarity to how they&#;re constructed. Steps take to build dams include:
Building up an area to help divert water in order to properly create structure. Engineers usually implement tunneling systems to help in diverting water from existing rivers.
Creating a foundation is the next step in construction of dams.
Cofferdams
are one type of dam that can help in the layout of the structure.
Assembling the overall structure of the dam is next. During this process, dam construction contractors ensure there is no loose rock on the riverbed, then work to build a plinth. This keeps water from leaking from the ledges of the dam. Majority of dams use reinforcements with concrete steel to protect against water flow.
Once a dam has been fully constructed, dam contractors will fill the reservoir. During this process, testing of flood gates is critical.
Advantages of Dams
Dams are advantageous in many ways. In engineering, dams function to store vast amounts of water in flooding and even for recreational purposes.
Many other factors to consider when weighing the advantages of dams include: improved health and life by supplying clean water, improved quality of sanitation, increased food (crop & fish) production, irrigation supply, protection of lives and goods from flooding, generation of electricity, tailings of mines and controlling the debris as well as the recreation and environmental benefits of the reservoirs.
Why Are Dams Advantageous?
As a water source, dams have many advantages and applications. The application of dams can include cooking, cleaning, bathing, washing, drinking water, farming and for other cultivation purposes.
When there&#;s excess flow of water, dams help by storing water in reservoirs. Dams also function to release water during times of low flow when natural streams are inadequate to meet demands. All purposes are kept in mind when constructing dams. Some functions of dams can include:
Irrigation
Dams help crops and plants through evapotranspiration. With large quantities of water stored in dams, they can be easily used for irrigation. This helps communities plan farming and nurturing crops accordingly, further enhancing food supply.
Some examples of dams used for irrigation include Burrinjuck Dam in Australia.
Drinking Water
A portion of water storage in dams and reservoirs is supplied for drinking, municipal and industrial purposes. After water treatment, it can be used for drinking. This can help ensure that people are drinking pure water, preventing diseases like cholera.
An example dam used for drinking water supply is also in Australia known as Warragamba.
Electrical Generation
The company is the world’s best dam construction companies supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.
One of the staples of dams and major industry advantages is dam usage in hydropower and electrical generation. There are several environmental advantages of hydroelectric power including its flexibility, affordability, and the perks of being a renewable resource.
Once constructed, a dam can generate constant electricity. There&#;s no fuel requirements to produce this electricity. Dams used in hydropower also last longer than thermal power plants. The resource is renewable given that it can be used repeatedly downstream for power generation. Hydropower can be stored or diverted and is one of the most eco-friendly means of producing power. One example of this is the 103,800 megawatts of electricity produced by dams in the United States alone. Itaipu Dam is a hydropower site in Brazil with one of the world&#;s largest productions of power.
Use In Flood Control
As mentioned previously, during flood seasons, dams can be used to control the flow of water by either reducing floods to help manage wash aways. It can also reduce congestion of water.
In the United States, flood zones in Tennessee, southern Ohio, and the lower Mississippi Rivers are controlled by Tennessee Valley Authority dams.
Water Storage
Reservoirs have many beneficial features including the most pronounced of being a source of water storage. Upstream water ponds can be used for fish farms, further reducing damage to fish habitats during dam construction.
Environmentally Friendly
One of the major advantages of dams is their eco-friendly features. Because dams use a renewable resource, they help to reduce emissions of greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide. Additionally, tailing dams help protect the environment from toxic mining wastes.
Recreational Purposes
Dams can also serve as a recreational activity. Several dams throughout the United States are known to provide an area for boating, skiing, campaign, picnics, and boat launches.
Dam Construction with Gracon LLC
Dams are classified according to the type of construction material being used, the slope or cross-section of the dam, and the way the dam resists the forces of the water pressure behind it, the means used for controlling seepage, and what the dam&#;s purpose may be. There are various types of dams to consider and the advantages of each.
Gracon LLC are dam experts in construction, maintenance and rehabilitation. We work to ensure that each dam project is given the opportunity to capitalize on the advantages of dams listed above, plus numerous others. For more information on our dam construction and processes contact us today.
A dam is a structure built across a river or stream to hold back water. People have used different materials to build dams over the centuries. Ancient dam builders used natural materials such as rocks or clay. Modern-day dam builders often use concrete.
Manmade dams create artificial lakes called reservoirs. Reservoirs can be used to store water for farming, industry, and household use. They also can be used for fishing, boating, and other leisure activities. People have used dams for many centuries to help prevent flooding.
The ancient Mesopotamians may have been some of the first humans to build dams . The oldest known dam is the Jawa Dam , located in present-day Jordan. It was built in the fourth century B.C.E. Dams provided farmers with a steady source of water to irrigate crops. This allowed ancient Mesopotamians to feed a growing population.
The Romans were master- dam builders too. They used dams to divert water for drinking, bathing, and irrigation. One of the oldest dams still in use is the Cornalvo Dam in Spain. The ancient Romans built it in the first or second century C.E.
The force of flowing water creates mechanical power. People have harnessed this power for centuries with the use of dams . Small dams powered paddle wheels in pre-industrial Europe and America. These were used to help saw logs or grind corn and other grains.
During the Industrial Revolution, engineers began to build bigger dams. These industrial-sized dams could hold back more water to power the big machinery of factories and mines. They also could turn giant turbines to generate electricity.
The early s ushered in an era of &#;big dam &#; building in America as demands for electricity increased. During the Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt put Americans back to work building massive dam projects. The most famous of these is the Hoover Dam .
The Hoover Dam sits on the border between Nevada and Arizona. It was completed in . The Hoover Dam is regarded as an engineering marvel. It was the tallest dam ever built at the time&#;222 meters (727 feet). The dam helped to control the flow of water on the Colorado River by creating Lake Mead, one of the largest reservoirs in the United States. Lake Mead provides drinking water for the city of Las Vegas.
Dams have long been viewed as a symbol of human ingenuity. However, ecologists who study rivers and lakes have uncovered some environmental downsides to dam construction. Dams change the way rivers function, and in some cases, this can harm local fish populations.
Flooding landscapes to create reservoirs can have consequences for biodiversity as well. Brazilian biologist Raffaello Di Ponzio studies the impact of big dam projects on the plants and animals of the Amazon Rainforest. More than 200 hydroelectric dams have been proposed in Brazil. While these dams could help satisfy growing South American energy demands, they would also flood more than 10 million hectares (25 million acres) of the Amazon Rainforest.
For more information, please visit hydraulic gate.
Comments
All Comments (0)