How Dams Work

A typical dam is a wall of solid material built across a river to block the flow of the river
thus storing water in the lake that will form upstream of the dam as water continues to
flow from the river upstream of the dam.

The main purpose of most dams is to create a permanent reservoir of water for use at a
later time. The dam must be watertight (ie impermeable or impervious to water) so that
water does not leak out of the dam and escape downstream.

Most of the first (Earliest) Dams were built in Mesopotamia up to 7,000 years ago.

As well as being watertight a dam must also be stable ie the dam wall must have
sufficient strength Lot of water is stored in the lake. This water pressure exerts a force on
the dam wall tending to push it downstream. The higher the dam, the greater the depth of
water stored behind the dam and the greater the water pressure on the dam wall.

The dam must also have sufficient strength to resist other forces to which it may be
subjected from time to time eg shaking from earthquakes.

Types of Dams

1. By size

International standards define large dams as higher than 15 meters and major dams as
over 150 meters in height

2. By purpose

Intended purposes include providing water for

1. Irrigation or town or city water supply,

2. Improving navigation, creating a reservoir of water to supply industrial uses,

3. Generating hydroelectric power,

4. Flood control

Few dams serve all of these purposes but some multi-purpose dams serve more than
one.
3. By structure
Dams can be grouped according to the type of material of which they are constructed
Based on structure and material used, dams are classified as

• Timber dams ( Not common now)

•
• CONCRETE DAMS

• Concrete Gravity Dams

• Concrete Arch Dams
• Concrete Buttress Dams
• FILL (EMBANKMENT) DAMS
• Earth Dams
• Earth and Rock Fill Dams
• Concrete Faced Rock Fill Dams
 World's Highest Dams, 2000
Source: US Committee on Large Dams of the Intl. Commission on Large Dams

Height
(m) above
Name Country
lowest
formation
1 Rogun Tajikistan 335
2 Nurek Tajikistan 300
3 Grand Dixence Switzerland 285
4 Inguri Georgia 272
5 Vajont Italy 262
6 Manuel M. Torres Mexico 261
7 Tehri India 261
8 Alvaro Obregon Mexico 260
9 Mauvoisin Switzerland 250
10 Alberto Lleraso Colombia 243
11 Mica Cannada 243
12 Sayano-Shushensk Russia 242
13 Ertan China 240
14 La Esmeralda Colombia 237
15 Kishau India 236
16 El Cajon Honduras 234
17 Chirkei Russia 233
18 Oroville U.S. 230
19 Bhakra India 226
20 Hoover U.S. 221

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
 Direction of
Flow

Concre te Ar ch Dam